a simple lunch at kfc on a simple day...

was lunching at KFC (the cheese fries is still the best!) and 2 thoughts came across my mind...

1. CC was teaching yesterday on Dan 6. He mentioned that one of the character of Daniel was his trustworthiness. It was stated clearly that he was blameless and responsible when it comes to the affairs that were under his charge. Then CC drew a parallel with people nowadays. He questioned whether we can say that of ourselves, that we are worthy of trust. Then I began to think about the countless times I had to remind and remind and remind people of meetings and deadlines and yet they would still forget about it. It is frustrating. It is not about the extra 5cents I have to spend. It is about the time and effort that has to be made because someone was not responsible enuff to remember and make it a point to do what he/she is supposed to do! Worst is when you dun reply and keep quiet about it! 2 things for myself. I gotta learn to be patient and loving. And I gotta make sure I am not a source of frustration for others by exhibiting that trustworthiness in my own life!

2. I was staring outside the window and saw a kid, probably 15-16years old, smoking with a stud sticking out his mouth. then i saw another group of people who walked past with dyed hair (bright red), walking as if the lane is owned by them. I thought to myself, don't they know that these are not very smart things to do? why smoke and spoil yr lungs? why act like an "ah beng" when you know that there is no place for you in a country like Singapore? Why mess up your lives when there are countless examples before you to tell you that these are not good things to do? I thank God for the Holy Spirit. Because if God choose not to reveal to me the truth about Him and about myself to me, I probably would be like them, in one way or another. Scriptures say,

1 Cor 2:12-14: "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

Buddist/Taoism calls it enlightenment, to be able to come to realize the truth. Christians call it illumination, where God grants us that knowledge through the Holy Spirit. Thank God for allowing us to come to know the truth, if not, we will continue to be blinded by our passions and desires, never satisfied in this world we are in. 2 things again for myself. Never, never, never take my salvation for granted. And continually seek to understand the truth so as to know how to live life the way God wants me to.

our great and wise God

"There are 3 stages to God's great work. First it is IMPOSSIBLE, then it is DIFFICULT, then it is DONE." ~ Hudson Taylor

God is soOOoOooooO timely. I talked about this phrase no less than 10 times over the past 7 days and right after that, I am put to the test. Every time I think about TeenGames 2009, I get discouraged. I get discouraged over my lack of assertiveness and detailed-ness in leading the team to plan for this major platform which can be used to reach out to young people. And naturally with discouragement, I thot of giving up. Then I remember what I told the campers that serving God is no easy task. David understood it. He won't offer to God anything that cost him nothing (2 Sam 24:24). Shouldn't I be thinking like that as well? As much as I prefer to not be heading this comm., I trust that this is God's way of moulding and training me for His good purpose. So God, here I am~!

This will be one key phrase that I'll have to remind myself for the next one year...

...family...

Was watching Bleach Movie 2 – Diamond Dust Rebellion to chill out after Camp Praxis Round 1. I thot that what they author wanted to bring across was a very interesting point. At one part, Ichigo recalled a scene when he was young. Ichigo being the “act cool” type, always kept things to himself. So at this particular scene, his father said something like this to him with wet eyes:

“Ichigo, we are a family. Share with us how you are really feeling inside. If not, the others around you will all feel lonely and left out…”

It is interesting that even for a non-Christian (I am assuming that the author is a NC), he/she understands what a family should be like. It is not about you being at home for meals everyday or watching TV together as a family. It is about sharing the true feelings within to one another. Shouldn’t that be our perspective even in our spiritual family? How much of our lives do we share with the Christians that we know? Or do we just go to church, attend the service and then go home when it’s time to do so? I pray that God will teach me to be open and honest to my brothers and sisters in Christ because we are a family who are suppose to support and share one another’s burdens as we journey towards the heavenly kingdom.

Many thanksgivings, many lessons learnt, many thots. But one post. :)

Finally Camp Praxis Round 1 has ended. I echo the words of Hudson Taylor. “…in God’s work there are 3 stages. First it is impossible, then it becomes difficult, but finally, it is done.” So here are SOME of the things that I want to be grateful to God for.

Some Thanksgivings:
- For giving me just about enough voice to last through the portions of the camp program that were assigned to me.
- For giving me the opportunities (some planned and some not) to catch up with each of my students personally.
- For giving me the words to speak and share with the campers.
- For allowing my workout to run smoothly, even though there were some hiccups here and there.

Some Lessons Learnt:
- It is a TEAM effort. To run a camp like this myself is close to impossible. But with a team of good people, things will be fun and things can happen.
- I need to learn to strike a balance in being personal, fun, and yet firm when it comes to relating with people, especially students. Tough, but needful.
- It is important to praise and commend people for the things that they do. No doubt we should look to God for approval but having the assurance from Christian brothers and sisters that you have done a good job is a source of motivation and comfort. So rather than simply focusing on the wrong or “not so well” things that one does, I must learn to praise and encourage another sibling in Christ whatever work he/she does.

Some Thots:
- The generation of youth we are living with is one, which does not like to listen to authority. They will, with given opportunity test the rules that are set. Why? Simplistically saying, we are all sinful. But really, is it that difficult to listen to instructions? I guess if you have always been having things going your way and suddenly you are placed in an environment where u are no longer “king”, you resist.
- Humans are interesting people. We know that we have a problem but we choose to hide and conceal it. We do not dare to come to terms with the problem within and do something about it. We rather sweep it under the carpet and pretend that it is not there. Honesty and openness is so much needed.
- It was great to see all of my team members around and spending time with students. Assures me that I am not doing this great work alone. And prayerfully they would see that there is a ready group of people before them and thus commit themselves to see these students through.

the old has gone... the new has come...

saw the extra hole?

Finally the bag that has served me from army right till 2 days ago is now rested in some recycling company. It has been 5 years since I have that bag. And I absolutely loved it. It was special, not the normal haversack or sling bag. Not a lot of people had it. And it cost me a bomb when I first got it. $180 bucks I think... (Yes it is a poor usage of money but it did earned me a membership with Campers Corner, haha. and if you think about it, it's $36 a year! Ok, that's rationalizing...) If it wasn't for the extra hole that was created, I probably would use it for another couple of years.

But the Lord is good! I found a bag that is way cheaper, still looks cool, fits the size I am looking for and provides good support for my back!

Cool rite? haha

For $56, what more can you ask for? It fits my Powerbook nicely and has all the compartments that i need. It can even put more stuff than my previous bag and still look compact. It may be a weak link but when I went through a simple experience like this, it reminds me that I have a better place to look forward to. Things on this world may fade away and deteriorate, but there will come a day when everything will be made perfect again! That is definitely something worth looking forward to for...

this IS my Father's world...

It is amazing what God can do with nature. Sitting at Bedok Reservoir today with Adrian and simply admiring the picture painted before us was a pretty soothing moment. Took a couple of pictures to capture the moment, but what fascinated me is how much our eyes can capture! And it is not something a 3.2 mega pixel camera can capture. So, never take your eyes for granted!

dumb dumb...

“what we choose to spend our time on tells a lot about what we like and value”

– just like the eye is the lamp to the heart, our actions tells us what we value -

A lot of young people I meet, do not understand the linkage that is made by the above quote. They do not see the consequence or the impression their actions are giving to others and how their actions really surface what their hearts are after.

Sad to say, I myself have also fallen into that trap. I have been thinking, “Why do people keep associating with a sports ministry when I am in a grassroot ministry?” It frustrated me for some time but the answer is so painfully simple. It’s what I choose to spend my time on.

Why should I be surprised that people identify me as a sports person when I coach twice a week, play basketball two to three times a week, go swimming, running and biking whenever I’m on leave? Haha, how dumb dumb can I get?

Indeed what our heart desires will be manifested through our actions. As much as we can deny it, it is a plain truth that people (I myself included) must come to terms with. It is definitely a good time to start prioritizing my life once again and decide for myself what is going to matter and what is good to have.

facing the giants...

Was watching this show and this conversation a father had with his son caught my attention (of cos there were many other power packed quotes which you can go discover yourself).

Background is there is this father who was talking to his son, encouraging him to join the American football team. But the young son had reservations because he thought he was a little too small in size to join such a big man game. So the father mentioned this:

"I have been praying for you before you were born that God may strengthen this child of mine and that others may see God's strength though this child of mine..."
(not the exact phrasing but the gist is there...)

Isn't that cool? For a father to pray this prayer for his son? I believe very much that this is a biblical prayer, where the father expresses dependence on God for the delivery of the baby. I mean, what can one do when the fetus is in the womb? Except to trust that God will do His work in the child. And that the goal of every parent is their child can be a living witness of God's power and existence. That would require a lot of hard work and love to spend time with the child. Though I may not be a father now, i guess it goes the same for ministry. I have people to take care of. What do i pray for them? Isn't it also that God's glory may be shown through their lives? May the Lord remind me to pray such prayers for those I lead and those I will lead next time...

music is the language of the heart 2...

Another lovely song which expresses the deep love God has for you and me...

Verse 1
Before the world began,
You were on his mind.
And every tear you cry,
Is precious in his eyes.
Because of his great love,
He gave His only Son.
Everything was done so you would come.

Chorus
Come to the Father,
though your gift is small.
Broken hearts, broken lives,
He will take them all.
The power of the word,
the power of His blood.
Everything was done so you would come.

Verse 2
Nothing you can do,
Could make Him love you more.
And nothing that you've done,
Could make Him close the door.
Because of His great love,
He gave His only Son.
Everything was done so you would come.

Isn't it amazing? The kind of love God has for us? It is nothing comparable to the kind of love we can express to people, even those we love dearly. Knowing this just cause me to feel even more grateful to God and see the things i do as just "little gifts" I can offer to Him.

(P.S: I have the songs on my player so feel free to listen and be ministered by the songs...)

retreat...

While I was waiting to head to JB with my mum and sis, I began to read the book 'Jesus driven ministry' (Which i strongly recommend to any Christian, especially those serving in the ministry). Interestingly, the topic i was reading about was on "Retreats Help People Escape The Tyranny Of Busyness". He quoted this person called Henri Nouwen who said something that caught my attention:

"In a society in which entertainment and distraction are such important preoccupations, ministers are also tempted to join the ranks of those who consider it their primary task to keep other people busy"

Isn't this so true? We have TV, Cable TV, Mio TV, Mob TV, computer, games, movies, Internet, so may things to take our attention and keep us busy. Even in the work I do in SYFC, especially when the holidays for the secondary students are in, it is so easy to be busy planning and planning in hope of catching the students, and become like what the author described, no different compared to secular activities in the market. Scary but true. Then Nouwen then went on to say:

"Our task is the opposite of distraction... The question that must guide all organizing activities in a parish is not how to keep people busy, but how to keep them from being so busy that they can no longer hear the voice of God who speaks in silence"

This should be always at the back of my mind even though at moments I do feel like I am just planning activities to simply create opportunities to meet them. I have to take it one step further, that in every meeting, my goal is to draw them nearer, if even 1cm, to God. And this should energize me to keep on planning, for that sole purpose that these young people who come through the door of SYFC be impacted by God and challenged to share to their friends.

arghh...

*ouch* is an understatement for the pain i went thru this morning. I can't remember when was the last time I cringe in pain comparable to this morning. The best part is this pain is inflicted by 1 single person. It is the monster called the Dentist. And the tool, which i will hate for the rest of my life is a simple piece of metal called Dental Scalars...

*Shivers in fear*

But this monster not inflicted physical pain but also emotional pain cos i spent a whopping $211 to fill up 3 holes.

*heart pain*

But there were 2 conclusions I came to. The need to take care of my teeth to avoid such physical and emotional pains. Hahaha. Which means I must now brush and Listerine my teeth not just when I wake up but also before I sleep liao. Yes yes, it's gross but I'm just plain lazy to brush my teeth at night. Now I gotta discipline myself already. The second is the wonder of God's wisdom in creation. Did you know that the front teeth and the molars are created differently because they serve a different purpose?

One is used to bite (upper teeth, incisor), the other is to chew (incisor, molar). I fully appreciate it as I tried to eat after the "operation". Agonizing. It is a blessing to be able to eat!! I wonder how it will be like when I'm old...

a hot day today...

Went for Salomon X-Trail Run. Did a 10km route on sand, gravel and mud.
Played 3 games of basketball under the hot sun right after that.
Feeling happy (and having cramps in my calf). Exercise always causes me to relax and feel good.

But there seem to be no occasion when I can really fully relax. During service, my mind was filled with the list of things I need to do because I will be away to JB for a day tomorrow. The thought of it can be pretty depressing. There seems to be just so little time but so many meetings and things to attend to. Not long after, a brother shared a verse with me over SMS:

23Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Col 3:23-24)

I found it significant because this is not the first time in the week that the Lord is reminding me to not see my responsibilities as tasks but to see them as acts of worship to Him. I can get so caught up with meeting deadlines and fulfilling responsibilities that in the process forget the purpose why I do them. I guess when work becomes routine, mundane and "bo pian", it's only a matter of time before I will just dread going to work. Will need to pray each morning that as I start a new day of ministry, it is for Him.