“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)
Continuing where I had left off…
In late 2000, my eyes was drawn to a recruitment ad which was looking for restaurant servers. I felt led and so I called, to which an interview was arranged.
To my utter surprise, I landed the job with Morton’s of Chicago after the interview. I knew that besides having prior experience in the service industry during my school days, God was orchestrating all these possibilities.
Deciding to take the step of faith and now actually taking those steps was scary, yet amazingly thrilling.
It was good to be walking in God’s plan and will.
Adapting to my new job
Shortly, the reality of my new job sunk in, especially when peers asked me what I was doing.
Telling them where and what I was working was challenging as in a worldy viewpoint, I seemed to have down-graded in my profession. However, from God’s viewpoint I knew that He was upgrading me.
Though I didn’t know fully then why God led me to that new job, but I enjoyed it. As a server, I had to embrace humilty and consequently I found my passion in serving people.
Through this phase, my security and identity in Him was truly instilled.
God knows best
Subsequently after a few months in my new job, God led in my decision to study full-time in a Bible Seminary ran by Hope Singapore Church. That was when I realised how much more of the job was part of God’s plan.
Miraculously, Morton’s allowed me to convert from full-time to a part-time. This not only allowed me to have sustainable income, but enabled me in coping with the demands of my 9-month stint as a seminary student.
God knows best and through Him, I completed the seminary course and awaited for His next step for me.
(To be cont’d…)
Picture taken with NG5A1 caregroup during Hope’s Adult Church Camp at Concorde Hotel @Shah Alam, Malaysia from 5 June to 8 June 2008.
My Read of the Month:
Title: The Monk who Sold His Ferrari
Author: Robin S. Sharma
Published: 1999
Genre: Motivational/Self-improvement
Ratings: 
The author attempts to do a Paulo Coelho with this book as the story begins in a similar fashion like The Alchemist. And like all copy-cats, they can never be as close as the real thing. The story line used to present his inspirational lessons falls really flat.
However, the powerful and practical insights he shares through the book is really helpful for effective living. Very similiar intention of Stephen Covey’s books, but in Robin’s lessons, he derives most of his teachings from new age concepts and neuro-linguistic programme (NLP).
If you are Christian, this book is still a good read as it helps to explain how the heart, mind, soul and body functions as a spiritual being. Just be open and replace the new age jumbo with the word of God in applying the lessons. And it is a great way to understand these new age beliefs in order to be knowledgable in engaging them with the truth.
Who should read it: Anyone who wants to heighten his/her self-awareness and improve personal development.
Check out the names of these movers and shakers for 2008 picked by TIME magazine.
Read the complete list here>>>
“We have not come into the world to be a number; we have been created for a purpose, for great things: To love and be loved.”
Mother Theresa
Picture taken with Mr Chiam See Tong, Chairman of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) party on 25 April 2008.
Update: He is now leader for the Singapore People’s Party (SPP).
Continuing on our “Jesus in the Marketplace” Series, US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice is President Bush’s national security adviser since 2001. She has been called “the most powerful woman in the world” and “Bush’s secret weapon.” This is her story of how her faith impacts her life and work .
Unlike most evangelicals in politics, Rice has not been outspoken about her views on abortion. She supports parental notification and a ban on late-term abortions but questions the role of government in the larger abortion debate.
Though she has neither affirmed nor denounced gay marriage, she has cautioned Americans to debate the issue with sensitivity because “real human beings” are involved.
“I worry a lot about the government and the church … about trying to legislate morality,” she says. “I worry a lot that what we have done [as evangelicals] is to sound judgmental and exclusive in the way that we talk to people about the role of our faith. Whatever the issue—homosexuality or abortion or whatever—this tendency to speak in such loud and judgmental tones has really hurt the message that we’re trying to deliver.”
“In fact, what’s very interesting to me is that if you think about the way that Christ tried to meet those who did not believe, it was quite opposite. He didn’t shout at them. He tried to meet them where they were.”
Read the full article here>>>
Last week, Barrack Obama finally emerged as the Democratic Presidential Nominee against Hillary Clinton after a gruelling campaign since the beginning of this year.
The final battle now sees Obama squaring off with his Republican counterpart, John McCain for the “hot seat” in being the next US President.
Personally, I am rooting Obama for the next US President as he comes across as a leader who is refreshingly different and truly inspires hope and change that is desperately needed in our arena of politics.
Politics, a “dirty” business
In the past, I used to think that Christianity and Politics do not and should not mix.
That old school of thought was due to the misconception that politics was a “dirty” business that was only for the greedy and power-hungry people.
But now with a better understanding of His truth, I acknowledge that what I initially thought was not completely correct. And as it is precisely a “dirty” business that the more Christ is needed to penetrate the arena of politics and to clean it up.
Christ in Politics
Christianity does not exist in isolation. Jesus sent us into the world to permeate our society and its culture with His love and truth.
In fact, Christianity affects every part of our lives and it isn’t just something we keep for Sundays. We cannot and should not limit God and what He can do through us.
The Church needs to engage our world by speaking up and be heard on issues about everything from economics to education, from defence to healthcare, and I believe a Christian perspective needs to be voiced out on all of these things.
As His Church, let’s get out of the ghetto, and take part and influence in what’s goes on in our world!
My Doodling:
Andrew: Inside & Insights 