....

Just decided to buy myself some insurance today. For a small sum of money, I get insured for a pretty tidy sum. Should the Lord decide to call me back prematurely, I can leave with a little consolation that the sum can still help my mom and brother here and there. Of course, the best thing is for me to help out financially, in person. =)

Thanks M for spending so much time with me today and for having explained in detail the fundamentals of insurance policy. And I do realise the need to really start saving. As in REALLY SAVE. Do I want to end up being dependent in my later years? I hope not. At least I pray that I will still be able to stand on my own (yes without crutches and walking sticks, please) as well as financially.

Now that I've have had a clearer idea of how much I can potentially save per month, I'm really gonna take a hard look at what I have been spending on and cut down on what is unnecessary. On top of my mom, I'll have another "big brother" to watch out for me and keep me in check. Geez!

As my career (and pay ) grows, I'd want to take a look at my finances, and save, or give more. Tithing is one area I certainly need to look at. It's been a long time since I decently gave to the Lord and I'm thankful that He has been merciful and understanding thus far. Lord, help me to be a cheerful giver!

Work's been really exciting. Boss's very much excited and unveiling new and interesting plans. It's my confirmation soon, and while I am excited to be finally officially part of this family, I really pray for the Lord's blessing and directions to enable and empower me to be an asset to the company, yet still be a good son, brother, friend and...be able to spend quality time with those around me.

Sometimes I fear that I may not be good enough. Nonetheless, God has blessed me with a great boss and even wonderful colleagues who I can work with. Its amazing how comfortable I feel working with them now, considering the fact that this is my first job in this line. Well indeed, its all in His hands and all in his time.

Phil 2:13 says that it is God who works in us to will and act according to His good purposes. May that be fulfilled in me!

P.S : And for those of you who want to know more about insurance and financial planning, I'd be more than glad to refer you to this great guy I know. :)

Cheers.
noed resarf

Are we unkind people?

I succumbed to my temptation to eat KFC today, so there I was at the restaurant at 10:30, queuing up to place my orders.

Then I wondered why the queue was rather stagnant, and I saw this old gentlemen in the queue being extremely picky about the size of the chicken he was having; and even simple things like chilli packets etc etc.

Another counter was opened by another fresh faced teen, and she was, too, having this middle aged lady in the queue, who for some reason, refused to show her the staff pass when she needed to look at it one more time for verification purposes.

I mean, what is wrong with these people? Was there a need to be so picky and uncooperative? It disgusts me to think that there are such people around. We certainly need more graciousness towards one another.

I just find it repulsive when I hear service providers shrug their shoulders in resignation and say " What to do? The customer is always right". It just irks me. Why cant it be a little more beautiful? We pay for the service, but do remember that it is a fellow human who is providing the service, for Heaven's sake.

Still, I find it impressive that as young teens, Terence and Melissa managed to keep their cool and were friendly in the face of such people and remained professional. They even apologised although I am certain it was no fault of theirs. Mind you, this is KFC, not any hotel or boutique.I'd rate them ten out of ten for customer service.

Be realistic. Get real!

I wonder if this is God's revelation for me, to see my "blind spots". I must admit I'm not the patient sort, many have gotten a piece of me when they step on my tail. It certainly is a good scene to reflect upon. And I'm reminded as light and salt of the world, it is our responsibility to be ambassadors of Christ. I pray that God will allow me the opportunity to do so.

Be in the world, but not of it.

24 already?

I cant believe it ...I'm 24 already. But yet I am. Looking back at the years I've been through, its amazing how much has changed over the last ten years. At fourteen, I was rebellious, hated school, had a low self esteem...and was still trying to fit into my first cell group. Ten years down, I can only thank God for the transformation in my life. Yes, I still struggle with bad habits, and at times, let my mind wander beyond what is good, but God's guidance was ever present. I wonder how my mom, this pillar of strength, ever survived my turbulent teenage years. And now she's going through it once more with my brother...just that this time round I'll join her side and nag at my brother too! Poor Leon. Nah. Speaking of which, its really cool celebrating birthdays together. Leon's born 11 years and 1 day later. I've got a couple of spiritual siblings whose birthdays are so close to mine..and I can think of at least 7 folks who shared the same birthday as I do. I had a swell celebration on Sunday with my church mates...awww...so touching! What a blessing indeed. I met up with an old church pal of yesteryear..and my goodness. It took me 8 years to realise that we share almost the same chinese name. Same surname and second character. What a revelation! MarC, what a blessing you are. Thanks for opening up my spiritual eyes with your insight.

As we caught up over lunch, I really thank God for opening up our eyes to His truth and seeing to our spiritual growth, especially over the recent years. Its such an awesome thing, and I have yet to get over it!

I'm so relieved that I am finally sitting down here on a Saturday morning and typing this out. I've just finished one event today with the barely enough sleep I got last night. By God's grace, the event was, in my opinion, a success and I am amazed I can still stay awake despite my already flu and fatigue ridden body to be typing all this.

And once more I say, God is good.

In the midst of all the madness out there, I hope I can truly be able to be joyful and give thanks anytime, anywhere.

*Yawns*

awakening

Time flies. It’s been almost a month since I last posted anything in here. With the rate I am going, I may either have to spend more time here or close this blog down altogether! On that note, I do hope that I still can afford the time and energy needed to account for what has been happening in my life.

I’ve been through moments of what seems like a process of mind awakening. Of late, the sermons and sharing in church have awakened my spiritual mind and have started my bout of self examination. We were enlightened on the End Times through a series of sermons, and the severity of it really shook me. God is gracious, but would I be found worthy and deserving in his sight?

On further revelations, I wondered if I would succumb to the temptations of the world just to “survive, trade and exchange”, or if I was resolute enough to stand firm for my faith and run the race till the very end. A brother mentioned that he wanted to be around to witness the end. I’m not very sure if I want to.

The reason why I have been not updating this little space here can be attributed to my list of commitments. I may not be the busiest person around, but I do feel weary and tired. Thoughts of quitting went through my mind. I wanted to drop everything, I wanted to go Home early. I was really close to pulling out of VOX ministry and PA ministry too, until I heard last week’s sermon.

And then I realised the importance of committing my life unto the Lord. I was weary serving out of my limited and burdened heart. I suddenly felt as if I was shortchanging God. Rather than thanking God for His blessings and the favor He had blessed me with, I was grumpy while serving for the 5 consecutive weeks of services. I went with a willing heart, but allowed minor things to come my way.

There is really a need for me to deal with these issues and deal with my inadequacies. While praying on a fine Monday morning, I felt as if God was telling me this.

“Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Lean not on your own understanding, but by the grace of God.” What an affirmation indeed. In the midst of my prayers for others, God was ministering to me.

On another hand, my current Godsend job is yet another mind opening experience. Having been given the opportunity to try several things, I have come to realise more about myself. I have a clearer picture of my strengths and weaknesses, all thanks to my God given boss and colleagues. While audio engineering remains my forte and passion, I must say that I have discovered my flair for writing.

Being in this job has exposed me to simply more and more. Indeed, life is always a learning journey. Having come to see more of the society through my job, I can only say that I am awed by the experience and thankful for the doors that have been opened.

I’m prayerfully considering freelancing as a soundman for experience and portfolio’s sake. Unless the Lord leads, I doubt I will tie myself down to any more commitments.

Nonetheless, I believe all my experiences here have drawn me even closer to the people. To all the wonderful folks out there (you really know who you are!), thanks for always being a part of my life. The road may be long and narrow but we can be confident of our completion.