Lost & NOT Found!

 Last week Wednesday, 17 August 2022; I lost my Silver Passion Card and DBS SAFRA Credit Card :(

It was my carelessness that I was distracted while paying money at the wet market. Usually, I brought a $10 notes, my Silver Passion Card and my credit card along when I goes jogging and then directly went to the Supermarket. The Silver Passion Card allows me to have a 3% Senior Citizen discount. But on that day, I did something new. I put the 3 items into a new wallet because I dislike having the money and cards coated with my sweat while jogging. It was while I was paying for my vegetables at the market that I forgot about the wallet as I seldom never bring wallet while jogging. I thought I have put the wallet in my pocket. Maybe it dropped out? I realized the lost only when I was out of the market. After searching the whole place (and praying) for more than an hour, I gave up searching.

Once reaching home, I called DBS to cancel the credit card. The cancellation was immediate and they activated a new card for me. I received the new card on Friday.

My new DBS SAFRA credit card

I called Transit Link to inform of my lost of the Silver Passion Card. They advised me to wait for 3 days, just in case someone returned the card as the card has a personal photograph. Sadly, after waiting and praying for 2 days. No one returned and I cancelled the card. Transit Link informed me that as the Passion Card has more than $80, they would refund me the money in the card. But till today, they have not refunded me. 

To make a new Silver Passion Card, I need to go to Tampines Bus Exchange and the cost is $16.50

As I did not take the SMRT or bus frequently, I decided to just buy a EZ Link Card, and forgo the Senior Citizen discount when I used public transport. I will apply for a new card after I give up driving my car.

Bought this ezLink Card

On reflection, I can get distract quite easily when something new happen to me. I like repetitions and don't need to focus or think. Doing new things need concentration and focus, something I need to be careful in future. Also, while praying as I searched, 1 Corinthians 10:13 came to mine, that I can endured such mishap! Somehow, I just felt that I have to learn to cope with losses. 

The resolution turned out to be quite smooth for the DBS card as I did not need to wait for someone to talk to me once I select a loss card "Press" automate call. It seems that DBS give priority customer attention to lost and fraudulent card. For that, I am thankful for DBS speedy action. Also, the loss of the Silver Passion Card is about $89 inside the card and I need to buy a new ezlink card, costing $5. It's all about money and a bit of inconvenient.

Overall, I am thankful that the lost did not create a very serious problem for me, like if I were to loose my whole wallet which has my Identity Card, Driving Licence, Merdeka Generation Card, Credit card, ....

Thank God for the lessons learnt. I will be more careful!

1Thess 5:16-18: "Rejoice always. Pray constantly. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Agape

Giving to the needy Community

We were at the 1 room & 2 rooms rented HDB flats in Tampines distribution food to the resident this afternoon.  It was a fortnightly affair on the first and third Saturday of the month. The food changes week from week. Today, the vegetables - cauliflower, cabbage, Kai Lan, etc, Oranges, rice, beehoon, and many more varieties. 

Our cell help up once a month by inviting the residents to come down and collect the food. On some days, there were many helpers and so our helps were not needed. Today, many helpers did not turn up and we did both the job of inviting the residents to come down and also help to sort up the food and distribute them.

Queue starts forming before 6pm distributing time

Not many of the residents did turn up though. Maybe the timing wasn't convenient for them. Or maybe they just do not want the food.

But it is quite encouraging to see them come and be blessed with such fresh food that can meet their daily meals.

The distribution took only less than 30 minutes. We helped to clean up the void deck. There were some left-over. I took a papaya, 2 package of beehoon and 3 package of vegetables.

Cleaning up after distribution

The food were purchased or supplied by RiverLife members who were in this groceries business. This project of helping the poor is under the RiverLife Community Service (RCS). 

It is good to see church helping and reaching out the needy community without any agenda.

Blessings

Healthy 365 & Virtual Run!

 I finally tried the Healthy 365.

My wife helped me to collect the watch tracker and I went for a light 7km jog this evening. This covered about 8000+ steps.

With the other walking to the market and home from church service this morning, the overall achievement of 10,000 steps today was achieved. So, a distance of 9km+ is needed to meet the daily challenge of a 10,000 steps. A 9km walking distance would likely take about slightly less than 3 hours of continually leisure walk. or slightly 2 hours of brisk walking or an hour of jogging.

In 2020, I did sign up for the virtual Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, but didn't really do anything since it requires the Runkeeper Apps to tract the runs. Yesterday, I decided to try this SCSM virtual run to see if it works with the Runkeeper. I did a very slow 15km jog in the early morning.

Usually, I could not recover well after a >10km jog and need at least more than 24 hour of rest. But I manage to recover well today as I had a very good sleep yesterday after the 15km jog.

This afternoon, I went for a good 7km jog, both to try out the watch tracker workout function and also to keep track of my SCSM virtual run. The timing was good as I could do a 6min 20secs pace for the 7km jog, even after the 15km yesterday morning! Even after the 7km jog, I feel good, without any weariness. Thank God!

With these running features and watch tracker, the motivation to exercise and see progress is very encouraging. Press on!

Agapre

From Alpha series to My Faith Journey

 

After Alpha sessions ended, my group decided to continue with the studies on "My Faith Journey". This is a 6-sessions studies that cover the basics of the beginner Christian living.

We had our first session #1 - Assurance of Salvation on the 4 August night via zoom.

Faith, who was my helper in Alpha Group 4 shared a power point slides to the Alpha Team yesterday.

So,  I had to response to the Team what we had done during the studies together:

The session was good and relax. 2 good questions were asked:

1. Is anger (violent type of anger, wrath, rage) a sin?

2. When a person who genuinely accepted Christ, baptised and along in life falls away due to circumstances, worldly attraction... and drifted away in faith; would he still be considered "save"?

(For these type of questions, we have to reponse to the questions behind the questions also).

The Alpha Group 4 shared well and  we exceeded the timing! As usual Faith is an excellent helper and give good example of why Assurance of Salvation is important.

The idea of continuing this Group came from Daniel and Sharon Kwok (not I or Faith), so it is good to see Alpha participants spring off to learn even after Alpha sessions.

Agape