The parable of the COMING HOME

Last night, as I was walking along the quiet street along my house, thinking and praying for some people, the thought about “COMING HOME” struck me. I shall call it the parable of the COMING HOME.

OK, probably, I have read a lot about parables for the last 3 weeks. And so, it infiltrates my thoughts. You know, the story in Luke 15:11-32 about a boy who left home and was warmly welcome home by the father? Yeah, I always love to write a parable like this but with a modern and local version that is close to all our hearts. And yes, this one speaks to me right now.

I was praying for those who have left our “HOME” and have not yet come back. We or rather I as a longing father is looking out for them. Then there is another son who is helping in my home. I want this son to also join me in bringing the other brother home. Got the hint? Can guess what and who I am praying?

If you are reading this, think:
(1) Am I the son who has left home?
(2) Am I the other brother who is working at home? Would I join the father to get my brother back home?
(3) I may be not the sons or father, would I join this father (that’s me, Mark) to help bring back the son?

OK, I am blogging in parable and if it speaks to you, you probably understand what I am writing.

Agape

That's Life!

My colleague is back from medical leave for one month and yet my boss still wants me to report and cover some of his jobs which I was doing during his absence. :(

My feelings are …. %#@^ ??? :(

And the projects -many and difficults -are still in development with problems. (which probably stir up fear)

But my LORD is my strength, I will not be shaken.
He makes my feet like hind feet,
He steers me through the quicksand;
And in HIS strength, I will gladly do what is before me!

Learning to seek peace

When things go wrong, finger pointing is very common :(

Worst is when you are unknowing caught into it. And that is what I am in the midst of it now.

Since last year, we have collaboration with an Australian guy (stationed in Singapore) on a UK project. My engineer, who resigned last month was working on it and has handed over to this Australian guy since September 2009. We thought everything was going on smoothly, since we have not heard of it for the whole one year or so… Then last week, he started to find faults. He started to question our design, the way we did things and all the craps … emails that are very hard to read and swallow, and arouse an immediate retaliation.

And on many occasions, my spirit within me was very stirred up. It’s a challenge to hold on to peace. Many times, I felt like speaking up and replying to all the emails but … still it take great strength to remain calm. And thank God, the fruit of the Spirit is GENTLENESS – strength under control.

And so, I just keep to the technical issues and try to resolve the problem. As to the sarcastic remarks about our design not properly done, poor ways of doing things, etc… these are just personal opinions that I choose to ignore.

During Sunday Bible study, one verse seemed like God’s voice telling me what to do:

Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
(Psalm 34:14)

No wonder I was very much constrained in spirit not to do evil things.


Monday (yesterday):
As I was talking to my product manager who was also involved in this project, he started cursing and using the f*** word at the Australian guy (though not in his presence). I thought I was the only one getting emotional.

I am still learning to seek peace.

Devotional Thought: Being Approachable

How approachable are you?

When people have trouble or need an advice, would they approach me to seek me out for help?

NO! :(

These thoughts linger on my mind as I read today’s devotions from Our Daily Bread on Mark 2:13-17. Our Lord Jesus Christ was so approachable that even sinners and tax collectors ate with him.

As for me, no, I don’t think people see me as approachable. There are even people in the church who reject me as friends in Facebook. At least 5 people, as far as I can remember. So, that says so much about me.

And that is the main reasons why I am disqualified to be a leader in the church. It is not about doing things here and there in the church.

It is about connecting with people.

Sermon reflection: The sanctity of Life

Actually, the passage on Leviticus 17 is not about calling us to respond with:

“Lord, what can I do for you?”

or

“Lord, what do you want me to be?”

The whole passage is about BLOOD. And blood is LIFE (verse 14).

(Ya lah!, the word “blood” keeps repeating in the whole passage)

When an animal is killed, the blood is taken out and the animal dies. In Leviticus 17, the Israelites were told not to anyhow dispose the blood or even eat (or drink) the blood (verse 4 and 10).

If the animal is used as a sacrifice, the blood must be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting (verse 4). If the animal is slaughtered for food, the blood must be poured out on the ground and cover with earth (verse 13). Here, we see that when death occurs, it must return to the LORD. (The tent of meeting is GOD’s presence (v4). The earth (v13) belongs to GOD). So, life or death, the animal belongs to God.

We all know that God is the creator and giver of LIFE (Genesis 1 & 2). So this passage reminds me that God is also the receiver of DEATH. Whether I live or die, I belong to GOD. Likewise for every creatures that have life, including animals and human. Do not take the life (which is the blood) and offer it to idols or abuse it by drinking it. Only God has the right to life.

It’s all about putting God in first place of my life, even if I were to die (Lev 17:1-9). Secondly, it’s all about the sanctity of life - the life of people (Lev 17:10-16). That pretty much sum up the GREAT COMMANDMENT – love God, love people (Luke 10:27.28).

It calls me to my relationship with GOD and with people. It’s not about doing things for GOD. Neither do I need to be someone for GOD. It’s like the story of the footprint in the sand.

OK, so I need to always look at all people with respect, they too have the rights of life as they are also created in the image of God, no matter how lowly they are in society.

The most important in this earth is LIFE, it last for eternity.

Change my perspective, change my life! :)

I am learning to see the present in the light of the end.

The last one month of difficult encounters and maintaining reflective silence has taught me many things. Above all, I learn to look at things from different perspective.

Recently I am reading this book – Finishing Well by Dr. David Wong. It’s about Bible people living their lives and how they close their life’s chapters. It is a wonderful book with many insightful lessons to learn – how Joseph closing a chapter of hurt; Naomi closing a chapter of loss; David; Samuel; etc. I wish all my Christian friends read this easy-to-read book. (David Wong is a Singaporean pastor, trained in Fuller Theological Seminary).

In this book, he shared a wonderful illustration:

In 1946, following the end of the Second World War, a Jewish prisoner-of-war published a book about his years in the concentration camp of the Nazis. In his book, Viktor E. Frankl describes his time in prison as “one misery after another.” He was constantly worrying about whether there would be enough food for the day, whether the foreman at work would be cruel, whether he could find a string to tie his shoes.

This went on for a while. One day he decided that enough was enough. He saw a vision of himself standing in a well-lit auditorium addressing hundreds of people sitting in posh cushioned chairs. He was dressed in a suit and giving a lecture on what life was like under Hitler during the war.

“I became disgusted with the state of affairs which compelled me, daily and hourly, to think of only such trivial things. I focused my thoughts to turn to another subject. Suddenly, I saw myself standing on the platform of a well-lit, warm and pleasant lecture room. In front of me sat an attentive audience on comfortable upholstered seats. I was giving a lecture on the psychology of the concentration camp!

“All that oppressed me at that moment became objective, seen and described from the remote viewpoint of science. By this method I succeeded somehow in rising above the situation, above the sufferings of the moment, and I observed them as if they were already in the past.”

From the day Viktor Frankl saw his life’s final outcome, every experience was viewed differently. Every experience was viewed from the perspective of his vision. Every experience, however hard and painful, became material for his lecture on life in a German concentration camp. His life took on a different perspective, a life’s perspective.

***

This wonderful life’s perspective of Viktor Frankl has changed tremendously my recent feelings and encounter. It no longer become stressful, but become material for my future use…

Pondering ...

Many personal things happened to me for the past 2 weeks. Stress started to build up.

I guess the best way to handle it is to be silent, be reflective and prayerful.

Hence, I did not write anything for the last few weeks.

Isa 43:2

Is God with me?

Caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of life, how do I find the presence of God in my daily activities?

“Busy” is a common reply I hear these days when we ask: “How are you today?” My daily offices work can drive me to the wall. Problem … problems … more problems …

How then can I still maintain an open communication and sensitivity with HIM as I do my daily work, rushing through events and even engaging in a conversation with colleagues?

2 recent incidents came to mind:

On Monday night, as I was driving out of my company’s drive-way, a car came to a sudden stop right in front of me, blocking my exit. He could have stopped a bit further up for me to move on. Clearly, it was inconsiderate. Any driver would give a loud honk. (That was my first reaction). Interestingly, the spirit within me, prompted: “Be gracious, be gracious”.

“Good reminder, thank you” I replied. The busyness during the early part of the day may have made me forget about HIM. HE is with me all along, and appeared when I was almost going to do some stupid thing! How can I forget that? :(

***

We had a 2-hour long project meeting chaired by a project manager yesterday. Sure, there was a lot of “overlooked” errors and unknown. Big bosses tend to make comments as if they are omniscient. Everything they say is right (only in their own eyes). Sitting there, I somehow silently prayed for the project team. This is the first time I did that during an office meeting. Perhaps, we are in the midst of something difficult and I need God’s guidance. Or maybe I happen to sense HIM around. Whatever it is, it is good to know that the LORD is present.

This morning devotion is on Psalms 63. Wonder how David sought God?

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water. (Psalms 63:1)

Looking for help – found it!

I kinda finally see some light coming out of the tunnel!

For the past 9 months, I was working & supervising my engineer on this research and development project in my company. I wrote a research proposal and submitted to the government for funding last year. After some many months of arduous work and many help from my boss, it was finally approved.

Then come the toughest part – to start working on it. It is a 20 and 30GHz satellite communication transceiver. Honestly, it is something quite beyond me. And in the proposal I have left out some very difficult portions of the project unknowingly!

I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? (Psalms 121:1)

The past few months were tough. But … thank God we have a very good Australian friend, John from Queensland. I knew him since 1997 when I visited his company and learn some work from him. He is near retirement now but still moving around giving consultant here and there. Dr. John was also and adjunct professor in Queensland University. I manage to correspond with him regularly on this project and through the emails, he has been very helpful in his comments and still as sharp in his thinking and analysis. (And the thing is, he doesn’t want us to pay him, even though I mentioned to him about consultation payment).

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth (Psalms 121:2)

Yesterday was my best day in this project. We finally managed to get some good results for the 30GHz waveguide transition. At this frequency, a 0.1mm different in length is like day and night, a total error to a near perfect results.

There are more hurdles to cross. We manage to get through this one! So the work can now continue to move…. after months of dead block.

Thank you John, and THANK YOU LORD! :)

The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore (Psalms 121:6)

Devotional Thought: When is a good age to serve God?

Today’s devotion from the Daily Bread is kind of interesting. Ever since I past my 50th Birthday last year, I felt that I just need to do thing differently in the church. I need to be more focus in my area of service rather than be a “generalist” – whatever people want me to do. But I could not pin point why I have that kind of feelings. Reading today’s Bible passage, my thoughts went: “ah- hah!”

http://odb.org/2010/07/22/don%e2%80%99t-just-retire/

Levites starting serving from age 25 to age 50. After age 50, they perform supervisory and mentoring role.

The Scripture passage is from Numbers Chapter 8.

23 The LORD said to Moses, 24 "This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the Tent of Meeting, 25 but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. 26 They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites."

First, I did it right by not continuing in the English Service committee!

Secondly, I am doing mostly as supervisory and teaching / mentoring role. This is what I felt strongly after crossing the Jubilee years.

Now I know what I need to do! :)

Coming to the end of my role …

Performing my role as a ministry leader in the church is no easy task …

For the past few weeks, I have been evaluating and pondering over my role as the Share Groups co-ordinator. It has been almost 3 years now. I could easily do the bare minimum and still get by, by remaining status quo. But being a highly driven person, I set out with a highly ambitious plan to move the share groups forward. But as I prayed for the Bible Study leaders, I realized that most of them may not be able to move as fast as I want. My plan was shelved and I need to focus on the leaders.

Are they willing to bear the cross as leaders?

Are they willing to walk the second mile as servants?

How close are their relationships with God?

I wanted very much to raise the standard of the Bible Study leaders and inculcate in them a love for the Word of God. How faithful are their devotional lives?

I believe that a leader should lead by example and be transparent in their lives. And so I started this blog, sharing my life with you all – my daily struggles, my personal thoughts and encounter with the Almighty. Hopefully, as they see my life, they will learn to shares theirs with their flock.

Secondly, I personally take on the task of training the leaders. I have voluntary taught many lessons – (1) Overview of the Book of Judges; (2) Overview of the Old Testament; (3) Studies of the Book of 1 Timothy; 2 Timothy and Titus (4) Understanding Epistles; (5) Understanding Biblical Narratives; (6) Study of the Book of 1 Peter. The most recent one is the study of 2 Samuel. How I wish the Bible Study leaders have this hunger for the Word of God. But sad to say, most of them have not showed any interest and attendance for learning are usually low. And so I could not even have more regular Bible discussion with the Bible Study leaders. Most likely, I am just NOT qualified to teach. I don’t even have a theological degree to start with. Only the church Pastor has a Master of Theology. How I wish I can learn from him! But I only hear him preach on Sunday. So my bible knowledge is limited and I failed as a teacher. Also, in my zeal to teach, I have on many occasion use life examples to point out biblical lessons. This has made many to see me as judgmental. Just today, Pastor mentioned this in his sermon that he has learnt not to be judgmental. (a repeat of what he has hinted to me previously) I understand what he meant. Thank you. I will be more careful and not give any negative life examples as I do my duty as a teacher so as not to be seen as judgmental.

So, the end of the road is near. It is about time to step aside and move on to do other things and find new pasture.

Devotion Thoughts: Watch my words!

Have I been talking too much in the church lately? Am I shouting like a fool?

Many things cross my mind today as I read the Daily Bread which talk about Ecc 9:13-18

http://odb.org/2010/06/22/no-one-remembered/

We all have our ways of doing things. Some do to impress. Some do to show authority. As for me, it is always that I do so that I can build up others. But sometime, my actions and words can be mistaken with insincere motives. I am also very careful not to overstep those in authority, especially the Pastor and Elders – “Never slay the LORD’s anointed with words”.

In particular, verse 17 reminded me again of how I should speak:

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools

I used to think very hard and long before I ever make a comment, a suggestion or sharing a personal experience. But today, I am reminded to speak quietly. Once said, I should hold my peace whether it is accepted or not.


I like this word: ALIVE

Always
Live
In
View of
Eternity

When I see things with eternity in perspective, then I will be more careful in my words and actions.

A Wise person speaks with eternity in perspective.

You reap what you sow!

Are we seeing the ill-effect of the Casinos in Singapore now?

The recent serial of murder and assaults at the Kallang area has heighten fear among many. Singapore is no longer a safe place to walk alone at night. My boss, who goes for his daily night walk is now wearier whenever he sees a group of foreign workers gathering together. He has a theory behind the many crimes that recently spook Singapore. He is a foreigner and so he can identify with how a foreign worker feels. His told me this:

“When a foreign worker gets his pay, he thinks of making rich quick. So, he steps into the casino. Unfortunately, as always be, gamblers always loose in the casino. However, the foreign worker needs to send money home. The only resort is to steal and kill to get that few hundred dollars.”

Hearing what he says, I am reminded that “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (Gal 6:7)

In life, we always think we can do away with a small sin and indulgence and get away with it. Like cheating on small things and some compromises – paying less for our car parking fees; taking more than what we required from company office’s stationery; breaking the speed limits; reporting what is not accurate at work reports; …

Likewise, in our church, we sow the spirit of lethargy and complacency. And so, we reap lukewarm and stagnant growth for many years. I shall not elaborate less I be labeled as critical.

Singapore is willing to sow the seed of greed with the incoming of 2 casinos, believing that it will create 35,000 jobs and boost the economy. But, there is a price to pay – the nation can never be called a safe country anymore.
.

Money, in the name of religion

Many years ago, my big boss sneered when the topic on religion was being discussed : “All religions are just out to get people's money!” Unfortunately, he is always right

In Singapore, we have seen Catholic priest, Buddhist monk, Muslim cleric, and now church all involving in money tussles with the Law.

Yesterday, another church in Singapore is being probed by the Commercial Affair Department (CAD) about the church money matters.

http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/05/31/city-harvest-church-members-under-investigation/

More significantly is the testimony of one comment:

Atheist on May 31, 2010 at 7:20 pm
I am glad this is happening. Its high time, the authorities checked all these churches, temples and mosques, so many ppl give with the intention that the $$ goes for good causes like to the poor, less fortunate and etc. In particulr, so many of these churches practice the old testament of giving 10% of ur salary to the church and on top of that weekly donations.
Many years back, i joined City Harvest and after gg thru 3 month orientation with them, I was a “member” of the church. Then they started asking for 10% of our pay and the church actually have ” cell group leaders” or “debt collectors” to harrasses us for that $$. I wasnt too happy but I gave them my 10% which was a 3 figure sum. Things went out of hand when they requested for my payslip to check if I was really giving 10% of my pay in which I immediately stopped gg to the church as I felt something was not right.
And of significance, it is notably that since the birth of this church, the pastor has apparently upgraded his cars, to condominiums and etc.
This checking of financial records should be an annual thing. Just the other day, I saw a monk driving a BMW 7 series at my block to attend a funeral to chant prayers. When he stepped out, you shld have seen the faces of the family and relatives at the wake. I too was surprised.


Well, my fellow BSG leaders, hope we can all reflect and learn from this comment (whether his comment is true or not).

In God's Timing

Gracious and God-dependent is what make a man after God’s heart.

For the last 3 weeks, I spent a lot of time reading, meditating and studying on the Book of 2nd Samuel chapter 1 to 10. The ways David dealt with life situations are phenomenal! Everything he did is about God – HIS timing, and love for God.

While others may seek the opportunity to rise to the throne, he simply continued to wait upon the LORD’s timing! Yes, even after waiting for more than 15 years, he still insisted on waiting! Even evil doers wanted to hasten his ascension. Unlike Saul who has no heart for God, David long to seek fellowship with God. We never heard about the ark of God when Saul was king. But the moment David became king, he sought to bring the ark back to his capital. And what a procession and celebration! There is so much to learn from this man, the way he dealt with evil men, helpless man, enemies, and with God.

But there is one weakness of him at this point in time. He has a problem handling his closest subordinate, his general, Joab. Joab, a nephew of David was an excellent warrior but a brutal man.

Yes, I am learning to live by God’s timing. As I reflect my reading, I see my life always on a rush, always in a hurry. From the moment I woke up very early in the morning, it is always rushing to send the children to school, rushing to get problems solved in my job, rushing the engineers to get the design and development work done, rushing the suppliers to delivery their parts … I must confess on numerous occasions, I try to beat the traffic light. Once, I even drive across the red light :(. I just felt very lousy after that.

Teach me to wait upon YOU, O LORD!!

Looking Backward … Moving Forward :)

Suddenly I feel very old!

A few days ago, my daughter put up some very old pictures on her Facebook:


The 3 girls are the most important things God has given to me.

The pictures were 10 years old. “What have I done all these years?” Not much.

OK, maybe I have gone to the Singapore Bible College and do some serious study. OK, maybe I have done a marathon at the age of 42. Other than that, life has been more or less stagnant and waiting for the children to grow up. Church has been a routine.

Presently I am reading the Book of Second Samuel. King David started very well in this life, but ended up poorly. His family was in a mess. He finished his life poorly. This may serve as a warning to me.

Maybe I need some very difficult goals for the next 10 years:
1. Brush up my Greek
2. Read all the New Testament Books in Greek
3. Run a marathon
4. Memorise at least 100 verses, one from each book of the Bible
5. Write a book?

OK, these are written at the spur of a moment. Not sure how far I can go (?). We shall see.

Agape :))

How to please the LORD?

A thought just came to mind while reading Our Daily Bread:

Do all tasks not just as a job, but as an offering, an aroma pleasing unto the LORD.

.

Thank you LORD,

For today devotion.

I was disappointed by carelessly making quite

a number of mistakes yesterday.

You know, I have always put my best in whatever I do.

Not just for self, but for

your glory. I just could not accept the silly mistakes

I have made.

Thank you for reminding me to see that whatever

I do is an offering and pleasing to you.

Remembering this help me to be more careful and thoughtful.

Amen! :)

Avoid Unwholesome Words

“Did I blurt out those words?”

As I left the church yesterday afternoon, this question kept flashing in my mind. I was sharing my experience about my early Christian life during the workshop conducted by the Pastor that morning. I may have used un-appropriate words carelessly. Thinking about it, one Bible verse came to my mind:

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Eph 4:29 NASB)

When I first became a Christian some 30 plus years ago, my Bible Study leader listed certain unwholesome words that were not appropriate for us to use (not just swear words and filthy words). Through the years, the list may have changed:

1. dnmaed
2. btrsaad
3. tlak ccok
4. siht
5. blul siht

(I have scrambled the in-between letters of each word). You may disagree with this list and may have your own list of unwholesome words. I like to hear from you.

I made a confession and prayed that I may be more careful with my words in future. Peace within, at last!

This morning, as I turned to Our Daily Bread,

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2010/05/03/devotion.aspx

hmmn, the issue of proper words cropped out again. On further meditation, I realized that in this internet world, certain abbreviations can fall under the category of unwholesome words, which I only learnt about them recently:

1. WTF
2. OMG!

You may not agree with me, but I think OMG! would be breaking the third commandment of “using the LORD’s name in vain”. Ancient devoted people were always careful not to take the LORD’s name lightly.

Ponder over what I have written.

And let’s encourage one another with wholesome words. :)

Is there a Green Pasture for me?

What can I do if one day I am fired from my job?

For the past few months, I was pondering over this question. With each passing months, the D-day get nearer and the thoughts get more intense.

Since last October, there’s a UK company thinking of buying over our company. They carried out due diligence for quite a number of times and basically audit everything. The company also flew in their lawyer, accountant, and a small team of people. My big boss (the president of the company) was very excited and announced in December that they would make a decision by end of March 2010. He sounded very confident that they will buy us over.
(And that will make him very rich!!)

For me, my position as an engineering staff sound precarious. If they were to reduce head-count, engineering / R&D staffs are usually the first to be replaced by their own people. Moreover, my job scope would not fit into their whole company structure.

For the past 10 years, my company has survived economy downturn and 3 companies who we worked for default in payment amounting to million of dollars. We have always been blessed even in difficult times. Though my bosses are not God-believers, yet I see the hand of God leading me here. Just the other day, I heard my boss, the General Manager (who is not a Christian) saying, “We are lucky, God is helping us.” He knows I am a Christian as I used to share the Christian faith with him.

I have been praying about this for quite a long time. Would I need to look for green pasture? Can I say with confident: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lies down in green pasture …” ?

Would this be the last of me here in this company since the day of start-up?

Then the beginning of April 2010 came. The big boss told us that they decided not to buy our company but will continue to just do business with us. He sounded disappointed but he will look for new buyers.

Thank God, I guess HE wants me to stay here a bit longer.

But still I need to prepare for Green Pasture should the day I need to move. Retirement is not the option at this moment as my children are still schooling. And so the question still lingers on …

What can I do if one day I am fired from my job?

Emails - Thanks for replying

I was a bit surprise to receive a reply from my email yesterday :)

Thank you! :)

I know that people from Bethany Church usually don’t bother to acknowledge or even reply email. Last year I sent out my teaching Power Point on Biblical Narratives to some 20 people – Sunday school teachers, Bible Study Leaders and even church leaders. Yet I did not receive a single reply. So I know that people in the church like to remain anonymous – no reply, no comments.

Recently I sent out quite a number of emails weekly. Perhaps I am intruding into others’ privacy? Am I trying to influence others by my thoughts? We usually sent email thinking that by doing so, it may help others. Usually, the recipients see it as intruding or nuisance. So after browsing it, it is then simply discarded and forgotten.


Well, this is my last term as Bible Study ministry co-coordinator. Once this is done and over with. I will not need to bother others with my many emails, and even my blogging.

Cheers!

Be Cheerful! :))

"Why are you so happy today?"

"Is that so?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, you are smiling and singing." A colleague of mine replied.

Hmm, I didn't know that I was smiling. I could not see my face. Maybe I was happy about many things. Even bad things.

But I guess I started the day right. That is the most important thing. Somehow, I just have the urge to listen to the song:

"In Christ Alone, my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song"

And I have replayed it so many times and trying to sing it also.

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

And probably that was reflected on my face that I didn't know - the depths of peace, the anxiousness, striving gone.

Later, the boss saw me and came to me, thinking that I have a new discovery in my work.
I told him, "NO".

"You are smiling, there must be something interesting." He said.

You see, my job as the head of engineering is to solve problems and create new things for the company. Other's people problems become my problems, so to say. Life in the office is always dealing with difficulties and maybe that is why, when my mood change, everybody see it. When I smile, there must be some big invention, new design or idea.

But really:

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand'
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

I can be cheerful inspite of facing problems and difficulty daily, because IN THE POWER OF CHRIST I'LL STAND!

Cheers!

God's Money or Mine?

The most often used item in our daily life is MONEY!

Last Sunday, we had a Church class conducted by the Pastor after worship service, talking about money. The big question of the class is: “God’s money or mine?”

As we broke into groups, I thought everyone wanted to play it safe and since the class was conducted by the pastor, we all unanimously agreed that it’s God’s money and we are his stewards to what He has given us.

Sure enough, the Pastor gave the following verses to support his view that the money we have is God’s money:

Psa 24:1
The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;

1Chron 29:11,12
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.

One brother also quoted Deut 8:17,18
You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Interestingly though, near the end, one sister, Mrs. Catherine Goh, spoke up: “After I give 10% to God, the money is mine. And I can use the money for shopping!”

Is she wrong?

Did the Bible specifically says that money belong to God even though you have it in your hand?

If you look at the verses – Psa 24:1&2 and 1 Chron 29:11&12 - the psalmist (who is David) is thinking in general terms that everything ultimately comes from God. I don’t think that when they said this, they are thinking about money belongs to God, but that you and I belong to God so He gave us strength to get it.

But there is a clearer verse that talk about God's money:

"The silver is mine, and the gold is mine," says the LORD of hosts (Haggai 2:8)

Jesus Christ has more to say about money (from the earthly perspective):

There’s a story about the Pharisees coming to ask Jesus a question:

Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied.
Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
(Mat 22:17-21)

What do you think Jesus is saying?

Is money belongs to God?
Is money belongs to you and I?
Money belongs to Caesar!! --- the government of the country.

I take out my $50 dollar bill and I see the face of my former president. On it is the signature of the chairman of the monetary authority of Singapore. The dollar bills also stated: “This note is legal tender FIFTY DOLLARS”

So, the money I have belongs to the country of Singapore but given to me for transaction of anything that is legally worth fifty dollars.

Such is the power of money, the more I have, the more I can do anything of that’s worth.

And money has power that can be a god. Jesus Christ goes on to say:

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Mat 6:24)

Here we see that Money is a rival to God for our servanthood. Either you serve God or serve Money. No other option is given to us. Matthew 6:24 makes it very clear that Money does not belong to God. In fact, it is evil (as stated in Richard Foster's book on Money, Sex and Power)and challenges God for our services.

“Fools serve money and leave it all behind. Shrewd believers serve God and invest in eternity.”

Want to know how to invest in eternity?

What is your view about money?

PTL

3 type of people

I think you know this - there are 3 types of people in the church (or anywhere else):

1. People who make things happen.
2. People who see things happen.
3. People who don’t know what happen.


Last night, a few of us gather at the church cafeteria and discuss about the coming fellowship outing. These are the people who I call ‘people who make things happen’. And they are the one who are always making things for the church, for the people in the community, for the disinterested. They think how to spice up others’ lives, help the hurtful and suggest ways for improvement even if the suggestions fall on deaf eyes. They are what I call the “Kay Poh” (busybody in Chinese dialect), and I am one of these “Kay Poh”.

Then, there are those who see things happen. Somebody call them Sunday friends. They come on Sunday worship and then off they go with a few friends to catch up with a cup of coffee. They see things happen, decide whether they benefit from it or not. If it benefits them, they join in or contribute to their advantage. Silently they watch or read (what others write/blog) without a comment or involvement. Unless they are touch by the Holy Spirit and being transformed (Rom 12:2), they remains status quo for years.

I shall not write about people who don’t know what happen. You know them better than me.

So, my suggestion during last night meeting to the ‘people who make things happen’ to have a program that can move those ‘people who see things happen’ to be more forthcoming in their Christian faith. I didn’t say this actually as I write here but the intention is clear. (I leave it to imagine how this is to be done).

What type of people are you?

The first wealth is Health

I rather be healthy than be wealthy.

Yesterday, I went for a full body health screening. While talking to the doctor, I asked him about some discomfort at my lower part of my body and sought his advice. His suggestion stroked some fear in me. Perhaps at my age, I should not be exerting too much force and carry heavy load too often. This has weakened my muscles. It may be a warning signs for me.

To be healthy, I have always exercised regularly, careful of my diet, and have adequate rest. Now, I need to add another factor – avoid exerting too much force on my body. In my work, I occasionally have to carry those heavy and bulky equipments around. Perhaps that is the cause of my weaken muscle on the lower part of my body.

I will have my health review with the doctor next week. Pray for God's protection.

It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Being Thankful

It’s amazing how a prayerful and thankful attitude make life all the more different.:)

But it’s not going to be easy especially when facing a seemingly insurmountable task that is beyond our control. After writing my Monday (previous) post I decided to be thankful. What better way to do that than to memorize God’s Word? So I type the verse Phi 4:8 on a small piece of paper:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Let’s face it, my problem is true (real). I need to response fast to the customer’s request for 2 product samples within 2 weeks. Buying the material takes 3 weeks. Would I be able to give them what they want in a short time, knowing that I don’t have the materials to do what they require? Only God is in control. And to get to HIM, I need to pray… (and be thankful)..

While praying, I realized that I needed to tidy up my office. It’s full of junk accumulated over the past 10 years working in this company. It’s like that kind of prompting inside me: “Clean up your room!!”

And guess what? As I was cleaning up the mess, I found materials among the junk that I could use to build one sample!! OK, not exactly what the customer wants, but at least close to their requirement and specifications. :)

That was what happened on Monday when I decided to “Be thankful in all circumstances”. The week kind of went through smoothly and I managed to get the sample built, tested over temperature of -30 degree to +70 degree Celsius. It will be shipped out today. Also, I might be able to complete the other samples as well next week. (God just bring people to help you when you pray!)


God just “open doors” when we pray and be thankful in all circumstances.

Praise the LORD (PTL)

Stress here, stress there... Stress Everywhere!

It has been a tough week. Probably, this week going to be quite stressful.

Finally, I received the crystal oscillators (after 6 months of waiting) from my supplier and continued to work on my project. I tested some and it seemed to work to about -20 degrees. The testing procedure is very tedious and we have to use Liquid Nitrogen to cool the cystal oscillators down to that temperature. Unfortunately, most of the crystal oscillators are not working well at about -15 degrees Celsius even though we specified to the supplier that we wanted the crystal oscillator to function properly to -30 degrees Celsius. As the products are going to the United Kingdom, I am getting very concerned. The thoughts, “Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES” kept appearing in my mind. Perhaps, the LORD wants to teach me to be thankful?

This morning, as I opened my email, my boss forwarded a mail from a potential customer wanting me to send them 2 sample products for their evaluation in 2 or 3 weeks times. Suddenly, my stress level shot up.

My mind shouted: “I don’t have the material to build the samples!”

There you go, any stressful week ahead. How should I answer the boss and the customer? Would I loose a very good business opportunity?

How would I “rejoice always, and give thanks in all circumstances”?

Surely, I will pray continually.

A worship service that is so … different!

“What do you think about today’s worship service?” I casually asked my 16 years old daughter yesterday as we were on our way home.

“Eh, it’s so … different!”

“What’s so different?”

“Just different, lah!” She still couldn’t find the words to describe the experience we had in this church's service.

Yesterday, we had an opportunity to visit a church near our home. My first visit to this church was May last year. The feeling of Spirit’s presence was just as strong as it was then. The worship bulletin did not have any mission statement or purpose, the theme for the year or any announcement. There was no need to remind worshippers to worship God “in spirit and in truth” on paper. It was written in every hearts that are present. The songs still linger in my minds as I am writing this. The whole service ministers to the hearts. Perhaps that was what my daughter meant when she said, “It’s so different”. She was sitting between me and my wife. I could sense her complete attention during the service.

The worship handouts just contained the outline of the sermon, wonderfully and clearly layout. There were also insert of the church mission activities. When I saw the sermon outline, I knew we were going to have a dynamic speaker even before he spoke. The topic was on revival. This grandfatherly preacher was able to swings our mood as he injected humor to make us laugh and illustrations to bring tears to our eyes. At the end, hundreds came down to response to the altar call of re-commitment to Christ.

I left the worship service wondering why I am still staying with my presence church after 24 years there.

The Dark Side of Men

Another big sex scandal has happened, similar to that of Tiger Wood.

Except that it is now in our shore – Singapore. It involved a successful Singapore film- maker who has received many awards from the Singapore government, one equivalent to the UK knighthood title. We would be calling him Sir Jack Neo, except that it is written in a Malay title: PBM. (Why would Singapore want to give a title that nobody understands??). Also, the saga gets juicier because Jack Neo portrays himself as a moralist.

I would not be writing this, if he did not profess to be attending a Christian church. His whole family is attending City Harvest Church, the largest church in Singapore with a congregation of about 33,000. So, even those who claim to go to church and worship God also fall by this deadly sin.

After so many sex scandals – Tiger Wood, John Terry, Ashley Cole and now Jack Neo, it’s high time we men be honest with ourselves. We all have a dark side inside us. Let’s not pretend. I like Dr. Jason Wolfe’s website cartoon (Humorous but actually true)

http://www.wolfescape.com/Humour/MenWomen.htm




No, I am not blogging to attack any of these people but to reflect as a man, what God is speaking to me about all these sex scandals like I am reading from the Bible in 1Samuel Chapter 11.

First, whatever happened to them can also happen to me when the circumstances are right. Even the most godly man is not exempted from such temptation. King David, the man after God’s heart fell into it. There is another man who also faced the same temptation but overcame it strongly with the strength of God. It is Joseph, the son of Jacob in Gen 39.

The young Joseph of not more than 30 years old, when tempted with sexual sin, replied: “How then could I do this great wickedness and sin against God” (Gen 39:9). Sexual sin is not just a sin against my wife, my family or other girls. It is a sin against God.

So what is the different in circumstances? One has all he can get – a king – rich and powerful and lives only to please himself. Another is a slave, struggling in an alien land, serving to please his master. So the circumstances are when one gets money (lot of it) and fame, then the sexual dark side starts to creep out. Even if we are not rich and famous, this dark side is still in all men.

So what should men do?

Unfortunately, most Christian men avoid talking about it all together. We want to keep secrets. And so our discussions are never personal, always about politics, economy, careers, work, hobbies …, never about our inner self, never transparent. Dr. Larry Crabb, in his book, “The Silence of Adam” calls it the monster lurking inside us, guys. And I fully agree with him that to overcome this monster, men must share secrets. Share it with one person with whom you can trust and uphold in prayer. It sure will break the chain of bondage by this monster.

I like one of his statements:
“Fathers encourage by leading the way, by walking ahead of us on the path. Brothers encourage by sharing our struggles, by walking with us.”

Isaac, our brother-in-Christ, once mentioned about the accountability group that he attended with the missionaries when serving in Yunnan, China. He wondered why our church did not have one. The truth is … we like to keep our privacy and hide our secret and dark side. But those who confess their sins and pray for one another are most often the ones on the path of overcoming this dark side. (read James 5:16)

I have much to share but will just stop here. Any of you guys who are reading this and want to have a personal talk, do feel free to call me :)

Friend No More :(

For some unknown reasons, this facebook friend of mine removes that friendship.

And I am still trying to figure out why and what I did that broke off that facebook friendship. Perhaps it was something I posed that she felt offended? Or was it my reply to her husband's wall-to-wall comment that she disagreed? In the first place, it was she who extended the facebook friendship to me.

Her husband and I have a very close friendship since University days. We were room-mates, Bible study mates, jogging mates, all kind of mates you can think of. And I was his best man during their wedding. Something though, I don’t really know her well to guess why.

It puzzles me what causes friendship to terminate.

I am still trying to figure it all up. This is my very first encounter.

Have you experience situations like this?

Chasing our Dreams & our Happiness

Yesterday, the boss walked into my office to discuss a business opportunity. In the midst of the conversation, he sigh, “I am very stressed up with the company’s businesses”

11 years ago, the boss together with a few of us started this electronic company. We wanted to chase our dream. We believe we have what it takes to compete globally. Life has always been stressful since then. It is difficult to compete with the big multi-national companies. But, thank God, we are never in the red.

But are we happy?

This morning, as I read Our Daily Bread on Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 , I feel that true happiness is not self-seeking. The whole passage is about the “I” (mentioned 18 times), “my” and “me”. And at the end of all the achievement,

what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. (Ecc 2:11)

I received this story from a colleague:

Some time ago, at the Seattle Olympics,
nine athletes, all mentally or physically challenged,
were standing on the start line for the 100 m race.
The gun fired and the race began.
Not everyone was running, but everyone wanted to participate and win.

They ran in threes, a boy tripped and fell, did a few somersaults and started crying.
The other eight heard him crying.
They slowed down and looked behind them.
They stopped and came back… All of them…

A girl with Down’s Syndrome sat down next to him,
hugged him and asked, “Feeling better now?”

Then, all nine walked shoulder to shoulder to the finish line.

The whole crowd stood up and applauded.
And the applause lasted a very long time…

People who witnessed this still talk about it.
Why? Because deep down inside us, we all know that the most important thing in life is much more than winning for ourselves.

The most important thing in this life is to help others to win.
Even if that means slowing down and changing our own race.

"A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one.”


One of my most cherished quotations was written in my autograph book by my Primary 6 teacher before I left that school:

Only one life, it will soon be past.
Only what’s done for Christ, will last

Agape :)

Lesson learnt: Be Gracious & Meek

I have a nervous week. Thank and praise the LORD! My Shepherd leaded me through.

Yes, nervous because I needed to account to my customer why I am delaying his project due to the late arrival of the crystal oscillators which I ordered since last September (see post on Feb 19 – Waiting …Hoping … :( or :) ? ).

Also, I was nervous because my team had a presentation on a new design to make to the bosses. It is a sort of an accountability presentation. Will there be fire and storm??

After a long distance call and talking to the supplier of the crystal oscillators, I took a few days to pray for wisdom how I should answer to my UK customer of the frequent delay of the project which we promised to deliver. I also prayed that my customer be gracious to me and not penalize my company for the overdue. After much prayer, I decided to be honest and state the situations, giving them the assurance that I will do my utmost best to expedite the work. God is good, the customer is quite gracious and there is no penalty or cancelation of the project. Now I need to honor my words and praying that my supplier of the crystal oscillators will deliver their goods next week as promised.

Still waiting … and hoping.

Then in the mid-week, the presentation wasn’t that smooth as I would hope to. This is a team work project (and is still on going). One of my junior engineers did make an honest mistake and the computer simulation of a part of the design did show some potential problem. Perhaps, he did not realize it. I didn’t spot it either during the preparation of the presentation. But during the presentation, it appeared quite obvious to everyone! (Why is it that when something is not right it seem so obvious :(??)

At that point, one of the Vice-president started to attack the engineer. And it got quite merciless. It was like what Jesus said, when I read today’s devotion on Our Daily Bread Matthew 20:20-28

Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,(Mat 20:25,26)

Reflecting back on the week, the LORD seems to speak me to be gracious to people. In life, there will always be mistake, delay and hold-up. How should I response to such situations?

Be gracious when others are at fault.

Be meek when I am at fault.

Sermon thoughts: Submission between spouses!!

OK, I am going to put my head on the chopping board and blog about submission in a marriage! :(

Well, that’s because last Sunday, our worship sermon was on 1Peter 2:12-3:13.

This is by far the most sensitive issue for Christian marriage. I remember way back about 20 plus years ago when I was attending this young adult cell group in San Jose, California. One newly married couple spoke strongly against submission. The wife, a Taiwanese lady but raised in America claimed that the passage was “a mistake” in the Bible. Her American husband smiled and nodded. The discussion centered mostly on cultural issues, where submission was a Middle East ancient culture which women normally submit to men (father, brother, and husband). So, the group unanimously agreed that submission in marriage is subjective to culture and does not apply to Americans. Hooray!!

Back track couples of years when I was student in Polytechnic trained under the para-church, Navigators. In one of the leadership training session, my ministry leader made a profound statement which I still remember till this day. He said, “In any organization, system or animal group, there must only be one head (one leader). If there is no head, it is a demon. If there are 2 or more heads, it is also a demon. There must be only one head.” On reflection, this apply also to a family, there must be one head (one leader). Even in the Trinity Godhead, it is the Son submitting to the Father and never the Father submitting to the Son.

OK, so why can’t wife be the leader at home and husband submit to wife?

I know it is very hard for the sisters to swallow if I said that God told Eve that he (referring to Adam, her husband) will rule over her (Gen 3:16) after they sinned. Before they sinned, Eve is Adam’s helper (Gen 2:18-25). To be able to help someone means that you must be capable in order to be of help. It is only after they sinned that Adam is designated as the ruler of the home.

Frankly, I am ok that my wife wants to be the leader of the house. Since she wants to take leadership and there can be only one leader so that it is not a “demonized” home, I do my part and give love, respect and consideration to her (1Peter 3:7). But, sisters, bear in mind one day, you need to stand before God and answer Him: “Why do you want to be the leader of the home?”

Finally, to sisters who are not yet married: marry only a Christian man whom you can accept him as the leader of the home. If you can’t, he is probably not good for you.

Agape :)

Waiting …Hoping … :( or :) ?

Waiting can be daunting. Even now, I am still anxiously waiting.

I wait because I believe there is hope. Otherwise, there is no point waiting.

You see, I had ordered some crystal oscillators on 3 September 2009 for my project which must be delivered on 8 January 2010. At first, the supplier confirmed his delivery date to be November 27. Then as the day came and gone, I was told that it’s going to be December 18. So there was still hope. Unfortunately, it turned out to be false hope. They delayed the delivery date to 19 February 2010. This set me wondering, is this finally going to be real?

A week before Lunar New Year (14 Feb), I emailed them. Sadly, it was another false hope and they shifted the new date to be the first week of March. I began to get anxious and worried.

And I am still waiting and hoping, hoping and waiting. In the midst of all this kan-chong (anxiousness), I was also praying and seeking God for wisdom. But HE chooses not to speak – silence.

I took leave on 12 Feb and was at the Singapore Bible College Library. As I was browsing through the books for only a short while, one particularly book caught my attention.

WAITING – Finding hope when God seems silent

Yep, this is the book I have read during the last 4 days of this holiday period. Is this what the Almighty is directing me to do? If Abraham has to wait for 25 years to see his child born (at the age of 100!), what does waiting mean to me?

Then yesterday’s devotion from Our Daily Bread passage was on Psalm 62. I was reading from my New Revised Standard Version and verse 5 & 6 just jumped out of the text:

For God alone, my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.


Waits … in silence … hope is from him …He alone … not be shaken.

Mere coincidence?? This verse speaks volume to me today.

Roger, over!!

Moving forward or staying put?

Ever since I read what Dr Albert Ting (Principal of Singapore Bible College) wrote in the Jan-Feb 2010 edition of the SBC newsletter:

"Vision without action is only good intention."

Shall I or shall I not continue with what I have planned to do?

Devotional Thought: Who else are invited?

Whenever I received a wedding dinner invitation from a friend, my mind usually ask: “Who else are invited?”

Also, to be invited to one’s wedding is a show of good friendship and relationship. After all, we want to celebrate our joyous occasion with good friends and relatives only. So, I never, never turn down a wedding invitation unless I am oversea or in army (reservist) training.

Last month, one of my company’s former engineer invited me to his wedding dinner. He did not invite his boss (who is my colleague and peer ) to his wedding. I guess they are not in good working relationship. That is also probably a reason for leaving my company.

In today’s Our Daily Bread, as I read Revelation 19:1-9 , I know one very important day will come where I will be invited to a wedding supper. I am excited about going to this wedding supper. To miss this wedding supper is as important as Heaven and Hell. Are you sure that you will be invited to this wedding supper? And so, I will ask “Who else are not invited?”

This wedding supper is only for those who have received the blood of the Lamb, and have a good relationship with the groom, our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us reach out to those who we know and introduce them to the groom. They will then be invited to this wedding supper.

See you are the wedding supper of the Lamb! :)

'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'

Devotional Thought: Wealth - Sharing or Hogging?

We all like to get rich. And there is nothing wrong with it.

But then, the question is, what do I do with the vast amount of money if I am rich?

As I read Our Daily Bread this morning on Luke 12:13-21 , I can’t help but ask this question to myself. No, I am not rich, just enough to live the day, sufficient to sustain my family of 5 (I am the only bread-winner), and keep some for the children’s university education in the near future.

The rich farmer in Jesus’ parable, did nothing wrong actually. He continues to grow his wealth. However, what Jesus says is wrong with him is that he is rich only to himself and not rich towards God (Luke 15:21). How then does one become rich towards God?

Last Saturday, I attended a friend’s daughter wedding dinner. In Singapore, a wedding usually cost a fortune and guests usually give cash gift in the form of Ang Pao (red packet). As I was deciding how much to give, the words “Be a Blessing” kept ringing in my mind. It is good to have money to be able to bless someone. Perhaps, that is what Jesus means when He calls us to be rich towards God – sharing our wealth and not hogging it all for self?

Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)

Dinner @ Crab Party

Last Saturday night, the Young Adult! ministry had a group dinner at this place called Crab Party.

About 14 of us were there. Shannen and her boyfriend came later and left shortly.

Luh Sy came, what a surprise. :) Thank you, we need more of the "older generation" to come. OK, sorry for calling you old. I am just as old (haha!!)

It was just a gathering, nothing much. We have been thinking about how we can improve this group meeting to draw more of the young adult who had left us to come back. It is tough to get them back. Seem like we have been paying the price of not spending time in nurturing them spiritually when they were younger. Now that they have left - Erina, Rachel, Faith, James, Cecilia, Eunice, ... , I wonder the church have realised the mistake some ten years back to just leave the Youth Alive! to be run by the youth themselves.

May be not. We still think we are doing well. .... :(

Devotional Thoughts: The Visible Mind

Imagine what will happen if every human mind is like a visible computer monitor or a television. Other people can see instantly what you are thinking!! Haha! :)

It will be interesting to see what a man is thinking when a skimpily dressed, sexy, gorgeous lady walks by him. Haha! No hypocrisy or pretentiousness is needed in very situations.

In one sense, we do have a visible mind, but only the Omniscient Creator can see.

Well, as you turn to our Daily Bread this morning, http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/11/05/devotion.aspx and read your Bible from Psalm 139: 3

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Today devotion is more of a soul searching and self-evaluation of my life. When I try to see myself as the LORD sees and is honest with myself, then all the good things that I think I have done are really just like filthy rags.

How about you?

And so, like the Psalmist, this is my prayer:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.



Let others see what God can see in you!

Serving with LOVE! :)

Finally, someone prepared my breakfast today!

It’s always the only man of the house that prepares breakfast for the family. No, I am not complaining. :D In fact, it is always nice to serve my family – cleaning and mopping the whole house, whenever it is a public holiday or I am on leave, running around getting things fix, etc.

Yah, my second girl is always the one to volunteer and work with me, whenever I do house chore. She is also the one who will follow her mother and help carry the grocery.

So you can guess who prepares my breakfast. No prizes for that. I actually took a photo of it, but somehow I could not upload into the computer. Will try it sometime. Anyway, you can guess what it is by this google picture, haha!!

Perhaps, it runs in the blood. She is the only person in the family that has the same blood group as me. The only girl who will go jogging with me.

It's great to serve with Love.