Choose Wisely - God's Values Or World's Values

I just got a letter from the Public Utilities Board (PUB) informing me that my household is using too much water. Haha. It is funny and at the same time, not. I think it is time for me to conduct "How To Save Water" lesson for my parents, grandma and brother. It is weird to do that with a bunch of adults but I guess it is prudent for us all to learn to conserve. It is true that my family, including Andy Chew here, loves water. :)

Anyway, I came home at around 10:30pm from a meeting with my accountability group. It was a good time spent fellowshipping and feasting. One of the brothers-in-Christ got his first pay-check and he gave the rest of us a treat. Thanks be to God for that blessing.

Tonight's topic of discussion challenged the four of us to consider the way we live our lives. It was food for thought for us especially when the question was posed as to whether we are living double lives - being this kind of person in church and then the other kind when in the world. We confessed that it is a struggle but we all want to strife to live the one life that God wants us to - letting the values given to us by God to guide the way we think, say and do.

We were also discussing about what kind of values a man should have with regards to relationship. We all agreed that they should be the same as that of the above-mentioned pertaining to life. I believe if all of us press on to become the person God wants us to be, then naturally we will be attractive (and I am not just talking about the external) to the opposite gender.

Well, I guess no one has attain all the God-given values but I am very certain we can work towards them. We still have the unattractive side of us but that should not put us down knowing that our desire to want to live godly lives will one day beautify our characteristics as a unique individual.

This afternoon, during lunch, I spent the time doing the Missions Policy amendments to the first draft. I am almost done. By tomorrow's lunch-time I should be able to complete them before meeting the Lay Ministry Staff (LMS) again to finish the second half of our discussion.

Time for me to enter Slumberland. Good night, folks! Before that, I have to finalise a presentation that I am doing tomorrow.

"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:7-8

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9

God Prompts For A Purpose

I just reached home not too long ago. I was in church since 3pm when I was done with my meetings in campus. I had to meet the Lay Ministry Staff (LMS) overseeing the Missions Ministry to discuss about the first draft of the revised policy.

We did not even finish the brainstorming session - covered only half of the 32-page document. We are meeting again on Thursday to finish the rest. Though I was hoping we could complete it by today, I was fine when it did not because what we have discussed so far has been very encouraging.

I guess from now to Thursday, I will work on the first-half of the policy. I hope I have the time to do so because the next two days will be very packed with meetings and presentations at work. Tomorrow evening I have a meeting with my accountability group - by the time I come home, I hope I will have some energy left to work on the amendments. I guess I will also use my lunch-time to do so.

I know this may sound crazy especially when my driving test is next Monday - I have not signed up for any lessons to get use to driving again because realistically speaking, I have no time to spare. I know some friends will "scold" me for this but I really have no choice. Frankly I have no confidence in passing but I have asked the Lord to give me a heart of thanksgivng no matter what. I know it is good to pass but even if I do not, so be it. It is not a life or death situation. It is a matter of time that license will be in my possession but I shall not let it affect me in any way as there are a lot of other important things for me to focus on. :)

Anyway, I have something quite amazing to share but it is not something to be happy about. About three days ago. a church member's name came to mind and it occurred to me that I have not seen him for a while. I whispered a prayer for him and left it as it was. I had wanted to ask someone about this brother-in-Christ but always slipped my mind till this afternoon when I was in the LMS' office. So happened this member called the LMS and it was then I found out that he has not been feeling well and he has been getting a couple of spiritual attacks.

Did God prompt me about this brother knowing that he is in need of support? I guess so. Now that I know his situation, I shall see how God can use me to encourage this dear sibling-in-Christ. The LMS and I stopped our discussion for a while and prayed for this brother.

Well, it has been a fruitful day. Foodful as well - after the meeting with the LMS, the church's Facility Officer suggested having dinner together. The three of us headed for the Lavender Food Court for our feasting. We had cockles, fried noodles, dim sum of prawn dumplings, pork dumpling and chicken feet.

When we were done, I was stuffed! Well, I shall sleep at around 12:30am since I cannot do so with too full a tummy.

I had a good short chat with a sister-in-Christ who was in my mentor group at the Young Methodist Leaders' Conference. Surprise to see her online since this is the first time she comes on. Praise the Lord for sustaining her through her busy workload in the varsity. We exchanged prayer needs and I shall intercede for her regularly. :)

Time to rest my fingers and log out! Good night to one and all! May God grant all a good night's rest!

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

Take Not For Granted God's Mercy

I want to thank God for guiding me through a wonderful time of preparation for this Sunday's 11:15am service. Since yesterday I have been thinking and asking the Lord to give me the songs relevant to the sermon that will be preached. The title is "Endless Mercy."

Though many have come to know of God's grace and mercy, it has sometimes reached a stage where we also take them for granted. I was struggling whether to just choose songs that only give the congregation an opportunity to praise God or should I also choose songs that speak of God's wrath on those who keep choosing to sin against Him time and again.

Well, I decided to include both in. The praise segment will be a time for all to give thanks to God for all that He has done for us. The more difficult songs to sing (as in not the tune but mouthing the lyrics) will be after the sermon where it is my prayer that all who will be present at the service will seriously consider the consequences of our constant rebellion. I think it is important to paint both sides of the picture when it comes to God's mercy on mankind. Yes, we are always told that He is good and patient but we also should know that it is also a reality that one day all of us will be standing in front of Him, accounting to Him for what we have done.

Not an easy preparation for me. Though tough, I praise the Lord that He has given me and all on earth a second chance to live through the death of Jesus on the cross.

I basically took lunch-time to be away from the crowd and went to Fort Canning Park to consider the songs to be sung. Though a little humid but I had a fruitful time of worship and communion with my Saviour.

I carried on when I ended work around 4pm. I went to Ngee Ann Coffee Bean to write my thoughts of the songs I have decided with the Worship Team members who will be serving alongside me. I pray the sharing has encouraged them and also allow them to see how the flow of the service will be like.

It has been a while since I visited this cafe but I am glad all the staff remembered me. I am a little concerned for Chin Chuan because of the pain he is experiencing around his left knee-cap. He showed me the Chinese herbal plaster that he pasted where the affected area is and said it was uncomfortable. I suspected it could be due to the long hours he had to stand and walk constantly to serve customers and also to clear all the plates and rubbish on the tables.

Well, I said a prayer of healing upon his knee and I believe God will heal this young man in His time.

We caught up quite a bit each time he passed my table. When he first saw me as he arrived at the joint for his shift, he gave the such a wide grin. I hope the Lord will give me an opportunity to reach out to him - I am thinking of inviting him to the church's healing service. I shall see how I can do that.

I went next to Carrefour in Plaza Singapura to buy groceries for the family. As I was on my way to the train station with my bags of stuff, I was stopped by this lady from an insurance agency. She called me "James" and I looked at her with this "huh" look. She then went on to say it has been a long time since she last saw me. I replied that she has mistaken me for someone else and she smiled. After a short pause, she apologised and said I really look like a friend of hers from secondary school. I "forgave" her (haha) and walked on. I wanted to turn around to see whether it was her kind of tactic to stop passers-by from listening to the product she was promoting but I decided not to as she did not do that to me.

Haha. I think I am getting a little sick saying this again but I shall because it is the truth. I AM DRAINED!

In fact, yesterday when I got home from dinner with the running gang, I was too tired to even blog. That is why I decided to give it a miss. I was also tempted to skip watching the Liverpool-Arsenal match. In the end I did though once in a while I was dozing off. Well, it was a mistake to watch it - again the Reds played badly. They scored an early goal, held it till the last 10 minutes and then conceded a goal due to the boo-boo made my a defender and the goalie. Well, much to be desired, I say.

Alritey, I shall attempt to sleep now! Haha. A bit too tired based on my sleeping habit but I must, if I want to have sufficient energy for tomorrow. I have a presentation in campus and after that it was off to church for second round of the Missions Policy review.

Thanks be to God for this day!

"Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD God Almighty, says: "There will be wailing in all the streets and cries of anguish in every public square. The farmers will be summoned to weep and the mourners to wail. There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst," says the LORD. Amos 5:14-17

(The full passage for the sermon is from Amos 5:1-17)

Christians Fear No Death!

I have finally completed the first draft of the Missions Policy. Never knew I ended up with a 32-page long manual. I hope I have included all that is necessary and relevant to the Missions Ministry of my church. The road ahead is still a long one - I shall be patient and look forward to the day when it is approved by the Pastors and leadership of the church.

I was at the church leaders' meeting this morning. It lasted till noon and by the time it was done, I left with a slight disappointment. I was saddened as to how sometimes we as Christians expect what the church can do for us when in actual fact, it should be what we can do for God in the church we worship in.

Well, I was quite judgemental during the meeting and I sought the Lord for forgiveness at the end of the meeting when I was praying with a brother-in-Christ.

Anyway, I stayed back in church for a while to complete the last bit of the Missions Policy. After that I headed home and decided to just bum. I needed to do that. I napped after taking a quick bath to cool myself. I felt more refreshed when I woke up.

I decided to cook for grandma and dad. Grandma is a little unwell so I did not want her to strain herself. Anyway, it was not too difficult to cook for three persons since mum is now away in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and my brother is having dinner out. I went out for a while to buy some groceries as there was nothing much left in the fridge.

I basically made congee served with sliced fish and prawn.

After dining with grandma and dad, I played with my doggy. She is really a handful but I had a fun time playing fetch with her.

As I was perspiring after running around with Sasha, I took another cool bath. After that I took out my guitar and basically spent some time worshipping the Lord in songs and in reading His Word. I decided to read the verse for the Youth Camp which was brought to my attention by a sister-in-Christ when she asked me to explain the meaning of the verse.

It was taken from Philippians 1:21. I thank God for this verse as I was reminded of my identity in Christ - that I should always live my life for Him since I have made a decision 21 years ago to accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Now that He is my God and that I am His child, I should desire to live my life pleasing in His sight (hence the first part of the verse where it reads, "... to live is Christ"

Of course it did not stop there. When Paul wrote the second part of that verse, he has dedicated his life to share this Good News to the people around him. He was all ready to do so even to the point of death. For to him, death was nothing to fear about since he knew where his final destination is - being in heaven with God. That is why he wrote "... and to die is gain." I have learnt not to fear death when I was faced with my kidney ailment a couple of years back. Reading this verse reminded me to face death with no trembling but with joy. It was also an affirmation to continue to share God's goodness to people around just as what I have been doing for the past one year or so when I started my sabbatical.

It has been a wonderful day except for the little disappointment I experienced in the morning. Thanks be to God for everything though!

Time to sleep. A long day awaits me in church tomorrow.

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

It Hurts When Bitten

I just had a cool refreshing bath. Anyway, after I was done with showering, I saw a mosquito with a leg stuck to a mini spider-web. It was trying all it could to free itself from the tangle. I observed it for a minute and decided to just help free it.

Just by a single flick of my finger, it was released and started flying around the bathroom. While I was drying myself, it landed on my right arm. Well, one need not figure for too long what it did next - the little insect that I did a good deed to, sucked my blood and now there is a tiny lump which is starting to itch.

Amazing, right? I think all of us are like the mosquito. God freed us from the web of sins and instead of repaying His kindness, we bit Him and in the process caused hurt to Him by sinning. Jesus is the One who is supposed to be our Redeemer, our Friend but in the end, we sometimes treat Him as if He is our adversary.

Interesting reminder.

Good night, every one! Sleep tight and God bless!

Keep Doing What Is Good

I will try to sleep after blogging this but not before I have a bath first. Later there is a leadership meeting in church at 8am all the way till noon. The word "meeting" is scaring me lately because meetings at work are like always back to back and when I am done with work, I have meetings in church.

If I can take a break from meetings for a day, it would be a great bonus and a refreshing feeling. Well, from the look at my schedules, this wish can only come true till mid-December. Though dreadful, I will try to see the good of them and may the Lord continue to sustain me through this period.

Anyway, so much for the blabbing. I went for a blood donation at the Blood Bank just after my team was done with our planning for the day. The medical staff who attended to me did not do a good job in inserting the needle. There is a bruise now on my left arm and it is really sore.

Something unpleasant happened while I was msning someone in the morning. I have not seen this person for quite a while already. When I saw him online I asked him how he has been. The reply I got was rather hostile. Well, I left it as it was and prayed for the person - not knowing how to pray, I asked the Spirit to intercede on my behalf.

Well, when I was lying down while donating my blood, I just wondered whether it is worth the while trying to be a friend to all whom I know. What is the point when I put in so much effort and what I get in return sometimes is like that of the above encounter.

I have learnt not to be too affected by this anymore because so long as I know I am doing out of goodwill and love, I will just leave it as it is even though at times my effort is not appreciated.

I am not sharing this as if I deserved to receive something in return. I am a human too. Treat me like one.

Anyway, time to stop ranting on this as well.

I am almost done with the first draft of the revised Missions Policy. Hopefully by the end of today, I will be able to complete the last bits and email it to the Lay Ministry Staff overseeing Missions whom I am working with for the initial draft. Thanks be to God for guiding me through thus far.

Okie, time to stop and have my bath.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:26-27

The Lord - My Helper

Yesterday I had a meeting with one of my church's Lay Ministry Staff (LMS) to review the Missions Policy. We went through the whole of the present policy and basically commented on every point. We started at 3pm and we only ended around 7:30pm.

Though it was 4 1/2 hours long, I thought it was a good session as we noted the strength and weaknesses of the current policy. We also had a couple of other Missions Policies from different churches and we used them as references as to how we can improve and work on the revised one.

Towards the last hour of the meeting, it was confirmed my mind was already on over-drive - I just could not concentrate anymore but thanks be to God for sustaining the both of us. We went home with joy as we know it was a wonderful session and it will continue to be that way till the day the policy is approved by the Local Conference next January. It is still a long road ahead but who cares, it will come to pass soon.

I started working on the first draft today after noting all the comments the LMS and I have made. I ended work around 4:30pm and went to a Coffee Bean joint along Boat Quay to work on it. I was basically so excited to start on the paper that I went on to finish about half of it already.

I mentioned I had a couple of other Missions Policies with me. When I saw them, I basically told myself why re-invent another when I can combine the strength of other policies and my church's and churn out a revised version. It may sound easy but I have to adapt the points accordingly to suit the objectives and needs of the Missions Ministry.

Well, my brain juice has been squeezed dry for today but all glory to God. Work was hectic since I missed the planning yesterday. I managed to catch up with my team as in the progress made from yesterday. I guess it will be a late night for me as I have to do my part of the deal.

Now I am in a dilemma - I know I should be able to complete my work by 2am but then at 2:30am there is a Liverpool's Champions League match. If I watch that game, it will end at 4:30. I have to be in office by 8am, Meaning to say I have to be up by 6:45am. That gives me only 2 1/4 hours of sleep and tomorrow will be a long day because after work, there is a Missions Committee meeting. Hmmm... I think it is not that difficult to conclude that I should sleep and not watch the match. Haha. Sigh. The pain and agony of being a Liverpudlian. :)

Anyway, time for me to stop talking nonsense and start working.

Sorry, Liverpool! Sleep prevails!

"Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me." Psalm 54:4

Instrument Of Peace

I did not really sleep since midnight and this was after I spoke to a total stranger whom a dear friend referred me to for counselling and support. It sounded urgent and immediately after I got this stranger's contact number, I called him and we spoke for a while.

After we hung up, I just could not bring myself to sleep as I was wondering how I should help this individual. I spent quite a while asking the Lord to advise me as this is the first time I am dealing with a situation where I had to counsel someone whom I have totally no information of. I had not seen him before; I did not know whether what he related to me was true; and I struggled whether I should accede to a request he made.

After praying, I just kept still and one word just kept coming on to me - "Trust." I guess it is important when trying to help someone that trust needs to be given to him. Basically to give him benefit of the doubt. Yes, it is true that this society we live in has some individuals who had betrayed the trust of others. I guess we cannot let this minority cause us to generalise that everyone is like them. What if the person we are helping is a genuine case?

I was supposed to have a meeting with my planning team but in the morning after I woke up from a brief sleep and after I sought some advice from my Pastor-in-charge and a Lay Ministry Staff on how to help this gentleman, I decided to take an emergency leave to help this brother-in-Christ. He professed that he is a Christian when we spoke over the phone.

I called this brother and we set a time to meet in church. Though he could only meet me for 30 minutes because he had a work appointment, it went beyond that. When he shared some painful experiences of his life, he cried. A couple of times I almost broke down but I controlled myself. Many people are avoiding him because of some wrongs he had committed - that is why he has no one to turn to except God and His church. I prayed with him before he left for work and I also acceded to his request for help in one area of his life.

In my account so far of this encounter, I have decided not to go into the details as I want to keep my session with this dear brother in confidence. I pray the Lord will remain close to him tonight and everyday.

I learnt four things from this experience in my pilgrim's journey. One I have already mentioned - that is to always approach a person whom we are helping with trust. Whether the person's case is genuine or fraud, it is not up to us to judge him. Our role is to let God use us to help those in need. If we got cheated, then so be it. Life goes on and the experience will help us deal with the next better but at no time, it should teach us to doubt the next person whom we are reaching out to. I asked God for discernment and I think that is important.

The second lesson is not to let one's past cause us to look at him differently or negatively in the present. I was reminded that we are no different from others around us as we are all sinful and had, at one point in our lives, committed something wrong. Some may be more serious than others but a sin is a sin is a sin. Big or small, it is still a sin. So the next time we treat an individual with disgust, remind ourselves that others may be looking at us the same way. To overcome this is basically to look at every one with love; with God's eyes because He loves all unconditionally!

The third lesson puts me to shame. I have five different kinds of Bibles at home and in my 22 years of being a Christian, I have never attempted seriously to memorise the Word of God so that in times of need, doubt and discouragement, I can be encouraged by the verses. This brother does not have a Bible (could not afford one) and when he gets the chance to use a computer, he would go to www.biblegateway.com and memorise some verses. These kept him on and I believe they have, especially after listening to some of his painful accounts.

Many of us Christians do not see the need to keep God's Word in our hearts because we are just overly blest. Sometimes to the point where we feel that we do not need God as we have this notion that we are self-sufficient. Let me warn all of us and it is not meant to sound like a curse - one day we will face certain trials in our lives that may make us feel as if we have reached the end of the road of our lives. If we do not have God's Word in us, we will just give up but if we let the Word of God remain in us, we will then be able to see hope and a light at the end of the tunnel.

I do not wish to make the above paragraph sounds too cliche but I have experienced the power of God's Word in my struggles with my past kidney ailment and failures; we have also heard of many other testimonies from people. How could these persons find joy in tribulation? Simply because of the Word of God! Do not believe its power, start using it!

The last lesson is this - cherish all the loved ones, friends and things we have and do not take them for granted. Many times we complain more than we give thanks. One day should we lose all that we own, we have no 'right' anymore to demand and whine and grumble but to content with the little or nothing we possess. Perhaps then we would see the need for God to be in our lives.

Long account today but I have to share what God has taught me through this brother. May God have mercy on all of us and continue to be gracious unto us.

“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

Peace Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying [to ourselves] that we are born to eternal life.

Guarding Our Heart And Mouth

I was out with my colleagues for lunch along Clarke Quay. We went to Cafe Iguana - all excited to have a sumptuous meal after a whole morning of meeting. While waiting for our food, three men in their office outfits sat next to our table. Their presence just spoilt our afternoon.

They were talking so loudly that we could hear everything. Frankly, we would rather not hear the topic of their conversation as it was not too pleasant for two of my lady-colleagues. These insensitive individuals were talking about their weekend escapades and of course it had to do with some sexual activities they got themselves into. How shameless can that be?!

Anyway, it reached a point where I just could not help it and went to look for the restaurant manager. I related to him about how disrespectful the three were regarding their 'sharing' and requested that the manager speak to them.

He did. Of course the men were not too happy when told to lower their voices and change their topic. I could hear one of them asking the manager who made the report. The manager refused to reveal. Five minutes after the manager spoke to these persons, they left.

I thank God for that but I also whispered a prayer for them that He opens the eyes of these three young chaps and may they turn away from their sinful ways. It is just so sad that they did not feel ashamed at all in talking about their sexual acts so openly and being indifferent about it.

What a start to a brand new work-week. Anyway, we went on with our lunch and it was back to another meeting in the afternoon. It was a short one and we left for home at around 4pm.

I went back to wash up and went out again as I needed to buy some new working clothes. I brought my parents along and got them some clothes as well. In the end I only ended up with one pair of slacks. Haha. Well, I was pleased with the purchase and I was also satisfied with the service of the departmental store. They altered the length of the slacks in 15 minutes.

We went to have dinner after that. We had sushies at Sushi Tei.

Okie, time for me to go play with my doggy.

"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'" Matthew 15:16-20

Not Just Satisfying Own Needs But Others

I am drained!!! I guess I have just enough energy to finish up this blog and after that I am off to bed! I was out with the running gang having dinner. Sigh, over-ate again.

Anyway, I want to share something which I was prompted to do and I hope as you read it, you too will consider following what I did.

Have you ever been to a food court and noticed that some stalls are always packed with people queueing up to buy their food? Have you also observed some other stalls which are totally not patronised by any one and the poor vendor is just sitting there, staring into blank space?

The running gang and I went to Serangoon Gardens Food Centre for our meal and while I was considering desserts, I looked around the stalls available. I saw two dessert stalls and they were just one stall away from the other. As I have mentioned above, the one with the brighter signboard had a real long queue though the prices were more expensive; the other had a duller-coloured board - no queue and the poor lady in her late 50s was just sitting down, waiting for at least one person to buy something from her.

I decided to buy my dessert from the lady and I smiled at her as she was taking my order. She gave me a faint smile in return. When I asked her for the price, she said it was S$1.20. As I walked away with my bowl of ice-kacang (ice-shavings with red beans coated with multi-coloured syrups), I thanked her. I also realised her pricing is cheaper than the other stall.

The dessert was yummy and the serving was rather huge. As all of us prepared to leave the food centre after our hearty meal, I looked at the lady, waved her good-bye. She smiled and waved at me.

Now, why am I telling you about the above-mentioned? Basically to spark some thoughts. In this blessed island-nation called Singapore, every citizen is spoilt for choices for the vast varieties of food available. Yes, it is natural for every one to patronise those stalls or restaurants which are popular. Whereas those which are unheard of, we will avoid them at all cost.

Though what I am going to share may not sound fair or logical, I would like to send out this plea so that you may spare a thought for the vendors of these less popular food places. Ever considered that these people are merely trying to earn a living and if people like us do not help them, who would?

I know some of you probably have this thought - "If their food is not that wonderful, might as well just closed down! Why waste time?"

The above request may not be something we would normally do. I have to admit that myself but once a while, do help these persons. Their food may not be that great or there could be other reasons but let us also admit that it cannot be that bad to the point where it becomes inedible.

Your patronage may bring blessings and joy to these stall-holders and mind you, they are humans, yah? They too have feelings. Let us bring some cheers the next time we visit a food centre - not to our stomachs but to these individuals who are just trying to earn a living.

Alright, I believe you got the gist of it all. I shall not say further.

Today is the same as last Sunday regarding the activities I had to execute in church. The only thing is I was super-sleepy in the morning. I stayed up to watch the England-South Africa Rugby World Cup final at Clarke Quay and did not have sufficient rest when I got home. It was the lousiest final ever. Sigh.

Okie, my body battery has gone almost flat! Good night and a great week ahead to one and all!

"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" James 2:15

Playing It Safe

How irritating can it be when I was eating a piece of rib-eye steak just now that a small bit of it got stuck in between my teeth. It is quite gross and up till now I am still trying to remove the remnants. It is also such a coincidence that I ran out of my dental floss.

Then about 10 minutes ago when I was opening some medication for mum, first the aluminium foil slid the part of my left thumb where the nail is attached to the flesh. Since I could not use my left thumb to rip the foil, I had to use my right one and guess what? The same thing happened. Now both my thumbs sting badly. The paper-cut kind of feeling. Sigh.

Anyway, after I got home from grocery-shopping at Ang Mo Kio Hub NTUC, I watched the Everton vs Liverpool match. As always, I almost died when I saw how badly they played. They were one goal down - guess who scored? Sammi Hyppia, Liverpool's very own veteran defender. It was an own goal.

If ever there is such a thing called "luck", it was surely with the Reds. In the second half of the game, they scored two goals through penalties - both were fouls committed by two Everton players and they were both red-carded in the process. Well, not all the time such "miracle" happens and the Reds had better start pulling up their socks.

Later there is another major match going on and I will be out with my rugby fanatics to Clarke Quay! How I wish it would have been a New Zealand vs South Africa Rugby World Cup Final but it is not to be. I am banging on England to win as I find the South African players a little too cocky. May the English ruggers humble them!

Anyway, in the afternoon I was with the Youth Ministry Mentors (YMMs). We gathered to do curriculum-planning for the coming year, 2008. Well, it was a good session as we evaluated what we have done so far. We also shared about our desires for the youths based on their needs. We did not really go into details about everything that we brainstormed but I thought it was a good start to be opened with one another.

Though I was encouraged by the above-mentioned, one thing sort of bothered me when I was walking around the supermarket. It dawned upon me that we have not really spent time praying and searching for the Lord to show us the way for the Youth Ministry (YM).

What happens if the plans we have discussed are not what God wants us to focus on? During the planning session, we shelved a couple of ideas because we felt the youths are not ready - what if those are the very things God wants the YM to head towards? We decided to take the easier ideas because probably that is the logical and more manageable things to do but the Christian faith also challenges the believers to be bold and radical. Are we?

Are we not praying because we are doubtful whether God would speak? Or are we afraid to go the direction that God may call us to venture into for fear that it may not be the kind of stuff we like or it may create inconveniences with regards to planning?

Well, I have no clear answers to that except that I believe the YMMs would know them in their hearts. Have we playing safe all these while? Food for thought, I guess.

Anyway, I need to go wash up now. A friend will be coming by to pick me up. The gang wants to go and have supper first. I shall resist eating later as I am still very full.

Alright, here is to ENGLAND!!! Shung, thank you for the England Rugby Polo-Tee that you got me not too long ago. I am going to wear that later!

"To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue." Proverbs 16:1

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

"Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked. Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:18-22

Healthy Fellowship

I was free after lunch. Thank God for that. As our next meeting will only be on Monday, I left the office early. In the morning my team and I had to be in campus to make a presentation. The preliminary part of the project has taken off well. At least, that is a load off our chests.

I was tempted to go home and sleep. In the end I did not. I went to a Coffee Bean branch in Holland Village and spent about two hours at the cafe reading the old Missions Policy. I did not want to make any notes as yet - I just wanted to familiarise myself with the contents. The next few days when the thoughts are running in mind, I will then begin to jot down some points.

Well, at least it was a small step to the whole process of reviewing the policy. The temptation to just go home and rest was so great but praise the Lord, I resisted. I think I feel better having done something about the policy than to just go home and bummed.

I went to church next to catch up with the staff in the office. I had a great time of fellowship with the Pastor-in-charge and a few others. A dear brother-in-Christ bought a pack of roasted chicken and pork. We basically ate and chatted in one of the rooms. I was so full that I skipped my dinner.

Oh yah, I met the other accountability group at 6:30am for a time of support and encouragement. Though it was very early in the morning, I always feel that it is a good start to the day, having this assurance that there is always a group of siblings-in-Christ always in constant support of my walk and struggles. It makes this pilgrim's journey easier to travel on.

I shared with them my struggles with adapting myself but to work and also having to balance a lot of other responsibilities at home and in church. A brother-in-Christ warned me to go easy as I am quite proned to getting stomach ulcers.

I felt bad that I had to leave earlier as I needed to catch a ride from a colleague so that I can make it in time for the presentation.

Just now I also had a wonderful time with my younger siblings-in-Christ from the Youth Ministry (YM). They were at the Upper Room jamming and I decided to help the drummers in their playing. It was a fun session.

After everything was over, while we were walking out of the church, two sisters-in-Christ and I thought of a dear friend of ours who is now studying overseas. Well, I decided to include this in the blog basically to let her know that she is being missed by us in this part of the world. :)

Well, the weekend is here. I would love to say it will be a restful one but I do not think so. Tomorrow and Sunday I will be in church for some planning sessions with two different ministries. I shall look forward to them. :)

Alright, time for me to key off.

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones." Proverbs 15:30

Refreshing One Another

I came home not too long ago from a time of fellowship with two siblings-in-Christ. Though I was tired by the time I was done with work, my spirit was refreshed when I spent those moments with them, sharing about our work, food, our common friends and also about missions (especially their desire and burden for the church to be involved in the Great Commission that God has called all Christians to live out. They did not just use mere words to show their heart for this ministry but they put it to action by giving financially).

The two hours together gave me a boost in my service to the Lord and His people in the Missions Ministry. It is amazing how God knows I am struggling in my service that He sent two of His children to encourage and spur me on. I will definitely press on for Him and for those who have constantly been behind me in ministry.

I enjoyed my dinner a lot - we went to this restaurant called Marutama Ra-Men located in The Central Mall. The bowl of ramen I had was yummilicious. Enjoyed every strand of the noodle plus the seasoned boiled egg and the lean pork with toppings of spring onions, seaweed and FRIED GARLIC! The spicy soup was chicken-base.

Okie, I shall not say further as I am already drooling.

Alright, time for me to sleep soon as I need to meet my other accountability group for our early morning fellowship tomorrow.

Thanks be to God for this tiring and yet refreshing day!

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25

A Day Of Madness

I have decided to take a break from what I am doing now though I will be knocking off in about 30 minutes' time. I thought I could endure till then but I just cannot anymore.

Today's workload has been manic. I had two meetings back-to-back and that basically took up the whole day. My team did not even have time to lunch out so we ordered in instead. I did not even complete my food as I was on cruise-control and did not want to let anything disrupt my train of thoughts.

I am in this workaholic mode today because my team needs to hand in our proposal tomorrow. Well, thank God that my part is over and done with. I will now have to wait for the rest of my team members to finish theirs and we will then compile our research notes for the submission.

I did not blog last night because I was too tired to do so. I met my accountability group and when I got home, I watched the Russia vs England match. When that was done, I basically went to bed. My brother told me this morning that he was talking to me when I went to the room but I slept so fast that I could not even remember he was chatting with me. Haha.

Anyway, after the accountability group meeting with my brothers-in-Christ, I left with a heavy heart. I am still gathering my thoughts and will write when I know what exactly I want to say. It was a sad feeling I had basically.

Just now I had another burden after I was on MSN with someone. Anyway, I have committed all of the above-mentioned to the Lord. I guess I will have to off-load them to Him as I cannot handle them on my own.

I am looking forward to dinner with two dear siblings-in-Christ. I am so hungry now that the thought of the food we are going to eat just makes me drool. It is a Japanese restaurant. I guess I shall control myself for now.

This morning when I weighed myself, I realised I have put on quite a bit. I basically need to start exercising and watch what I eat as I do not wish to go back to my previous weight where it was past 90kg. After having not exercised for three months or more, I have to admit there is definitely going to be an inertia. No matter what, I am not going to let that stop me from taking care of my body. I also do not want to waste money buying bigger clothes as it would then encourage me to put on more. My clothes are getting tighter, I have to say. Oops. Hope the buttons will not start bursting. Haha.

Okie, time to pack up my stuff.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Bat And Eagle

I tried to sleep early this morning but was unable to do so. I tossed and turned - in the end I was just staring at the ceiling. I think my mind was overly active to the point where I just could not switch off and enter into Slumberland.

There were so many things in my mind - family, work, ministries in church, my burdens for a few people, wedding coordinations for some friends, etc. My mind is always ever so active and when that happens, it is very hard for me to stop and rest. Of course with being physically and mentally drained lately, I need to slow down and recharge. Otherwise I will just faint literally.

Well, an interesting creature entertained my brother and I slightly past midnight. In fact, it scared us initially. A relatively big bat entered the flat and it almost flew into the room. As the living room was dark, each of us armed ourselves with a tennis racket before attempting to switch on the lights.

We could hear the flapping of the wings but could not see where exactly it was. I sure do not wish to be bitten by this creature of the night as I have been told bats carry rabies. Anyway, we moved slowly to the light switches. After turning on all the lights, it then flew to the kitchen which was dark. While my brother opened all the windows in the hall, I went to switch on the lights in the kitchen. I also opened the windows in that part of my home. The bat was flying frantically all over the place.

Funnily it did not hit anything at all - basically due to its ultrasonic ability. I hope I got the term right. A couple of times it came close to us but it was able to manoeuvre so well. Finally it decided enough was enough and flew out of the kitchen windows. It was a tiring 15 minutes as we had to duck here and there each time the bat dove at us. I basically used the tennis racket to cover my face. Haha. It was hilarious.

One spiritual lesson I learnt from the encounter with the bat is the usage of its ultrasonic ability to prevent itself from hitting an object and get injured as a result. It was a God-ability and it used it well.

Likewise in our daily walk, we should use our God-given ability to think and couple that with the Word (which was also freely given to us) to prevent us from going through life blindly. Hence protecting us from falling.

Thanks be to God for that reminder. I guess I need to hope in the Lord during this period of exhaustion and allow Him to renew my strength so that I can soar on wings like eagles.

Well, time to go.

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:29-31

My Human Strength Or His Divine Strength

It is only Monday and I am already so tired. I sometimes wish all the responsibilities I am holding both at work and in church will go away for a few days so that I can breathe a little and re-organise my thoughts. Everything is crying out for attention.

At work, things just changed at the blink of an eye. When I started on my project which I am not at liberty to reveal it publicly, I was told to look into a certain direction in the planning. I have put in two weeks of research and thoughts to it and today, in a meeting after lunch, all that went down the drain when I was told there is a change in direction. Sometimes I wonder what is the point of putting in so much effort when it is not at all appreciated.

Yes, for Christians, we should not win the favours or praises of man but sometimes it would help to have a little of that as a booster. I am a human after all. Anyway, what I have written in this paragraph probably sounds inconherent. It is. So please do not read too much into it. Just venting my frustrations, that is all.

It did not help when preparations for the Mission and Vacation-With-A-Purpose trips have met with some hiccups. I received some emails from the pastor of the sister-church in Cambodia and another missionary informing me that the period of travel is a festive holiday (Water Festival) for the locals.

The Khmer pastor informed me that his leaders and helpers are planning a retreat during that period. As for the missionary, she informed me that the school she and her husband set up will be closed during the national celebration.

I do not think it is an issue for the Vacation-With-A-Purpose team since their objective is more of a holiday and this festival would be an appropriate one to allow them to see for themselves how the locals celebrate their festivities.

I am more concerned for the Mission Team. I have already replied to the above two siblings-in-Christ's emails and requested for them to advise what else the team can do.

The teams cannot change the period of travel as the air-tickets have already been booked. On top of that, all flights to Cambodia, I have been told, are almost fully booked till December. If the number of people going is small, then it may be easier to change but with a total of 20 persons from both teams, it is going to be tough.

Anyway, I reached a point where I just could not think of any more contingency plans. I basically went to my living room to pray. I shared with the Lord my anxieties, concerns, fears - whatever you might call it as He is the only One now who can help us.

Every day my mind is also thinking of the Missions Policy review. One candidate for the Review Committee could not commit as he will be away on a work-trip for two months. Now I have to consider another which I have in mind but need the approval of the Pastoral Representative to the Missions Committee, who is now away.

In the midst of all these busyness, I sensed an imminent danger of drowning into this sea of work. I am already almost fully immersed and I think I need to quickly get out of the water before it is too late.

Anyway, I need to surrender all of the above-mentioned to the Lord.

Well, I feel better now - purging all that is welling up in me onto this blog. I am definitely depending on my own strength and ability to handle these inconviences of life. I guess I need to refocus my eyes back on high and trust God to pull me through the next three months.

I was actually thinking of a holiday trip during the end of the year holiday season but now it seems impossible. Another time, I guess. I have another burden to share but I am not ready to blog it yet as it concerns many people. I may or may not eventually share it. I shall see how first.

Thanks be to God for this experience anyway. Again one of those times in my pilgrim's journey that I do not wish to encounter but since I am in it, I shall see what the Lord would want me to learn from this. :)

That is it for tonight. I have maxed out. Time for me to sleep even though it may be tough.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

Striking A Conversation Takes Effort

I made it an attempt to talk to one of the church members this afternoon. I have seen him for as many years as I have been in church. I have never made a deliberate move to speak to him though there were a couple of occasions where I wanted to.

Though many see me as an outgoing person, it is actually quite hard for me to approach someone and strike a conversation out of the blue. Anyway, this brother-in-Christ was waiting for his wife to finish a meeting. I decided to just put aside the usual me and converse with him.

Well, it was not that difficult and I praise the Lord for knowing this dear brother better now and hope to know him more in future. He is actually a very quiet and shy gentleman but I am glad he too opened himself up and we had a wonderful time of fellowship.

I hope the Lord will help me to be more chatty especially to those in church whom I have been meeting week after week, to go beyond the "Hi" and "Bye" and really know about the life of the individual. It takes effort but I think it would be worth the while to do so.

I led in the praise and worship session for the 11:15am service. Well, overall it was okay except that I mis-timed certain entries of the songs. They were not very obvious but I felt I could do better. I have been a worship-leader for more than 10 years already and I still get the jitters every time when I need to lead a praise session. I do not know whether this is due to me using my own strength and understanding.

Anyway, I am still learning and I hope the Lord will continue to be my Coach in this area. A brother-in-Christ played the trumpet (his first time) and I thought it was wonderful as it added colours to the whole feel of the songs. Praise the Lord for giving the brother this talent!

I am actually very tired now. After service, I rushed home to change as I had to go for a dinner appointment with the running gang to bid farewell to one of the members leaving for an overseas project for two months.

Then it was back to church again to conduct the mission training for the Missions and Vacation-With-A-Purpose teams. Praise the Lord all went well and both teams now know what they would like to do when in Cambodia.

I stayed back in church to send out some emails and also chatted with a dear sister-in-Christ over the MSN. Once all that were done, it was off to the farwell dinner.

Anyway, I shall end here.

To God be all thanks and praise for all that He has done today!

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:9-21

Blest Abundantly!

I am having a pounding headache right now, it is around the forehead area. I had a brain-freeze while dining with the running gang. I was having a bowl of ice-kacang (red beans with ice). I think I ate too fast and the nerves just could not take the extreme cold.

I just had two panadols - hopefully the pain will subside after a while. I have been out since noon where I went to some Muslim friends' houses for a time of feasting. I was fed to the brim and by the time I left the last home, I just could not walk anymore. The button holding my jeans almost burst. :)

Anyway, I left for Sim Lim Square to meet a dear sister-in-Christ and her family to buy a notebook. In the end, they decided on a Toshiba Portege series which was a real good deal - it was priced at $1999 and they gave super-good freebies like the new 4GB Nano MP3 player, a Microsoft wireless laser mouse, a 2GB thumb-drive; an extra GB of RAM, 3 years of international warranty including parts and labour and a Targus backpack. Man! If the school had not bought me a new computer, I would probably go for this model.

Anyway, thanks be to God for what I have. I guess I cannot always covet the newer models of notebooks as I can never catch up with the rapid changes of technology. :)

I praise the Lord my sister and her family are satisfied with the purchase. Just as much as I assured them that Toshiba is a reliable brand, sometimes one cannot tell whether the machine would break down due to faulty parts. I prayed for the machine that it would serve the family well and that it will not give them any problems at all.

I used to have this brand of notebook and for three years, it has been working fine. I was very pleased with the performance and quality of the product. It is now still being put to good use and I pray the machine will continue to work fine for a few more years.

I went to a designer furniture store in Millennia Walk to visit a friend who is working there. This is the first time I visited the place and I was appalled when I saw the prices tagged on each of the furniture. For a simple chair, the price is almost S$1000. I almost fainted. A bookshelf cost around $46,500. I can buy a small car with that amount. I shan't write further the rest of the prices. I dared not even touch the products for fear that I might just damage them. I do not mean to speak ill of the company bringing in these furniture pieces but I really felt that it was too extravagant, even if a person could well afford to buy them.

Anyway, it was an eye-opener for me. In fact, they almost popped out of the sockets when I saw the first price-tag. Haha. :)

I am tempted to watch the England-France rugby semi-final match at 3am but I shall give it a miss as I am leading worship at the 11:15am service. I think that is more important than the match itself. I am excited and looking forward to the church coming together to worship God.

Well, I guess the team has done as much as we could to prepare for the session. The rest now we leave them to God to lead and guide us accordingly. It is my prayer that His name will be glorified in all that we do and say.

Okie, I shall sleep now. I am very exhausted. I guess the energy was used up for chomping all the delicious food and also taking care and playing with a couple's son from the running gang.

It has been a foodful day. Thanks be to God for His abundance blessings!

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Diligence in Service

I actually wrote a blog on Thursday but while I was about to finish it, suddenly the window disappeared and I could not salvage whatever I have typed. Sigh. I was too tired to re-write the whole thing. I basically switched off my computer and went to sleep.

I was also very drained yesterday - after having supper with some siblings-in-Christ along Upper Thomson Road, I came home, washed up and headed for Slumberland.

I guess today's account will be rather long.

First of all, I want to thank God for securing the air tickets for the Mission and Vacation-With-A-Purpose (VWAP) teams. On Wednesday, I shared about the anxieties I had but on Thursday morning, I received an email to inform me that the agency has reserved the tickets and they are for the intended period of travel. Hallelujah! Of course the prices are higher than usual but I had no choice but to have the agent confirmed the bookings for me. I requested for her to negotiate with SilkAir for a cheaper rate. Hopefully by Monday there will be more good news from the agency.

I also want to praise the Lord for guiding the Worship Team last night during our rehearsal. We tried a couple of new approaches to the practice. After our devotion, we did not jump straight to our instruments. We sat down further to discuss about each song in the list. A brother-in-Christ and I allocated tasks to each musician as to the whole dynamics of the song so that not all need to play at the same time but to stagger them accordingly. This is basically to allow variations to the whole feel of each song. I thought it was neater when that was done and every one knew what they needed to play rather than to guess when they should come in.

We also made a conscious effort to do a sound-check of each instrument first before starting. Again this helped in ways where it minimised distractions in the course of the whole rehearsal and also to help us be more sensitive to each other as we play.

Before the session started, I came to church earlier to prepare and there was this sense of anxiety that the session would be chaotic as had happened before during past practices. I took some time praying about this and told the Lord to help me and also the team. Well, truly He answered my prayer and all went pretty well. I need not even use a stand-by song because the drummer was able to play the intended song though it was quite challenging due to the drumming sequence. I praise the Lord for this brother-in-Christ. He is preparing for his 'O' level exams and yet, he made an effort to practice on his own before the session.

I was quite disappointed with the team in one aspect though. Earlier this week after I have chosen the song, I took the effort to write to the team why I chose the songs and how I would like the flow to be. I thought that would help every one in their preparations. I even went all out to find the MP3 files for the songs that we are going to sing and have them sent to the members. Yesterday when I asked them whether they have listened to the songs especially the new ones and whether they have read my emails, a couple of them indicated that they have not done so. It is painful because the practice would have been more effective if all had done their part in preparing as that would also minimise time-wastage during the rehearsal.

Though I was affected, I channelled it to the Lord and prayed that one day, every member in the Worship Team will be diligent enough to prepare beforehand so that we are all of one heart and mind as we come together. It is no doubt that many are busy with other commitments in their lives but if we have decided to serve the Lord in this area, I think it is our responsibility also to at least set aside time to read the emails and listen to the songs.

I decided to include the above-mentioned not with the motive of wanting others to appreciate the effort I took but to sound off the need to prepare before we serve.

Well, I guess we are all learning. May the Lord be our help.

Oh yah, I am so happy for two siblings-in-Christ. I was their Wedding Coordinator a few years back and yesterday one of them announced to me that they are expecting their first child in a couple of months' time. I give thanks to God for that and shall wait in anticipation the arrival of their little one.

I have to end here as I need to go to a Malay friend's place for lunch. Today is the first day of the Muslims' calendar where they mark the end of their one month of fasting.

Have a wonderful and restful weekend, every one! :)

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

There Need A Time For Everything

This morning I got a call from a tour agency regarding an enquiry I made about air-ticket prices to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for next month. I got two scares - one was the high price of the tickets; and the other was that all flights during the intended period of travel for the Mission and Vacation-With-A-Purpose teams are full.

I quickly rang the church office and requested for one of the staff to call the usual agency that we have been engaging to try to secure the tickets for teams as their quotation was lower.

Though I was busy at work, I had no choice but to call every member of both teams to confirm their particulars. After that I hurriedly sent an email to the church office staff. So far no news yet from the agency. It is my prayer, even as I type this line, that the Lord will make a way for all the team members.

Well, the outcome is not in my hand now but the Lord's. I guess in time to come, I will update accordingly. Though there are a total of 16 adults and 4 children going, which is an encouraging sign, I cannot deny that this is the first time I am handling so many individuals going on a trip to Cambodia. I see this as a good problem and I shall trust the Lord to lead me along as I help every one prepare for the trip.

This afternoon, in the midst of my anxieties over the air-ticketing issue, I took some time to be quiet before the Lord in prayer. In that time spent with Him, I was also rebuked and I think it is a good wake-up call for me.

Though I have responsibilities given to me from church and there are many matters crying out for attention, I realised that I cannot mix up my work in the secular world with that of church's. There need to be a time for everything and I have to be a good steward in these areas.

If you are still blur reading the last paragraph - I basically meant that I cannot use work-time to do church stuff which a couple of times I have done so. I feel it is not right. I need to be a good testimony to my bosses and also my colleagues. I do not wish to stumble them should one day they come to know of this. In fact, by typing this out, some of them would know eventually but I am not going to hide this because it is a realisation that it is wrong and I am learning from this.

Well, it is going to be a struggle because church work is very much part of me but now that I have started work again, I need to learn to draw the line. I guess this is the priority issue that I mentioned a couple of blogs back.

May the Lord be my help in this.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:11a

Bless Even When It Is Tough

My family celebrated dad's 73rd birthday and we ate in one of the restaurants in Novena area. As I was early, I decided to shop at Novena Square. I was in Watson's Store when I had a bad encounter with a lady, probably in her late 40s, who was simply unreasonable and rude.

I was buying some toiletries and was walking along the aisles. After I had picked up the last product, I decided to head for the cashier's counter to make payment. The aisles in the store were narrow. There were a couple of people shopping for their stuff as well.

I had to walk along this aisle in order to reach the payment counter when I was blocked by this lady. I said "excuse me" three times and she refused to budge. The fourth time when I did that, she simply made this comment which appalled me. She said, "You are so fat. Why can't you use other aisles?" I was fuming, that I cannot deny, but I decided to let it be and not say some nasty things which might hurt her feelings.

I wanted to raise my voice so loud which could have scared her but I controlled myself; she was also horizontally-challenged but I decided not to point that out to her and hurt her; I wanted to reason with her as to why she could not just moved a little for me to pass but decided it was useless as she was already so defensive and stubborn.

I detoured and took a longer route. Along the way, a few customers who witnessed what had happened smiled at me and told me to let it be. Even one of the staff said the lady was too much. I whispered a prayer and asked the Lord to help me relax. Anyway, I paid for the items.

Just before I left the store, I decided to go back to where the lady was. I looked her straight in the eyes and said, "God bless you, ma'am" and walked on. I do not know what her reaction was but frankly I am not concerned about that as I really wanted to bless her despite of what she said.

I felt better after doing that and headed for the restaurant to feast with my family. The above incident could have spoilt my mood especially when I needed to celebrate dad's birthday but it was not worth the while to let it affect me.

Frankly speaking, I am saddened (again) as to how the society view people who are fat. Even amongst friends, sometimes the comments they made were insensitive as there were people like me in their midst. These remarks do not make me lose my self-esteem but there are others who might be hurt simply because some people just could not keep their comments to themselves.

Well, I had a great time of celebration with my parents, grandma, brother, my uncle, cousins and their partners. I thank God that dad enjoyed himself. He had all his favourite dishes on the table and he ate to his heart's content. I was also full after the last dish was served.

I finished my work early and I met up with my God-sister in Ngee Ann City Coffee Bean. She did her revision while I did my work. I had a reasonably good time with her. I assured her that my prayers are with her daily - I hope she too would be conscious of God's presence in her life as she prepares for the examinations.

Oh yah, I have sent an email to the Worship Team. In it, I shared with them my thoughts for this Sunday's service. I am looking forward to a time of worship with them and may the Lord continue to prepare our hearts as we serve Him and His people.

Thanks be to God for this day!

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control." Proverbs 25:28

"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs." Proverbs 10:12

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." 1 Thessalonians 5:15

Restorer Of My Soul

My tummy is very bloated now and there is this urge to burp but I cannot seem to do so since dinner. It is a lousy feeling - sometimes a little nauseous as well. I do not know what caused this though.

Anyway, I just had a can of 7-Up. I hope it will be able to help me release the gas so that I do not feel so puffed up. I also feel very lethargic.

Other than the above-mentioned, the day has been great. Of course there was the Monday-blues initially but by noon I was okay. I spent lunch-time at Wesley Methodist Church. I decided to go there and prepare for this Sunday's worship session.

It was quite interesting. I borrowed a guitar from one of the church staff after telling him who I am and why I needed it. I spent about an hour just worshipping the Lord and praying. It started to pour but it was great to sing praises in the midst of the rain by the court-yard.

I was planning to take today and tomorrow to plan for the songs but in that 60 minutes with the Lord, the songs just came and the list is out. I will take tonight and tomorrow morning to ponder on what I have chosen and by lunch-time I will send an email out to the Worship Team. I do not know why but I am all excited to worship the Lord with the team this Friday and with the church on Sunday. May the Lord's name be glorified!

I learnt from that time of communion with God that praising Him is an uplifting time. It basically draws my attention away from the world and the struggles from within me and the Spirit just brings me by the spring of living water. That moment spent was so refreshing that it brought joy to the soul and new breath of life into me. Thanks be to God!

I want to encourage my siblings-in-Christ that at any time when you feel down, do not fall into the traps of the devil, telling you that during times of struggle, it is hard to praise God. It can be initially but when you begin to worship Him in spirit and in truth, that's when healing comes and that's also when your spirit will be lifted by the Spirit of God!

The Lord's name is to be praised at all times! :) Just come as you are before the throne of God; give thanks; and He will bring about a time of refreshing!

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-24

Better Is Open Rebuke Than Hidden Love

I just watched the Liverpool vs Tottenham match and almost died of a heart-attack. I was telling a sister-in-Christ that one day it might just happen as I always get very tense and worked up each time I watch the Reds play. Well, the game ended in a draw with Torres saving his team from the blushes by scoring a last-minute goal!

It has been a lousy weekend when it comes to sports - Liverpool drew; Australia and New Zealand lost their quarter-finals Rugby World Cup matches; and my touch-rugby team also lost.

I am actually very tired now as I have been out since 7:30am. The whole day I have been in church till 5pm - I had to attend all three services because of the installation of the Local Church Executive Committee.

I also needed to conduct the mission training for the Mission and Vacation-With-A-Purpose (VWAP) teams. Two members from the VWAP team had to withdraw from the trip as they have to travel to another country during the mission trip period. Though we lost two, God added two new members and they will be part of the Mission team. Praise Him for that!

During the training session, I want to thank God for one of the members who cared enough to tell me about an insensitive action of mine. I was sharing with the participants that all Christians need to show concern for all (Christians and non-Christians alike) when it comes to answering God's Great Commission. I included Christians here as it is important for them to care enough to challenge each other to live out this call God has given.

The dear sister-in-Christ pointed out that though she and her husband know that I am the Missions Chairperson and would love to know more about this ministry, it has been so hard for them to approach me as I always seemed to be busy on Sundays. This serves as a good reminder for me that though I am really busy, I also need to learn to slow down and spend some time to fellowship with the members of the church. If I am always not there to share with them about the Missions Ministry, who would?

I thanked the sister for sounding this off to me and from next Sunday onwards, I will make a conscious effort to integrate more with my siblings-in-Christ. I am always grateful for such loving rebuke as I believe it takes one who cares enough to point out another's shortcoming or weakness so that he can overcome it and be a more effective minister to others. That sister, just before the groups broke up for their respective discussions, came to me and encouraged me to press on in this ministry that I am serving.

Well, the above experience again serves as a booster in my service to the Lord and His people. Thanks be to Him for that!

After the training, I went to meet the running gang for dinner. We ate at Miss Clarity's Cafe along Upper Thomson Road and I had my usual Roasted Chicken Leg. I had a great time of fellowship with this group of my siblings-in-Christ especially with a couple whom I spoke with about missions.

I guess that is all for the day. This new week will be quite a busy one for me - I have to prepare for Sunday's praise and worship session at the 11:15am service; I have to meet the Missions Policy Review Committee on Wednesday; I have Worship Team rehearsal on Friday; Tuesday will be set aside to celebrate dad's birthday. Looks like I have only Thursday to catch a breather. Well, no matter what, I know God will pull me through all these busy schedules and at the end of it all, I will still be going strong and joyful! :)

A new week of adventure, here I come!

"Better is open rebuke than hidden love." Proverbs 27:5

Be A Keeper Of Your Words

I am that close to blasting a few people for being irresponsible and not being keepers of their words. Sadly it is always the same individuals involved. I have decided to blog this as it had happened a few times and I think I want to address this for all to reflect.

Ever had this experience in which you put in so much effort in planning a gathering where everyone you invited agreed to come initially but at the last minute played out on you? It happened to a dear brother-in-Christ just now where a gathering of 8 persons have now dwindled to three. How sad can this be? Ever considered the feelings of the person who is planning it?

I believe in the course of coordinating, several smses have been sent and perhaps a couple of calls made. Some may not think much of these but the brother made an effort on a weekend to do the contacting just so that a few friends could come for an OktoberFest gathering. In the end, all came to naught.

Are we taking each other for granted? I may seem to be blowing this matter out of proportion but let us look at the principle of it all - you gave your word, you jolly well keep it. If you are unsure, then say so at the beginning. Of course if there are valid reasons, I cannot fault the person.

Well, I told the brother not to cancel the gathering even though there are only three left. I would rather have a smaller group of friends who are genuine in meeting up than have a bigger group who are not.

I may have offended some people as a result of this blog. So be it. I guess every one has feelings after all, aye?

Anyway, I was looking forward to a great time of fellowship with a big group of friends. Well, I am still looking forward to it but now with a smaller group, of course.

If I still do not make sense in what I have written so far or my reasonings are unacceptable, just remember this, "Let us be keepers of our words and spare a thought for others at all times!"

Here's to the Ozzies and Kiwis when they play their Rugby World Cup Quarter-Finals later!

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Obeying God's New Commandment

I just came back not too long ago from a belated birthday celebration for a dear brother-in-Christ with another brother. It was a simple meal of pork-ribs soup with a few other dishes at Balestier Road. We had Chinese herbal desserts after that.

I thank God for the great time of fellowship together as we caught up with one another. I enjoyed the moment as it was a reunion since it has been quite a while the three of us last met.

In this pilgrim's journey of mine, there are a few things that I am always assured of - one of them is definitely the close friendship that I have with a few of my siblings-in-Christ. It can be as long as a few months before we actually meet again but it has never been difficult for us to carry on from where we left off and the encouragement will always be there as we begin to share our lives with one another.

I also know that these are some friends whom I can depend on when I am in need. This is already a blessing as it assures me that I am not going through the journey of life alone.

I know in reality I cannot have every one as my close friends though it is possible but it takes a lot of effort on both parties to make it happen. I guess it is the quality of time that one spends with another that is more important than the quantity.

I also learnt that a friendship develops deeper when both parties are not judgmental of one another's character, habits, etc. Once we begin to judge, it stops one's desire to help another's shortcomings or weaknesses. But if one learns to accept another as who he is, then it gives avenue over time to help him overcome his struggle.

That is why, even in a church, there are so many broken relationships because we just refuse to accept one another's shortcomings. Can you imagine how powerful the body of Christ can be if all make an attempt to love one another as who we are? It is so sad that many times we see fellow Christians as enemies when the real enemy is actually creating the animosity amongst siblings-in-Christ.

I am equally guilty of this. I would love to justify by saying that I am afterall a human. That is true but I know it is an excuse I am using as I also know in my heart that all I need to do is to accept one another wholeheartedly.

Well, that is why Christians are creating their own downfall when in actual fact, we should be the ones building one another up. If we cannot do that, how can we win the world to Christ? I am not ashamed to write this as it is actually happening in the churches today.

Let us begin to see and love one another with God's eyes and heart respectively. That is when reconciliation will happen and the community of believers will begin to shine brightly and win this broken world back to the One who created it.

Thanks be to God for the fellowship of believers and for His love that binds all together!

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

Does God Allow Things To Happen For A Purpose?

An accident happened while I was at a cafe in town. I will not name the place. For those of you who read my blog regularly, it is not the usual Coffee Bean joints that I frequent while I was on my sabbatical.

Sometimes I wonder whether God allowed things to happen. I did not plan to buy a drink from this cafe but somehow I walked in and eventually bought an iced mocha for myself. This was after I had shopped for some stuff.

The place was crowded and my glass of mocha was at the edge of the table. There was a group of students having their drinks, sitting next to my left. One of them got up to do something. While she was squeezing through the little gap between my table and theirs, her butt tilted my table and the mocha fell right onto the floor. A lady in her mid-twenties was walking past at that point of time and she slipped on one of the ice cubes and her elbow had a nasty cut as a result of the fall.

It was bleeding quite a lot and I had to use my hankerchief to stop the blood flow. As I was adding pressure on her elbow, I felt something sharp. I realised a glass shard had pierced her. Thank God there was a clinic located next to the shopping centre. The manager of the cafe and I accompanied the lady to have her wound treated

The doctor examined her immediately. She managed to remove the piece of glass, which was the size of a ten-cent coin. Thank God the cut was not deep and there was no need for stitching. The General Practitioner applied this powder-like substance on the wound and bandaged the elbow up.

We waited to collect the medication and also had the lady's particulars taken down by the clinic assistant. I paid for the doctor's fees as I felt it was partly my fault to have placed the glass at the edge of the table. I also offered to accompany the lady home. I flagged a cab at a taxi-stand - thank God for all the kind souls who allowed us to jump queue when they saw the lady's bandaged elbow.

It did not take long before we reached her house. I shall not name the location as well. Her mum was quite shocked when she saw her daughter's injury but I assured her that everything will be alright. I had to give her an account of the accident. I decided not to stay too long as the young lady's clothes were stained by the spilled mocha and her blood and thought she should go wash up as soon as possible.

The mother offered to pay for the treatment but I declined. The injured lady thanked me for everything and I basically replied "Praise the Lord!" Haha. It was so automatic that I did not realise it until I walked out of the gate. I hope they did not find me weird for having said those three words. Anyway, they came out of my mouth because I really wanted to thank God all went well eventually.

There are two things that you probably might be curious about. One, was my hankerchief clean? The answer is "no." :( I used it once to dry my hands after I washed them during lunch-time. I know it is unhygienic but at that point when everything was so chaotic and seeing the blood, I had no choice. I did tell the doctor about it and she said it was alright. Of course, the young lady heard and I hope she did not mind, though it was already too late even if she did. Sigh.

Two, what happened to the student who knocked my table? She was tearing after seeing the mess she had created and her friends were equally shocked but composed enough to comfort their friend. She wanted to go along with us to the clinic but we told her there was no need to.

Anyway, back to the question of whether did God allow all these to happen? I guess so. Why? I do not know but throughout when I was dealing with the situation, I was praying and asking Him to help me. He did! One thought flowed to another till I left the lady's house. Of course there were some anxieties but throughout I was calm enough to handle the matter. It felt as if the Lord was there throughout to instruct me step by step.

Heh! Maybe next time when I hesitate to buy a drink as I pass a cafe, I should just walk on. The accident would not have happened if I had decided against the idea. The thought is just so puzzling still - that one's decision would affect an outcome.

Well, an eventful day definitely but before this fiasco, I was very tired (more sleepy actually). In the end I did stay up to watch the Liverpool vs Marseille match but it was a wrong move to do so. I was basically vomitting blood throughout the game. At one point I nearly became a prune as I was almost drained dry! I think next time if I ever want to watch another Liverpool match, I should go to the blood bank and purchase a few pints of blood first.

Anyway, thanks be to God for sustaining me through the day and giving me an adrenaline rush when I was placed at the accident scene.

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:26-27

Think First; Act Second!

I have no idea how to start my blog about something that I want to share. It has to do with three individuals I encountered: a couple at Marina Square; and a lady, featured on TV just about 10 minutes ago, selling tissue papers.

Both saddened my heart and there was a sense of anger too.

I had a meeting in Suntec City and was heading for City Hall MRT to meet three brothers-in-Christ for the Accountability Group session. I detoured to Marina Square for a while as I needed to check out some shops.

I chanced upon the John Little Sale. I was browsing through the items displayed and was standing next to this couple. They were close enough and the lady's voice was loud enough for people around her to listen to her comments. She was remarking to her boyfriend (I figured they are not married as they did not have any wedding-band on their ring-fingers) that the John Little plastic bag with the words, "The Sale Bag - John Little," did not suit the working clothes that they were wearing. They were well-dressed, I must say, but why make such comments? Are people supposed to wear sloppily at a sale? Does it affect one's image that badly?

Come on, let's get real! What has the world become? Why such mentality? Singapore is considered a very blessed nation and many of the citizens are given spending powers to buy whatever they want. Are sale items inferior goods? What's wrong with dressing well and at the same time being at a sale?

I wanted to give the lady a piece of my mind but I did not. As I was walking, I learnt something about human nature and I am equally guilty of this - usually the person who is conscious of what people think of him is also the one who is quick to make comments on others. Of course the comments here refer to the bad ones.

As for the lady featured on television selling tissue papers, the sad part is about how people viewed her. There is a twist to this story though. The lady stays on a landed property. What angered me was people's impression of her - that staying in a house means she is rich; that she is exploiting people despite of her wealth; etc.

Since when is it wrong for a person staying on a landed property to sell tissue papers? The programme went on to explain that this lady did not even pass her Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Her mother asked her to try again and after three attempts, she still did not make it. Her father passed away and left them with the house.

The presenter mentioned that the lady was mentally unsound but at the same time, she had to take care of her aging mother. For a person who does not have any qualifications and needs to take care of her mother, selling tissue papers for a living (despite of her mental problem) is a decent thing to do as compared to stealing or robbing others.

Let us try as much as we can to stop being too quick to judge others (especially when we do not know about their backgrounds) or taking things for granted and making snobbish remarks due to the affluence of one's society like Singapore.

Sale or no sale does not speak of one's image - it is one's character that matters!

I am tired after a long day at work but at the same time I want to watch the Champions League match between Liverpool and Marseille later at 2:55am. Haha.

Anyway, I am still uncertain.

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Hebrews 13:15-16

Obeying God - Are We?

It is past midnight already and I am very tired after a long day at work. After that I had to meet two siblings-in-Christ to help them in their wedding-planning. I was already quite exhausted before meeting them but after listening to their love story as in how God brought them together, I was all refreshed.

It is always wonderful and heartwarming to see the Lord's goodness and hand in bringing a couple together. The interesting thing is both parties never saw themselves as an item but over time, God showed them the way. Thanks be to Him for that. It is truly a privilege to coordinate their marriage!

I just had a time of prayer. Before that, my heart was burdened for a sister-in-Christ. She was online and when I asked her whether she felt better after not being well due to lack of rest, she told me, just a few seconds before I msned her, she was feeling nauseous.

Well, I have committed her to the Lord for healing and I believe He is already in the process of healing my sister. I also interceded for a few other persons and I hope the Lord will also lift their burdens and allow them to walk on.

A dear sister-in-Christ responded to my blog I wrote yesterday and she reminded me that to put God first is always about obedience. I want to thank her for that. I am not sure whether I know this sibling-in-Christ but it is true of what she said. :)

I have to admit that sometimes I will fail in my obedience to God even in the priorities I have set but I will continue to press on to live my life for Him. May God be my help during times when I am weak.

I do not really have anything particular to write but some of the accounts I wrote above showed me how God speaks to me through a sibling-in-Christ; how He prompts me to intercede for another person.

Praise the Lord for that! I shall end here as it is time to rest my body. :)

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." John 14:21

Set Priorities; Minimise Strife

I just went for a walk with my dog after coming back from work. Towards the later part of the day, my mind was filled with this word, "PRIORITY." Now that I have started work again, it is important for me to get this right first so that I will not compromise or cause my life to go haywire in the event of not prioritising. As I was walking, I asked the Lord to give me guidance on this.

I have listed all my commitments and they are in order of priority:-

1) God
2) Family
3) Church
a) Missions Ministry/Local Church Executive Committee (LCEC)
b) Accountability Groups
c) Worship Team
d) Youth Ministry (YM)

Work and friends are not included and I will explain why in the subsequent paragraphs.

Below are the reasons for the way I did the above list.

1) God

He has to come first in my life because everything else below Him will fall in place if I know what His will is. Knowing Him through reading the Word; prayer; and also, once in a while, enriching myself in courses will allow me to be more effective in how I serve Him and His people. Nothing should take His place as the pre-eminence of my life.

2) Family

My family will come next. When I was younger, I did not subscribe to this idea but I have learnt from my ex-Pastor that ministry has to begin at home. If I cannot be a good testimony to my family members or be there for them when in need, I have no right to minister anywhere else. I will be a hypocrite if I do that. Whether I like it or not, God has given me a family and I have to be a good steward in this area first.

3) Church

Next is Church. This is my second family. Even for this area of my life, I need to prioritise the ministries that I am involved in. I categorised them as primary and secondary ministries.

3a) Missions Ministry/LCEC

My primary ministries are basically the Missions Ministry which I have been entrusted to lead and the LCEC which is an umbrella where all the leaders of the church come under. If there is a clash of appointments, these two ministries will come first because I cannot take the tasks God has entrusted me too lightly.

My secondary ministries will be the two accountability groups, the Worship Team and the Youth Ministry (YM). They are also in order of priority.

3b) Accountability Groups

The accountability groups have to come first as it is important to account my spiritual well-being and all other aspects of my life with the groups of brothers I have committed myself to. I can serve all I want but if there is no one whom I can account my life to, it will be a dangerous path I am taking. It is vital that these groups of brothers can help me avoid certain pitfalls of life and to support me when the going gets tough.

3c) Worship Team
3d) YM

After this comes the Worship Team and YM. These two are at the lowest in my list, not that they are unimportant. Though I love playing the drums, lead worship and minister to the youths, I have to also acknowledge that I am not the only person who can do that. There are many in the church who also have such talents and giftings and God can use them too. I cannot always be filling up empty spaces as I would eventually burn-out, if I do that. Once I am rostered to lead or play in services, I will serve but anything more than that, I will have to decline.

As mentioned, work and friends are unlisted. Below are my reasons.

As it is by default that certain hours of the day have been set aside for work, there is no need for me to prioritise this area of my life.

But two things I am certain when it comes to this part:

i) Work will never govern my life nor take the places of God, family and church! If it does, I have no qualms resigning from the current job I have. Like I said, work is basically an avenue for me to earn enough income to support my family and I and also to allow me to save a little. Everything else is secondary.

I will give my best in the number of official hours required of me to do my job but if I am asked to give more than that, I will not compromise. If any one wants to fault me for lack of commitment, so be it! One's commitment to a company is not the quantity that matters but the quality. If I can be efficient in the official hours stipulated and produce results, do not tell me that I have not given my best!

ii) The work-place is also a mission field and I will, as much as I can, be a light to my colleagues and students. Sometimes I will fail because of my shortcomings but as much as I can, I will minister to the people I am in contact with.

As for friends, it is also hard to prioritise this group. Many of my friends are already in the areas of commitments I have listed above - meaning to say, during those times when I am working or when I am serving, I am constantly in contact with them, not just on official matters but also social ones.

Sometimes when I have time available, I will make an attempt to meet and catch up with them but I have to admit also that I cannot always give my time to the same group of friends. It is a sad reality but I have to face it.

But to all my friends reading this, you can rest assured that I will be there for you when there is an urgent need in your life.

Well, what I have written so far may seem very regimental but for every one else's sake and mine, I have to do that. Am I going to be bogged down by all these priorities? I do not think so. In fact, life will be much easier for me. Less strife!

To God be the glory!

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33