Study in SBC

I really need to seek God's direction whether I should go ahead and apply for the MABS at SBC.

After seeing the application form, I realized that I need to seek approval from my wife and employer. These are the two most difficult criteria for me. Also, I need to get my employer to assess my character. This really put me off.

Today, as I spend time in devotion and reading on Col 4:2, I am somehow led to be more cautious in making decision. Rather, I need to be Prayerful, be Watchful and be Thankful in all situations.

Ok. I will pray about this for 40 days and 40 days whether to pursue my study on MABS in SBC. If the fire is quenched or re-kindled as each passing day, then I will know.

Today is the first day and night praying for this decision. :)

Amplus 10th Anniversary - Family Day

Last Saturday, my company, Amplus Communication Pte Ltd celebrated her 10th Anniversary at the Big Splash Playground at East Coast Park.

We had a good time and fun together. Euodia came along with us and she really gone all out to win prizes and volunteered herself in the magical performance.

Having my portait and shadow traced out. The artist just took about 2 minutes to sketch out my face. He also did paper cutting by tracing my face's profile.

That is Euodia, enjoying her golf at Liliput!

I joined this company since her beginning. Received my gold coin for the 10th Anniversary. This is also the first time I won a lucky draw - 6th prize; Cannon Power Shot Camera. Maybe, it is because my wife is attending this Company Family Day, the first time that family members are invited! :)

It has come a long way for me.... to stay in this company. Not sure how far more I will continue. Must wait for God's timing. :)

Everything has its timing

Yesterday, the boss said, "A date line is a dead line!"

Ok, Actually he meant, "a date line is a date line". But when he said it, it seems to imply that we need complete the work in time, so a date line is like a dead timing for us. When we can't fulfill the schedule,we are dead.

Yes, in life, everything has its timing. Time is Life. Which leads me to think of Ecclesiastes chapter 3. If I learn to walk in HIS time, He will make everything beautiful (verse 11). He controls everything of my life, if only I learn to walk in HIS PRESENCE.

A date line is a .... line.

Why Blog? - Journeying Through Life

It has been a week since I close down this site, and just keep it to myself. No sure when will I open up to others. Maybe, never.

My initial plan to set up this site was to promote interaction and sharing. At least, I start a topic and keep the ball rolling. But it turn out that only one or two are commenting, abate only once in a long while. Others attitudes are just "Great, now I know!" without a single comment on this blog. They take this site as peeping into others lives without sharing or disclosing their thoughts. Such a selfish attitude. That is the last thing I want to avoid. This blog has promote selfishness, so I need to close it.

"Hey, my blog is not for people to come and "know" about things :( " It is about sharing and connectng with one another. Mute readers are not welcome!! :( Go, start your own blog.

But seriously, blogging has taught me to glaze at every moment of life more intimately and reflective. Reflective of what God is doing in my every moments. I became more observant of things around me, more careful in listening to some remarks, more proactive to some actions. All these so that I can blog about it and learn from the journeys through life.

So, blogging will continue. ...

Going back to School!?

After much thoughts and prayers, I sent an email to the School of Theology (English) of the Singapore Bible College to ask for the application form.

I want to apply for the MA (Bible Studies). If I can get into SBC again, I will study Hebrews and learn to read the Bible in Hebrew.

This is still preliminary. Let’s see how things turn out to be.

Closing Blog

Two nights ago, Euodia said to me, “Your blog is very boring!” Looking at her expression, I know she said it from her heart. This is the only feedback I got for my blog. The response and comments are also very few.

I have written about 21 devotion thoughts. Except from Wei Lin's sporadic comments, no reader is interested in devotion, which is my primarily objective of writing this blog - to help people to be more regulare in their devotions. The devotion thoughts are a FAILURE.

I don’t like to do things that continue in failure. I like to win. Everything that I do must have a “winner” feeling. I don’t go for mediocre or lukewarm. It’s either hot or cold. Since the readers decide to let it be “cold”, the blog is now officially closed.

It is now a diary.


PS: A blog has many readers, followers, comments and reactions. A diary has only one reader.

Devotional Thoughts: Lying to the Church

How often do we lie to the church?

In today Daily Bread devotional passages (Acts 5:1-11):

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/09/11/devotion.aspx

We sometimes behave like Ananias and Sapphira, giving a portion of what we have and pretending that we have given our all so as to look good in front of others.

Have you and I done a similar thing like them? Dare to be honest?

I have.

One similar situation would be giving Tithes. A tithe is actually 10% of our incomes. Imagine if the Holy Spirit will to strike down all who offer their money as Tithes that is less than 10% of what they received for that month? I would be long dead. I usually give less than 10% as Tithes and the rest to missions' organizations and missionaries in need, adding up to about 15% on average. That is about the best I can give away each month. I just feel that BPCES is not doing enough for the money collected and so members are talking about putting them into fix deposits instead of investing into lives of missionaries and Kingdom works.

Still, it is not an excuse for me to give less than 10% and write it as "Tithes". As such, I have changed it to "Thanksgiving" instead of "Tithes". Yeah, I think I have again put it as tithes for the past two months. So this devotions is a good reminder for me to put things right as be honest.

Beside money, there are other areas. Our talents, our services ...

Is giving excuses not to do something for the church when we can, considered lying?

Forever Friends

Meeting a long lost friend and having some wonderful time together is always a joy and delight to the soul. All thanks to Facebook.

It was through Facebook that I found my old buddy and room-mate during NTI students’ days. Last Tuesday during lunch, we had a wonderful time talking about those days and how our lives have been.

It’s amazing to know that we remained as room-mate for the whole 3 years, a feat no students would do. Most broke up after a year or two. With him, we can almost talk about anything, no secret! I remember the time when he was interested in another girl in our Christian fellowship group. He told me all about his struggle. People use to say that guys don’t talk about personal feelings. But with him, we talk about almost anything. Best of all, we encourage one another spiritually. We even make a covenant that whoever got married first, the other person would be the best man. Guess who got married first?

Then we got married, have our own family, stayed oversea and slowly we lost contact.

It was through facebook that I found him. Thankfully, his photograph was in it.

Yah! Forever friends.

I am back!

Hi! I am back.

Whether you are a Sunday friend, an acquaintance or even a stranger passing by this blog, feel free to check it out.

And drop a comment, others may like to know your thoughts also.

Adios, amigo! :)

The “Cannot Make It” Kid

Being in the elite group also has its struggle. They measure against one another whether they “make it” or “cannot make it”. Those who can’t are called the CMI kid.


Last Friday night, I had a gathering with 2 of my closest friends in one of their house. We know each other since NUS graduate school days more than 19 years ago. No, we don’t meet every Sunday, only once or twice a year. Still, I consider them best of friends. Even though we rarely meet, I know that I can count on them when I am really in need or help. And they are from the elite group, very successful in their careers and lives. They are also evangelical Christians. However, they see themselves as the “Cannot Make It” - CMI kid.

You see, one of these friends came from the elite schools – RI and ACS. There is a saying among the elite that “The RI boys rule Singapore and the ACS boys own Singapore”. So this elite group measure themselves by whether they rule Singapore – politically successful or own Singapore – successful bankers and wealthy businessmen. This friend has classmates like the Law Minister, the Transport Minister and the Minister in the PM offices to measure and compare to. As such, he sees himself as the CMI kid, even though he has a big house, and is a top civil servant.

I spent the 4 hours listening to their “elite” talk, mostly in silence. The phrase - "CMI kid" kept repeating didn’t know for umpteen times.

As I left the big 5,000 square foot, 3-storey house almost before mid-night, the CMI kid thingy was lingering in my mind. If I were to compare to them, I am nothing, just an alumni of a neighborhood school and living in a HDB flat. Probably worse than a CMI kid.


Driving in the still silence of the night, I heard my serene spirit whispering to me:

“You are a CMI kid – Certainly Make It (to heaven) kid”. What a blessed assurance.