The first day of the Singapore International Story Telling Festival was awesome! Learnt a LOT...

Something very interesting too. I realised that this is also a kind of a networking time as well. Not only for meeting like-minded people, be they teachers or consultants or childcare specialists... but God also answered my prayer to make 5 new friends in a very interesting way. 'Cos quite a number of them are Sunday school teachers... which of course implies that they are fellow Christians. Haha... so I get to network with fellow Christians! God is good.

But yeah! Met a whole lot of very interesting people... and got to hear very interesting stories... wow... this teacher from India shared a touching and very encouraging story about how her vice-principal and colleagues supported her through a very emotionally trying time in school when she was trying to teach a group of 40 rowdy school boys... she's a Catholic BTW, so she also thanked God too in her sharing.

Wow! And oh yes, we got to meet Catherine Lim the Great up close and personal! My goodness. She really has this crisp and husky voice to match her wits and personality... she regaled us with a hilarious story of her grandfather's 3rd concubine. Oh yes. She also recited to us a cheeky poem that she had sent to the Straits Time a long time ago, when then-PM (or was it SM) Lee Kuan Yew had declared that if Singapore got into trouble, he would come back from the grave to sort things out... funny lah.

Anyway, I got to fellowship (yes, you read that right) with a very sweet sister from Taiwan. She moved to Singapore to settle down with her husband, and is serving as a Sunday school teacher in her church. She came out at her own expense some more. Thank God for her dedication. And funny lah, she ended up giving me some very wise and godly BGR advice, and jokingly apologised for being so "auntie" about it. Haha! But yeah, we swapped testimonies of how we came to know Christ. Haha.

Also got to meet this girl, Rebecca. She's a speech and drama teacher. She has a Singaporean name, but she was born in South Africa
and stayed there for 14 years! Then she came here to Singapore. Cool. :)


Also got to meet James, a consultant from VisionsOne Consulting.

Wow. Oh yes! Got to interact with one of the workshop instructors, Randall McGee. He's from the USA. I asked him how he got started in the storytelling business. He told me he started off volunteering, and as his popularity increased and people started inviting him, he started charging a bit. Whoa! Which brings to mind my own storytelling experiences in the Nurture programme. And there was this friendly and chatty lady who suggested to me that I consider volunteering at the NLB for its storytelling sessions. I could consider that - it's really fun and exciting to tell stories to children haha... =)

Gosh. I think I see God's good Spirit guiding me and leading me and equipping me in this area... it's really a twisty path, having the final destination in mind, but not sure how things will turn out. I have set out to be a scriptwriter, and have planned ahead for it. But at the same time, I'm fully aware that God may redirect me into storytelling or writing either temporarily or permanently. Maybe more than one. Who knows? But it's not only the final destination that counts, but the journey of walking with my good Shepherd every day that counts!

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want!
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me besides quiet waters;
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me,
Your rod and staff, they comfort me.

Wow. Psa 23 describes so exactly what my soul is feeling and my mind is thinking. I feel confident, not because of my strength, nor even in the way things are currently going, but because I know that my Shepherd is by my side. And that is the most important thing of all - to know that God is for you, with you and in you. :)