Blessings! :)

Blessed by one of my colleagues today. Was just a simple friendly welcome, but gee, it's heartwarming! :) Tk God.

And even more so, that I can take leave for church camp tml! :D

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!

And oh yes... I've gained 1.5 kgs... must been all that eating the food in the pantry and the free-flow hot chocolate dispenser. ST feeds its employees well haha... :D

I've Been Thinking...

You know, I think actually, the kind of job that might suit me best is that of a journalist.

You know why? Because I was doing this online career-cum-personality profiling test just now, and some of the questions made me sit back and think deeper about what I really am.

And hee, I think, putting all the pieces together after looking back at my life, e.g. my personality, natural talents and thinking style and past experiences and even personal vision and dreams...

I realised that the following strengths, skills and interests that I have all seem to point towards a career in journalism:
- I'm naturally curious and love to investigate new things... to probe deeper and find out just exactly what people are feeling and why they think the way they do. (Sometimes I go too far, as some of my friends can tell you!)
- I love to read the news, and find out what's going on in the outside world. I have a strong sense of social justice and feel indignant whenever I see injustices being done.
- I did very well for my General Paper, and have consistently done much, much better for my essays than for my programming assignments.
- But that's not to say that my programming experiences have gone down the loo - continuous sessions (we're talking 72 hours in a row) at the keyboard have served to develop a patient mental endurance that is invaluable in stressful and tight deadlines.
- I find it so much more enjoyable to work with words rather than numbers.
- I love to blog. (600+ posts and counting).
- I love to listen to people sharing their stories. Nothing touches me more than a powerful story.
- People have consistently pointed out to me that one of my greatest strengths is sincerity, which hee, yah thank God for that... and actually, I think this sincerity has saved my backside on more than one occasion. Like what HY said before, that when it comes to knowing me, the proverb "Don't judge a book by its cover" is so true.
- And I realise that I really enjoy going for job interviews - not so much the job itself, but the sense of satisfaction in being able to get the interviewer to start sharing more about himself and about his company with me. (I count it a personal victory when I can get the interviewer to talk more about himself than he can get me to talk about myself! *hahahaha* XD)
- And how God faithfully answered my response during the church camp's altar call for people to influence the media industry for Christ.
- And so on.

Wow! Hee... but the main problem with choosing a job in journalism is mainly because of stress, tight deadlines and *ahem* rather low pay. Maybe that's why God blessed me with this software engineer job... so that I can get the necessary moolah for the time being to support myself and my family for the next few years or so. And to save up too.

It's been a circuitous route. But a very wonderfully circuitous route. Kinda like going around and around the mountains and valleys to reach point X, whereas a simple highway would've sufficed. But the view that you experience while on the mountain of the Lord is something that no man-made road can ever offer.

"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will."
Martin Luther King

Calling the RI Batch of 1997! Reunion X 2007

Event Sign-up :: Reunion X 2007
Start: 23 Jun 2007 - 6:45pm
End: 23 Jun 2007 - 11:59pm
Timezone: Etc/GMT+8
Venue: RI Boarding Dining Hall in Bishan
Investment: S$20 per head

[More details here]

It's Never About You or Me... It's All About HIM Through You and me!

Today brought Shunrong along with me to help out in HopeTots. Haha, thank God, we were really very blessed by this dear bro's eager and willing spirit to learn and serve. And more than that, it's a great encouragement having a fellow like-minded co-worker in the same ministry and calling as you. Really a great, great encouragement, 'cos I had felt rather alone in this calling to minister to the children, 'cos can't really find any other like-minded bro/sis ready or willing to serve together in the same ministry as me... until today. :D Praise God for His timely provision and faithfulness! :D

Then Ps Jeff preached a very stirring sermon. It was on The Destiny of the Church. From Micah 5:7-9. Divine Blessing and Divine Justice. And Ps Jeff told us that God is going to raise some people to influence the various sectors and industries in the world.

One thing that Ps Jeff said really struck me - "It was never about you all along. It's all about what GOD can do through you!" It was a great encouragement because, as I shared with Peter and Huaqiang, I had been having repeated attacks of constant feelings of inadequacies, feelings that I'm not good or able enough to be used by God. All these feelings in the past one week. Really very sapping. But God is ever so faithful and true! :D "When I was in great need, He saved me."

So I responded during the altar call to let God use whoever He wants to influence. Felt really shy, but was emboldened by faith to raise my hand to respond. And funnily enough, the moment I raised my hand, and when Ps Jeff started praying for those who responded, I felt an unusual powerful feeling rushing into me. Quite startling, 'cos I'm not the kind who usually go for dramatic physical encounters - I tend to be quite sceptical about them to be honest. But this experience, I believe, God allowed this to happen, to encourage me that He is tangibly with me. But more importantly, I need to have faith in God's promises, whether I feel it or not.

So hee, thank God, feel very encouraged by that, 'cos really dunno how I am going to be a positive influence in my workplace and/or nation. But in the end, it's all up to God to decide how He wants to use me - it's just a simple matter of surrendering myself to Him and walking in the light of His many promises in the Bible. :)

For the Lord is looking for the man and woman who will dare to claim His superlative promise fully through obedient faith! And we ought to take His promises just as they are written, without a single trace of doubt, no matter how superlatively they are written. Because our God is a SUPERLATIVE God!

And oh yes, my dear shep shared a wonderful testimony with me how God used him to invite a colleague... even though he had no idea how to transit into spiritual conversation, God gave him an opportunity at the last possible moment, and his colleague started asking him questions about church... so, tada, he managed to invite his colleague for the commencement and Alpha sessions! All in a row! Praise God!

So in the end, it is never about you or me, but rather, what GOD can do through you and me! :D Amen!

Little Lamb

Love this poem!

Little Lamb
William Blake

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee:
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb.
He is meek, and he is mild;
He became a little child.
I a child, and thou a lamb.
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
Little Lamb, God bless thee!

True Community: We Are Leaky Vessels Leaking Unto Others

Wow, feel very uplifted and supported. God did hear my prayer for help... and He answered it in so many ways! But just that I was too blur to see, until I reflected just now on today.

For example, Huaqiang messaged me a few very gentle encouragement messages (much more gentle than I deserve actually!), and Jitsy messaged to ask whether I'm ok. (Thanks, bro sis! Really appreciate it so much - I'm storing them in my hp!)

And Weizhu called me all of a sudden, out of the blue, like a flash of lightning, in all serendipity, today while I was at my desk. He called to see how I am (after reading my blog). Touched... think that's something very endearing about WZ... and something that I realise that is really part of what makes Weizhu the Wei that he is. (Sorry bro, couldn't resist that pun! :P)

And Ellson just happened to drop a message on gmail asking me how's work. Not sure if he read my blog... if he didn't, wow, that's really a clear sign that God sent him along... and even if he did, cool, God musta led him to read my blog. Haha... Either way, God is good! :)

Peijing came over to say hi to me when my department was having a fire-drill today. Actually I saw her first, but felt quite paiseh to say hi to her even though we're both from the same unit. Somehow, it feels quite different when you meet each other in church, and when you're at work. But thank God for her, she saw me and came over to say hi and chat with me. Hee. It's really quite a blessing having a fellow Hope member working in the same workplace as you. Hope we can meet up for lunch real soon! :D Reminds me of what Alan shared with us about the SubD vision - to build Acts communities in all sectors and industries. Amen!

And if Seeto joins the same department as PJ and me, then w00t, we'll be able to form a "care-corner!" Feeling very eager about this, but hee, from experience back in Army, it'll definitely have to start out from very small. But again then, the Kingdom of God is a mustard seed that starts small, but grows and grows and grows. And that's all that really matters. If Jesus is with us, then nothing can be against us! :D Amen!

Kangwei and I went to Junction 8 in the evening. He wanted to buy a belt from Goldlion. Was simple chop-chop business. Then we came to that Christian T-shirt stall in J8 that sells, well, T-shirts with Christian messages emblazoned on them. Like, y'know, imported from America, dude. Very hip. So hip they make your hips hop! :P Found a very cool T-shirt that said, "D.A.D.: 'As for me and my household, we'll serve the LORD.'" Think I'll buy that T-shirt for my dad. Maybe I'll buy one for myself too and wear to HopeTots next time!

(And oh, saw the same kind of T-shirt that Joyce has: "Some Day My Prince Will Come..." I guess that's the stall you bought your T-shirt from yeah? (: )

*******
So just leaning back and thinking about today. Today I interacted with a lot of people, esp brothers and sisters in Christ (including my manager). And I was reminded of something... very comforting and refreshing truth actually. God has made each one of us unique. Yes, it's a very simple truth, but actually the implications of that truth are profound.

"If Nobody is Perfect, then I am Nobody!" ;)

Because I tend to keep comparing myself to others, what they have in quality/skill/character that I do not have. Thus, I feel very unhappy if I can't meet up to my own internal expectations - which is to be Mr. Perfect - "Beyond Godlike!!" (Ah, pride again!)

I wanna be StormAssassin...

However, I am reminded that this is actually God's work of grace in my life - to humble me and remind me that I'm simply a spiritual orphan, saved by grace, and definitely not by what I can do. Therefore, I just have to accept the fact that I'm not strong in certain areas of my life, and others will always be stronger than me.

Think this paragraph from someone's blog really helped knock some timely much-needed sense into my head:

Someone I am still amazed at for their wisdom, said to me some time ago, "When you're concerned with one broken part, you don't realise how well and functional the other parts are." The thing about this someone is that they don't spend the entire day sitting around and thinking about life, yet when a situation arises in which they are moved to speak, they speak God's words of healing and hope; out of their own experience, and out of the love that God has given them. God's love through His people.

Which brings us to the next section...

We Are Leaky Vessels Leaking Christ's Aroma of Love, Healing and Hope

And that is precisely why God put other people into my life - because each of us has strengths, giftings and talents that no one else can match - they help to support and strength you and me where we are weak. This, dear friend, is what true community is all about - Ephesians 4:16 "From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." We interlink and help our fellow brothers and sisters succeed in all aspects of their lives, be it in career, family, social skills, mental, emotional, relational, etc.

So I need to always remember to JOYFULLY receive this grace humbly into my life, and to really appreciate the blessing of everyone whom I come across... because every one who belongs to Christ is a beautifully leaky vessel dripping the sweet honey aroma of God's delightful grace into the lives of every one around them. :D Yum-yum!

Thank You, dear Father, for all my dear brothers and sisters in this wonderful family! Thank You Lord for humbling me, teaching me that I do not live unto myself alone, but unto You, and Your Body, which is the Church. Thank You for meeting my needs and supporting me where I am lacking in, through the providential fellowship that You bless me in all the little things of life TODAY. Thank You for giving me the daily bread of fellowship. I just want to thank You Father. In Jesus' most wonderful name, amen!

Wow, thank God... you remember my boss, whom my colleague was praising (even when the boss was not around)? (Yeah, it's not the norm for the staff to speak so well of their bosses...) Just found out that he's a Christian! Wow... what a wonderful testimony in the workplace - a boss so good that his staff (even those who aren't Christian) speak well of him behind his back. Amazing... really amazing. Really want to learn more from my boss in time to come. :D He's from FCBC by the way. =D

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 :D

What a friend we have in Jesus!

Just want to thank God for this morning. :) Beautiful golden sunshine. And also how He lifted up my spirits today.

'Cos feeling very tired, with negative thoughts coming in constantly. As usual, had a very hard time controlling my thoughts - tired and exhausted and feeling useless, unloved and unappreciated.

Realised that this was discouragement - and unfortunately, it's one of Satan's most effective and powerful weapons. It's just so subtle, the way discouragement deliciously draws you into the miry pit of despair. Even people with the gift of encouragement can be discouraged!

But praise God for His grace to me. After msging HQ to keep me in prayer, somehow Psalm 22 came to mind. And as I sang it, the words really ministered to me - somehow the psalm really spoke for me the words that I wanted to say, but didn't know how to say.

"My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night and am not silent."

Thus, was reminded again that Jesus is truly my dearest Friend. The way that He understands the deepest needs, hurts and pains of our hearts. And how He accepts me, even when I'm at my lowest and ugliest. And He is willing to listen to our feelings and thoughts in such a way that you feel even more loved and understood like never before.

Hee. And I remember, He really understand exactly how I feel. Because those words from Psalm 22 that I wrote just now were the same words that He cried out in utter agony when He was on the cross.

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer...

Dear friend, are you feeling weak today? Feeling useless? or... really ARE useless? :) Fear not... Jesus is our best Friend, and as we pray to Him, and allow His love to fill our hearts through His Holy Spirit, He will turn Useless into Useful... He will bring beauty from our pain. "Beauty that made, This heart adore You..."

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

Edited to add: Hee, a dear friend msged me just now, right after I posted this entry. Praise God for His faithfulness... feel very encouraged by the message.

Oh HQ asked me what my negative thoughts are like normally. Hmm. That's a good question... need to grow!

Woof. Feel like a dog.

Hmm. Woof. Feel like a dog. Feel, frankly, really useless even in encouraging people and caring for others. All I have is doggone perseverance, but sometimes I just feel that I'm tanking through - stepping on a thousand toes. Sure, God does help me succeed in the end, but surely, there's a better way to care for others.

But reminded of the prophecy yesterday during sub-D, where the Canaanite woman's attitude in seeking Jesus was, "Yes Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall off the children's table". Am I willing to accept the fact that I am like a dog before God's eyes, just like the Canaanite woman? And Jesus' response is, "You have great faith! Your request is granted."

Still, feel like a dog right now. Woof. So dogmatic of me. And it doesn't help that I'm feeling dog-tired, with increasing work dogging me. :P

a talk just now

"Perhaps all I need is a simple listening ear."

'Field Sense' - Ever wondered what makes C. Ronaldo THE Player? :)

In the otherwise unremarkable 1984 National Hockey League game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Minnesota North Stars, there are five seconds that Peter Vint will watch over and over. The star of this sequence is Wayne Gretzky, widely considered the greatest hockey player of all time. In the footage, Gretzky, barreling down the ice at full speed, draws the attention of two defenders. As they converge on what everyone assumes will be a shot on goal, Gretzky abruptly fires the puck backward, without looking, to a teammate racing up the opposite wing. The pass is timed so perfectly that the receiver doesn't even break stride.

"In any sport, you come across these players," Vint says. "They're not always the most physically talented, but they're by far the best. The way they see things that nobody else sees — it can seem almost supernatural. But I'm a scientist, so I want to know how the magic works." [continue]

Emissions Accomplished!

Tongue-in-cheek cartoon on the USA's reluctance to cut CO₂ emissions... man, they just won't leave poor Bush alone, will they? :P

Kids Say the Darndest Things - Broken Bone

(Got this from the Good Clean Fun mailing list.)

While leading a tour of kindergarten students through our hospital, I
overheard a conversation between one little girl and an x-ray technician.

"Have you ever broken a bone?" he asked.

"Yes," the girl replied.

"Really? Which bone did you break?"

"My sister's arm."

Six Ways to Make People Like You

Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people.
Principle 2: Smile.
Principle 3: Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Principle 4: Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
Principle 5: Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
Principle 6: Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

These two principles in bold caught my attention especially. Think they're very true... of course, there's the risk of making them into rules to follow, and if you kept on smiling even when the time's not right, or you kept parroting the person's name after every line, yah, I think it's very strange. =)

But well, Proverbs again says about the power of smiling... "A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news brings health to the bones." :)

And I was very struck by the importance of remembering names... realised how touched I am when others call my name - can't help but feel happy for a moment when someone calls my name - especially if it's not to hunt me down :P

But even if I were being scolded, somehow, it feels that the other person is being more caring when he/she calls me by name... I remember there was this secondary school teacher who, when he was about to scold me (which was very often, unfortunately), would bellow my name in full: "Yeo-Yeu-Ann!" and proceed to lecture me. But yeah, he's a Christian, and deep down, I was touched by his sincere efforts to correct me. =)

And hasn't your own heart skipped with pleasure suddenly when you hear one of your friends calling your own name? :) That made me think about the nature of God's heartbeat for us... He loves you and me so much that He even calls us by name! John 10:3b "He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out..."

One of my dear friends, in particular, I realise, is really strong in this area. This friend is very shy, but people are naturally attracted to this friend. So I was wondering why, and what is this "X-factor" that I can learn from this friend?

Think it's how this friend calls us by name, and even though it's a very small thing, this friend will remember and appreciate very deeply the little things about other people. Thus, I'm very encouraged every time I see this friend's life, because our personalities are very similar - which means that connecting to people is nothing much to do with personality, but a skill that can be learnt and acquired! :D And even more than that is that we have God's promise that He will help us be transformed in loving people.

But to put it all into perspective, it's not that important to make people like me, really. As Jesus put it, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets." And if even a perfect man could be crucified, then what does it imply for the rest of us?

The main reason I see the importance of connecting with others is simply because each one of us has a need for community. If we don't find it in the Church, then we'll look for it somewhere else - and that will be to our loss, like a man dying of thirst drinking contaminated water. "See how they loved one another!" That was what was said of the Early Church... will they say this about the Today Church? The answer lies in you and me today.

Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

Just to pen down some thoughts and comments.
Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
Principle 1: Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
Think this principle can be more precisely stated from Ephesians 4:29:

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (NIV)

"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." (NLT)

I've realised in the past few weeks that one major fault in me is that I tend to be too subjective in my appreciation many times, thus coming across as gushy. Yes, it's very sincere, no doubt, but more often than not, it doesn't go down well with others.

So I think one way I can grow in the way that I affirm others is by being more objective in stating my affirmations. Because even when I affirm, saying how much I appreciate, the problem with this kind of appreciation is that ultimately it is still self-centred - based on how the other person makes ME feel.

Thus, affirmation/appreciation that is effective and useful for building others up is specific and emphasises on the other person's character/spirit/skill... anything that helps BUILD the other person up! :) That's the key word: BUILD! Not make the person feel good and leave it at that... but BUILD him/her up!

And that's why criticism is dangerous... it tears down the person's spirit. It's like using explosives to tear down a bad house with the person still inside. And even if you got the person out first before tearing down the bad house... where would the person stay after that? Even a bad house is better than no house at all. Thus we need to help build up a good house for the person to stay in after that!

Melancholic and choleric people are especially prone to this danger of speaking words that tear down others. Thus we need extra grace in this area, and God will give us, His children who are weaker in this area, more grace and space to grow - just as it says, "But where sin increased, grace increased all the more..." (Romans 5:20-21)

Principle 2: Give honest and sincere appreciation.
The Bible abound with wise words on the importance of encouragement, and especially speaking words of appreciation. Mother Teresa once said that the greatest famine in the land is not that of food, but of love. Even in the most developed and well-fed cities, millions go to bed feeling unloved and unwanted. That is the true famine in our land, and that is why she chose to serve the 'poorest of the poor', and that is what sets her apart among the many charities and other well-intentioned volunteer organizations that we see in today's world.

Personally, I think it's REALLY false humility to feel embarrassed and reject affirmation. Admit it, isn't it true for you and me? :) When someone affirms us for a job well-done, and we know that we really did a job well-done, we Christians tend to do the following:

1. "Oh no, it's really nothing much. I didn't do a good job."
2. Wince outwardly. And let the other person see how much his/her sincere affirmation puts you off. That should pretty much solve the problem of getting any more affirmations. :)
3. Glow inwardlys, thinking how humble you are for wincing and refusing to accept praise.

Friend, you would have really missed a great opportunity to give all the glory to God. Because Jesus Himself said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise Your Father in heaven."

Why not just say "thank you" and bless the other person back? Be like Jesus who would affirm those who came back to praise Him for what He did for them, saying, "Go, your faith has healed you..." Let other people see the light that is in you, till they ask why you are so different in a good way from those around you. =D

Perhaps we could follow Corrie ten Boom's childlike example... whenever people affirmed her, at the end of the day, she, an old woman, would kneel before her Father in heaven, holding out these praises that were given her that day, like a little girl giving her Daddy a bouquet of flowers, saying to Him, "Thank You Lord - these praises are for You!"

Principle 3: Arouse in the other person an eager want.
Think it can be summed up simply in three words: "Pull, don't push." If you want to lead a string, how do you do it? Push it or pull it? Think this principle can be seen very clearly in the Bible, especially in Jesus' life, where He calls people to come FOLLOW Him.

Personally, think I'm not quite there at that stage where I can pull many people - in fact I don't think I'm influential as a person at all. But I do believe that God has a wonderful calling for each and everyone of us, and He calls you and me to come follow Him. And when we choose to follow Him, our lives can't but help shine with joy, and when we're shining His light in the darkness, the moths will come sooner or later.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Am reading this book by Dale Carnegie that Hanes lent me a month ago, and gosh, it's really good. =) It was a real eye-opener, and think it's very timely, because I've been praying to God to help me be a better salt and light in the office... =) So just really want to share these principles with you...

In addition, these principles helped me understand better why Jesus was such a powerful and winsome leader, that even the police sent to arrest him were awed, saying that "no one ever spoke like this man did". And even the pagan Roman army officer was stunned when he saw how Jesus died, saying, "Surely this man was a son of God!" And both good and bad people were attracted to Jesus, wanting to invite him to join them for dinner... cool! :) Whether Ah Beng or Ah Long or CEO or King or a an Einstein or a Napoleon or a Teresa, Jesus somehow awed them over... Wow, really have so much (as always!) to learn from Jesus Himself. :)

So here goes:
Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
Principle 1: Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
Principle 2: Give honest and sincere appreciation.
Principle 3: Arouse in the other person an eager want.

Six Ways to Make People Like You
Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people.
Principle 2: Smile.
Principle 3: Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Principle 4: Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
Principle 5: Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
Principle 6: Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

Consecration

Just sense very strongly tt Daddy's impressing on my heart about being consecrated to Him in recent days, through a prophetic prayer during last unit meeting, during the Missions Conference, through reading a book that Huaqiang/Sarah lent me, through some wonderful and disappointing experiences very recently... I think through all these, He wants me to be consecrated to Him, so tt He can send me out for missions. "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." (Joshua 3:5)

Just find my heart desiring more and more to be fully consecrated to Him, and I'm really praying to Him to consecrate, to set me apart for missions - even if it means a lifetime of singlehood. Just find singlehood becoming more and more appealing - esp after Jianming's testimony today. Wow... this really has to be the the power of the Holy Spirit to transform my heart's innermost desires. :D

So I responded to the altar call today during Missions Service to be one of those who are sent out for missions. And this verse came to mind - though I'm not sure whether it was the Holy Spirit, or my own thought - “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)

Initially, I thought this verse was saying that the "few" of us who responded to the altar call are those who are chosen... A subtle but proud thought, I think. But after checking two Bible commentaries to understand this verse better, realised that in context, this verse actually speaks more abt repentance... so yeah, after reflection, think God is saying that though He calls many of us, only a few of us actually make it... even though I respond, will I be willing to give my all to Him? So many of us say, "I will go", but we do not in the end. Yet others say, "I will not go,"... but in the end they decide to obey the Lord and go after all.

So yeah, realised tt it is a very hard decision to make, to decide to set apart my entire life for God's purpose, to be willing to stay single for the rest of my life, so tt i can devote myself fully to His calling... felt was going to weep actually, a difficult decision to make - not easy for me... but these words that I read encouraged me very much: "No one who trusts in Me will be desolate." AMEN!

And I know it's really the best decision after all... because he who wants to save his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for Jesus and the gospel will find it. :)

My First Day At (Full-Time) Work

Now sitting here typing on a borrowed laptop - they say I'm going to get my own laptop to use in about a week's time. w00t! :)

Just really want to thank God for a great day today so far. Think God has answered my prayers, and is answering my prayers gradually, according to His perfect plan and timing. Quite an interesting and diverse bunch of guys - yes, it's swarming with guys all over in this office. Seriously, it's 95% guys in the office and 5% ladies - the realities of being a software engineer. And it felt like my NS days all over again, when I recognised the familiar "RESTRICTED" headers and footnotes. That, and did I mention the guys?

Not to say that it's a monastery over here - my software team leader is getting married next year, and the guy next to my cubicle is a father - a very friendly guy too.

Very interesting... oh yeah, I was reading a Christian book while waiting for the laptop to come too, and my team leader came along, and saw me reading it, so he asked me whether I was a Christian. Told him yes, and he asked me which church I come from. So I wondered whether he was a Christian too, but he said no. But I guess, from his question, that he must have been invited to church before. Anyway, he told me that some of the people behind my back are Christians too. Wow. That's good...

Ah. My team leader told me that our boss REALLY is a good boss - patient and very nice (and he wasn't joking or being sarcastic - he really was sincere). That sounds really good. Thank God! :D

Still taking time to adjust... it's pretty cold in here. But quite cool, just came back from a long lunch.

Dear Lord, help me be a blessing and good support and encourager to my teammates in time to come. And please help me learn the ropes of my project quickly, to pick up the skills and give me wisdom, innovation and perseverance to shine for You in this workplace. To bring You all the glory, both now and forever. In Jesus' most precious name, amen!

Fasting = One Happy Meal!

Wow, thank God for just now... i feel so much more refreshed, both in body and spirit, after fasting for dinner just now. :D 'cos have been feeling very down the past few days and more prone to negative thoughts, etc.

Was fasting too, 'cos want to prepare myself for my new job tml at Singapore Technologies. Something that struck me when I attended the Missions Conference was that EVERY Christian is called to be a GLOBAL Christian. It all starts from the attitude, the willingness to allow God to use you.

"Not called," you say?
"Not heard the call," I should think instead.

But as Pastor Sandy Lam shared, actually, God doesn't even have to use her... He can use anyone else instead!

Actually He doesn't even have to use humans - He's used a donkey before too! (Remember in the book of Numbers, Balaam's donkey that talked? See, God thought of Shrek first ok... [And I find that God has an incredible tongue-in-cheek humour... the donkey was telling Balaam something like this: "Look here, am I normally in the habit of talking to you?"])

So have been praying to prepare myself for tomorrow... and I feel so much more excited by the possibilities that lie ahead, and at the same time, so much more peaceful, because I know that God has heard my prayers, by faith! :) In a way, it's God's training me for missions in the future... :D Hallelujah!

Ah, been seeing this little knick-knack popping up all over my friends' blogs.


Create your own Friend Test here

So give this knick-knack a paddywhack; but take it alone, or else I'll send you rolling home. XD

(ok, you may stare incomprehensibly now... just a pun!)