Month March 2008

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My Read of the Month:

Title: Should I get married?
Author: M. Blaine Smith
Published: 2000 (revised edition)
Genre: Christianity- Courtship/Marriage
Ratings: 5.0 out of 5 stars

Far from what the title of this book suggests, this is not a book that advocates celibacy. In fact, I must confess that this is the best book on courtship and marriage that I have read in my personal collection.

Personally I like the author’s manner of presenting his insights and perspectives on marriage and empowering the reader in making a sound and biblical decision in finding a partner.

Unlike the other books written by Joshua Harris- I kissed dating goodbye and Don Raunikar- Choosing God’s best, Smith offers a more experienced, matured and balanced view on this topic. It is really helpful.

Being an easy read which can be finished easily within 1-2 weeks would be an added value which leaves you so much wiser and prepared in asking all the right questions in deciding the compatibility of your partner. I strongly recommend this read above all other relationship books!

Who should read it: Anyone who’s seriously contemplating marriage or anyone who wish to learn more insights about marriage

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My Doodling:

With my time away for reservist in-camp training for the next two weeks, I will be taking a hiatus from this site. Catch you guys again on 28 March 2008.

Did I mention that my reservist unit will be standing down after this training??? Yeah!!! No more wayang! =p

My Grassroots Outreach Debut

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Grassroot meetingToday, I attended my first grassroots meeting for my neighbourhood! This was something that I wanted to do very much as part of my community outreach in staying in touch with the ‘ground’.

I was invited as an observer for my first meeting. And I really did not know what being an observer meant, but I assumed it was “just to watch only”. So you could imagine how challenging it was for me to play that role and sitting still for two hours. Ha ha…

Despite living in my neighbourhood for more than 20 years, it was funny how it was my first time seeing most of the faces in that room. It was really a good mix of people in terms of race, gender and age. There were about 25 of us.

Personally, it was an eye-opener and a humbling experience. It was fascinating to see this group with such diversity working together to get things done as they ran through the meeting’s agenda.

When we came to the part- Feedback on Government Service/Policies, I was all geared up to listen what most of them would discuss. But as expected, it was the usual. Most complaint about the raising costs.

The amusing part of that discussion came:

“Complain… complain, so how? What do you suggest?”

“I think we can suggest that RC members get 10-15 per cent discount off Fairprice house-brand products”

“Ya it is time to re-look into revising RC members’ benefits and privileges”

I guess just like how our ministerial leaders’ salaries need to be revised in accordance to the market, what more for grassroots leaders’ benefits and privileges rite?

If not, how to retain talent correct?? =p

Remember there’s always HOPE

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I had received a text message that sent me reeling. It was from my secondary school mate who informed me about the demise of his younger brother.

There's Hope in any situationI was shocked when I was told he had committed suicide. Apparently, he had plunged to his death from his flat.

Gosh… He was only 29 years of age!?

Though I wasn’t close to his brother, I regretted that I could not be that friend he would have thought of in his time of need.

I strongly believe that he needed someone who could listen and understand him. And more importantly, to show him that there was HOPE in his situation.

It’s really saddening to see a life gone just like that.

So folks, please remember that there’s always HOPE in God! No matter how grave your mess may be, hand it over to our Almighty God.

I guarantee with my life that He can turn all things around THAT’S IF you are willing to trust Him whole-heartedly and follow His instructions step by step.

The Eagle Story: Be Who You were Meant to Be

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Here’s a story that I like a lot. It reminds one to chase one’s destiny. It is also a good story to illustrate how we need to be careful not to conform as we are most likely to become who we think we are with the people we mixed with.

When someone mentions an eagle, what do you think of in your mind?

Many people imagine a big bird, flying high up in the air, with its wings spread out, moving around gracefully with so little effort.

The eagle has very sharp eyes which can see a long distance. When it sees a meal, like a rabbit on the ground, it can come down very fast and grab the animal with its sharp claws.

The eagle is called the king of the birds. It has great strength, super vision and really strong claws.

A story is told of a man who found an eagle’s egg. He put it with his chickens and the mother hens.

Soon the egg hatched. The young eagle grew up with all the other chickens. Whatever the chickens did, the eagle also did. He thought he was a chicken, just like them.

Since the chickens could only fly for a short distance, the eagle also learnt to fly a short distance. He thought that was what he was supposed to do. So that was all that he thought he could do. And that was all he was able to do.

One day the eagle saw a bird flying high above him. He was very impressed. “Who is that?” he asked the hens around him.

“That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,” the hens told him. “He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth – we are chickens.

So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that’s what he thought he was.

E.N.D.U.R.E.

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In our walk with God, there will be times where we need to hold on to our faith even when things around us do not look favourable.

Its through times as such where the determining factor in whether or not we experience success lies in our endurance in holding on and outlasting the stretch.

There is power in endurance or in our fortitude!

Here’s an acronym of ENDURE to help us better understand and apply endurance in our lives:

Embrace God’s purpose in our situation
Nurture our spiritual roots
Direct our attention to Jesus Christ
Use our experience to help others
Rely on God’s power
Expect God to bless us!

Walking in Confidence with God

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“Vindicate me, O LORD, 
    for I have led a blameless life; 
    I have trusted in the LORD 
    without wavering.

Test me, O LORD, and try me, 
    examine my heart and my mind;

or your love is ever before me, 
    and I walk continually in your truth.”

Psalm 26:1-3 (NIV)

How Faith in Action Looks Like

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The best illustration that I can think of faith in action is two hands clasping together and moving along.

Obviously, one hand belongs to God who is our Father and Shepherd, with the other hand belonging to us, who follow His lead.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ

Romans 10:17

Just as explained in scripture, “faith comes from hearing the message” which can also refer to His word or promise.

His word is His bond

Imagine when God speaks His rhemma (spoken or personal) word to you; it is a promise from Him to you saying that He will do this or that, whatever your situation. That is Him reaching out His Hand to you and beckoning you to grab hold of it to deliver you our from your situation.

Our faith is in action when we believe what He told us and grab hold of His Hand to lead us towards His promise. This also describes how our faith should be in active mode, and not in a passive mode.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

But I guess many of the times, we either don’t trust God enough to grab hold or to hold on all the way enough (due to adversity) to see His promise come to pass.

Partnering with God

Therefore, faith in action is really a partnership between God and Man. And we must be convinced and convicted that God will do His part as He is faithful (never lies), all-powerful (can do all things) and is perfect (blameless).

Hence, the matter of seeing God’s promises coming to fulfillment mainly lies on the shoulders of Man- our part.

We must and need to really know He is God to be able to trust Him enough with our lives to hold His Hand and partner with Him.

Home is where your Heart is

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Home is where your heart isMy weekly jogging route would lead me by a stretch of residential areas. These are rich and nice-looking maisonettes and high-rise condominiums. 

As my jogs are usually in the nights, the warm lights that come from these homes would glimmer from their windows and balconies. And at times I cannot help but allow my thoughts to wander and imagine myself being in one of those units.

The desire for a family

In those thoughts, I would picture myself with my own family- a wonderful wife and maybe a couple of playful kids around me and just feeling close. Ha ha…

I think due to my dysfunctional background, the longing for a family is made greater. Hence, in the past I would be always looking for some intimate relationship in hope of creating that loving atmosphere called home in which I was deprive of. However, I was too immature and self-centred then.

Despite desiring for such a family that I could call home, I realised that I had neither the capacity nor the capability to sustain such a commitment and responsibility. Thus, almost all of my past relationships didn’t quite last as much as I wanted to.

I guess like anyone else, I too desire a family of my own; a place I can call home.

Home is in heaven

Fast forwarding to today, my desire for my own family in which I can call home has not change. However, the longing has been further extended with eternity in heart and mind, and with my identity rooted as His child in His huge spiritual family in which I am grateful for.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:13-16 

From scripture, I now understand and know by faith that my real home is not on earth, but in heaven. So what really matters most is not what I build here on earth as whatever I build here would eventually be temporal. 

Home is where the heart is 

I think adopting foresight with eternity in view has helped me live my live with contentment and with added perspective of long-term rewards versus short-term gains. 

Now I view my life on earth as a “training and working ground” with whatever I build on earth today is actually an investment for my eternal home! And that’s where I got my sight on and where I am truly long to be- with my Heavenly Father.

Hence, what I should be building should not be made on “bricks and stones” alone, but built on people- the lives of those around me- focused on love and truth cos this has true eternal value. And to me, building His Church is that answer.

And of cos when the time is ripe to have a family of my own, I want it built around His Church! =P