Start Believing From the Simple Things...

Today has been a rather reflective day where I questioned many things about life, mankind and religion. I felt so afraid to believe in the wrong things, especially when it comes to my faith in Christ. I haven't got my answers yet... but I was prompted to play this particular worship song that spoke to my heart.

The lyrics reminded me to start believing from the simple things... don't get too caught up with the many complicated matters of life... but to start believing from scratch... from the little things... from the basic calling as a Christian... to love and to share the love of Christ.

As Bread That Is Broken

Many hearts are hungry tonight
Many trapped in darkness
Yearn for the light
So many who are far from home
And many who are lost
O Lord Your wounded children need
The power of Your cross

Chorus:
As bread that is broken
Use our lives
As wine that is poured out
A willing sacrifice
Empower us Father
To share the love of Christ
As bread that is broken Lord
Use our lives

Help us to begin where we are
Help us love the people
Near to our hearts
Then give our faith a mission field
Wherever You may call
Lord love Your world
Through each of us
Until we've touched them all

(Repeat Chorus)

Nobody is Simple...

I used to think that there is a small minority of people who are simple... simple people, I would call them... and I thought so of myself too. An analogy which I recently referred myself as is a farmer who tends to his field of crops... happy and satisfied with what he has... not looking for the thrills and spills of the hustle and bustle of city life.

Well, in a way, I still think of myself as such... or maybe I should say that I am TRYING to think of myself as such a typical happy and contented farmer. But even a farmer has his bad days and sometimes things do go wrong in life... and we are living in an imperfect world... with people constantly trying to make it even more imperfect than it already is.

Sometimes its good to spend time in reflection. Strangely, tonight I did... even in the midst of all the noise that was going on in the MRT, in the bus... and even while the water pours down from the shower and hits the tiles inside the bathroom... I did manage to reflect quite a bit...

I realised that there is actually no simple person at all, because life doesn't make us such a person... and since birth, we are bombarded with rapid and ongoing changes and experiences. As such, no one person is ever the same, not even twins. I came to the realisation that we can strive to live a simple life, but one cannot be simple coz we are not, in the first place. Since the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, we have been plagued with knowledge of good and evil. There is no denying it. Even religious and morally upright people commit sin, knowingly and unknowingly.

Ok, its time to accept it. There is no such thing as a simple person. No matter how simple we try to think and try to behave, there is always bound to be something that irritates us, tempts us, etc. But still, it doesn't mean that we can't or shouldn't strive to live simply, so that others may simply live. Deep statement... but well, it is... and I am still trying to grapple with this even now.

I am in my 3rd year of work... and I have begun to see and hear a lot more about people in life. Its scary that I can be so caught up in this confusion and still be a little sensitive to my wrong doings. I am thankful... time and time again, I would pray and ask God for forgiveness... and help me to go through my life in this complex world around me.

What particularly affects and stumbles me, is that I have been discovering more and more Christians and Catholics behaving in ways which are not reflective of the faith that they say that they believe in. In fact, sometimes I wonder what kind of faith do believers nowadays subscribe to, or how they would actually define living by faith. Or is having faith alone enough, without obedience and submission to God's word? I find that obedience and submission is so lacking in today's world... and I myself struggle with it too. Rebellion is the word to sum it up, I guess.

I know of people who say that they are Christians or Catholics... OR that they go to church... but their behaviour does not reflect the transformation work of God in their lives. I struggle with that myself too... but deep inside, I want to be renewed by Christ. But what about them? Many live by what's the modern trend or defend their behaviour because they had a particularly bad experience in the past, so its justified that they live this way.

I hear of Christians who look lustfully at women, co-habit with their BF/GF, flirt in the office, deny the sacredness of marriage, talk dirty jokes, make fun at Holy Communion, obsessed over finding satisfaction from climbing the corporate ladder, getting hooked on communicating via modern-day technology until they constantly are alert to work, incoming e-mails and SMSes as serious as 24 hours, 7 days a week! What about the Sabbath? What about ministry? What about Quiet Time with God?

When I share with people, it feels so odd when I say that I do not intentionally plan to advance my career. I say that I try to do my best where I am, and if God blesses me if an opportunity to progress, I thank Him and continue to do my best. Now this can sound naive or strange to some people! They spend hours planning, strategizing, thinking, networking, etc... so as to chart out a plan for their career path.

Well, that's okay and nothing wrong. Its good to know where we are headed and prepare for it. But is that all there is? Planning and strategizing how to get promoted in their career? What about marriage? Family? Friends? Church? Ministry? Reflection on goals and priorities? Oh dear, I am sounding so ideal... but I really feel that these are important in life... not just work alone. Its not good to get so carried away!

Aiyoh... if so many Christians are like that (not uncommon, seriously)... how to change the world? How to be instruments for God to use? I struggle with this too, but I still ask God to help me... and I still want (deep down inside) to be useful to do His work...

I guess for some of these people, they really do live to work... while others like myself, work to live... and earn a decent income to give my best to my wife and children. It is my responsibility as the head of the household and I still haven't given up my personal aspiration to be the best Dad that I can be, for my children... oh, and of course, a good husband to my wife too. Its so strange, huh... to want such things... so many people just don't understand... and I feel so lost and misunderstood at times... oh dear... that's why its so important to set our feet on the firm foundation of Christ... but its so trying... and I am really struggling... but I haven't given up yet...

An Interesting Court Order

You have been accused of accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour and bombarding God with prayers! You are hereby sentenced to Everlasting Life, No bail, No Appeal. You have been labelled Blessed and hereby detained in God's custody forever, Amen.

You have been destined to make it and you shall surely achieve all your goals. If you believe, send it to all your friends including me that sent it to you. No miracle is promised if you forward this, and no curse will come upon you if you do not forward it. After all you are a child of GOD. But the choice to forward it or not is yours.

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but FAITH looks up.
Lord, grant me patience to endure my blessing...
When the devil comes knocking at your door, simply say...
"Jesus, could you get that for me please?"

AMEN.

Low Tolerance Towards Cold & Hot Things

Rebecca commented that I have a low tolerance towards cold and hot things! Hahahaha... I think its true... especially at the pool... I will scurry out from hot and cold water! My Darling is so observant! =)

Confirmation of Wedding Dinner Venue

Yes! Finally! We have confirmed and placed our booking for our wedding dinner next year in late Nov. No choice... Rebecca is a school teacher, so we need to have it during her school holidays.

After visiting about 5-6 hotels (selected from a list of more than 15 hotels), we have decided to go with Holiday Inn Park View! Its the nicest place among the hotels that we visited and the ballroom is so much better than the others that we have viewed (those hotels that are within our budget).

I didn't take photos of the bridal suite and Crystal Ballroom that we viewed twice... but here are some photos taken from my mobile phone... its not well taken coz its afterall a mobile phone... oh well... Oh! We were invited for a complimentary buffet dinner at 'Window by the Park' too!

Surprise Promotion!

Today is 1st July 07 and I have officially been promoted to become an Assistant Manager in my Projects Department! This news came as a REAL shock to me when I opened my e-mail on Wednesday to read an e-mail by my Executive Director stating that there will be a number of re-designations to certain staff to encourage them to continue their good work and propel our company forward to greater results!

My department had 3 promotions: John was promoted from Assistant Manager to Manager; whereas Catherine and I were promoted from Executive to Assistant Manager! Wow! Its still quite a shock to me coz we practically skipped 1 level of the hierarchy! Some colleagues had to work 3-4 years before being promoted to Senior Executive. But I guess this is both a staff retention and strategic move. Nevertheless, I am thankful. Thank God too! =)

Nope, not much pay increment... but I hope there would be further adjustment to align with the upgraded job title and greater job responsibilities that Catherine and I will be taking on.

Although this did serve as an encouragement for my diligent efforts throughout the past 16 months, this apparently has caused some sourness to brew among some colleagues, especially 1 of them who is working very closely with me. He seems to have a lot of emotional baggage that he has been carrying through the years of his life. I don't comprehend and he doesn't wish to share, so there's not much that I can do. Good also lah... It can be complicated to be both a colleague and a close friend. I have learnt that.

Oh well, we can't please everyone in this world... and whatever happens, there will always be some people who are happy and others who are not. Right now I just hope to be able to learn and cope with my growing workload which I am just finding absolutely insufficient time and energy to finish! Well, like many people say... there is not end to work... and my ED will also say that if you find that you don't have much work to do... then you are in trouble...

Well, this IS my first promotion in my short-span career of about almost close to 3 years. I am not status hungry, but its good and challenging to be able to expand my portfolio and do more variety of things. I am a person who needs to have a bit of variety sometimes... if I am put to just sit there and do the same thing again and again for years... oh dear... I'll be bored stiff! And if I keep doing the same job, with no change... then my salary will also not change... but balance is important lah... and work-life balance too... and pace myself... don't burn out too much...

Happy to receive a comment!

My colleague Josherine posted a few photos of our inter-department outing at Suntec on her Blog and I was pleasantly surprised to read of her comments about me! It felt so encouraging and my heart smiled inside... The words wrote...

'Da da...' On the left is the best-clicked guy friend that i know in my company. He's one of the few gentlemen left on earth, thoughtful, dilligent and cheerful..."

Wow... It felt nice to receive a positive compliment. I think we adults can think and feel quite negative at times... Thanks, Josherine! I hope I live up to it... =)