Fat to Fit

I've been all over the place lately with the whole fitness and diet thing. Months and weeks leading up to the wedding had been nothing but a conscious effort of watching the sugars and the calories closely like a hawk, as y'all know how it is, JUST GOTTA FIT INTO THE DRESS!! lolz. Well yeah, the efforts paid off and every small act made a big difference to my waistline and everything was just great!

Well, fast forward 5 weeks AFTER the wedding, I'm like hell yeah give me my donut already, yes I would like fries with that, and no, I do not want to add vegetables. Well, ok these liners are just an exaggerated version of what is really happening, but yes it is happening. The weight is creeping back in and every willpower vein in my body has taken a hiatus. So yes, I'm back to square one.

So now, what do I do? I tell myself once again: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! With prayer and determination, I know I am able to control my sugarfat intake and to make sure I am fit and healthy.

Today is Day 1 of many days to come where I will effectively make sure that this becomes a lifestyle change and not just a one hit wonder. So starting today, these will be what I will commit myself to do for the next 30 days:

- Only 1 cup of Cupplets coffee or Coffee Bean's low-fat Vanilla Latte or 1 sachet Cafe 21 coffee 2-in-1
- Water, water and water all the way - No flavoured or sugared drink except water
- No rice, bread, potatoes and noodles - exception will be for pasta in my Salad lunches!!
- To walk more and increase the workout levels

Ok the last one is really hard to achieve, but small steps. I will begin with walking more around and about. I can only do this with prayer and hard work! All worth if for good health and living it right!

The Married Ones :)

So.... in the blink of an eye, half the year has gone past since my last post. Many blessings have taken place during this time. I'm now married to a wonderful kind man whom God has blessed me with. We've had the support and love of friends and family who helped us during the wedding weekends we had back in May. We've had everyone sending us their love and prayers along our way for our wedding and this has greatly touched our hearts. We've also been blessed with a home that we had prayed for, and it'll be ready in about 2 years' time. With all these sent from above, our hearts are filled with gratitude and joy. Thank you dear friends and family for the love, supoprt and prayer that has paved the way to what we have today. The Lord bless you and your homes today.

All Praise and Thanks Be to God!

Let it be enough.

O my weary soul
So tired and feeling ol'
Always having to be the one
To do the work and make the run

Increase my faith O Lord my God
That I may be given peace and patience
Pour out your joy in what I have
To be thankful and content

Give me strength and shoes for my feet
Guide me along the road ahead
Cease the pain and pangs of famine
Grant me love forevermore

Amen.

New Life 2015 :)

Happy New Year dear friends :) Fast forward six months since my last post, and here we are on the first day of 2015! 

Many things and life events have taken place in the past 12 months, from having a new baby niece joined our family, to a new job, to a proposal from Mr Man :) I have so much to be thankful for and I know that I could not have possibly got through the year without the Lord's strength and guidance.

No doubt 2014 had been rather challenging when I started the year on a rocky road (my favourite ice-cream flavour but hard to swallow in real life terms!). The job situation was challenging but the Lord paved the way for me to have a break and blessed me with a job I had my eyes on. It's amazing how things just unfold and sometimes when you are feeling really down in the dumps and not quite seeing 'it' or understanding why things have to be this way, God just moves in His mysterious ways and surprises you! 

Having been in ministry work for so long, I felt that the time has come for me to pause all ministry activities while I transit and prepare myself for the major changes taking place soon in my life. It's temporary and I will return later this year. I can understand why some people may not be too pleased with my decision as we are in the middle of making some big plans for the implementation and rolling out of new programmes etc, that I had chosen to 'leave' but I wished they can understand why the move was imperative for me at this present life stage I am in. To be honest, there is never a good time to 'leave' and just for the record I ain't leaving, and I will be back. To conclude, I am at peace with my decision, and I am taking a time-out to settle other matters that requires my attention and time. However, I have to say I felt very disappointed with the response (or lack of it) received, but I was sharply reminded that it is the Lord I serve, and it is unto Him that I shall please. Anyway I love these people and will continue to keep them in prayer that they will be renewed in their service to the Lord and His people.

So yes, it's 2015 and time for preparation for a new chapter in life. Goals for this year will be to step up on the workouts, eating cleanly, saving wisely and be a good steward in all areas of my life! Thanks be to God!

Have a blessed 2015, everyone! Stay happy and healthy :)

He Never Fails

I had a really, really good day today. Nothing spectacular happened but it was the kind of quiet peaceful goodness reigning within your heart that you know it is coming from the Lord God. 

The day started out with a frantic desperate search for a cab but to no avail. I had a 10am church meeting that I did not want to be late for and the time was already 9.50am! Taking a bus would mean having to take two buses and about 20mins to get to church. Hence seeing that I didn't have much choice, I boarded the feeder bus that approached. 

However to my dismay, due to a massive traffic jam leading to the Woodlands Checkpoint, the bus had to stop at the T-junction and all passengers had to alight to walk to wherever as the bus was going to make a detour. I waited at the nearest bus stop and prayed and asked the Lord to please send a bus (or a cab!!) so that I could make it on time but all buses just zoomed past the bus stop as they were filled packed with people from the earlier bus stops, who were affected by the jam.

In my despair and desperation, I prayed and ask the Lord to please help me, and quickly as I really didn't want to be late!! I gave up hope on getting a cab as there were already two people ahead of me trying to flag down cabs, all of which had their red 'HIRED' sign on. So you can imagine my surprise when a red 'HIRED' cab drove by and stopped by the two people ahead of me to ask where they were going. The cabby turned down the first person and as I watched my eyes moved to the 2nd person. The cabby asked the 2nd person his location and apparently, it wasn't where he was headed to and so he turned down the second person!!

And then, here comes the cab as I started flagging it down like a 'siao char bor' (aiyah desperate lah). The cabby stopped and asked where, and I told him and PRAISE GOD ALLELUIA AMEN!!!!! He said OK!!!!  (hehe ok that's just me typing in caps to express how freaking excited and exhilarated I was!!).

The Lord NEVER fails!! Ask and you shall receive. Pray from your heart, not from your head! I may have been 10mins late but given the dire situation I was in, it could have been a lot worse!! 

The meeting was a fruitful and blessed one and we were able to accomplish some work, had a wonderful lunch with church friends at Causeway Point and then I headed to Novena Church thereafter. After that, I made my way to Holy Spirit Church of Sunset Mass and it was a pleasant surprise that my Mr. could join me. It was the Feast of Corpus Christi and I am ever grateful for the Lord 's love for me. After Mass, we were both ready for dinner and decided to bus down to Yishun for some ARNOLD'S FRIED CHICKEN!! OMG, IT WAS SOOOOOO FABULOUSLY GOOD!

On a serious note, today could have gone the other way having started the day with the 'bad jam-no cab' situation, and any spillover negative emotions from the past days. However, a simple prayer led to a day filled with so much peace and joy. 

For all that I am, all that I have, all that I know, I am truly grateful, thankful and blessed.

Moth to a Flame

Feels like it was just yesterday when I would be magnetically drawn to a Starbucks store and just buy a mocha frappe without thinking twice, not even asking the basic question of whether I even needed a cuppa or will I have enough for dinner after forking out a good $6 to $7 for a shot. It was draining me financially and quite frankly, shows nothing but a lack of self-control and discipline. I was helplessly addicted to it, and it affected me physiologically (caffeine), psychologically (brand association), and emotionally (temporary feel-good). 

Friends around me knew of my 'problem' and of course you get mixed comments like how "it's ok to just drink up, it's just coffee, you know you need it etc." then you also get some advising with "hey, you may want to consider switching to something cheaper, not too good for health too to keep drinking this etc".

So I take it all in both the good and the bad, and the strangest thing was that I already knew that it wasn't good to keep doing this but I just couldn't stop, or rather I THOUGHT I couldn't stop this cursed habit. I remember how bad it was, I would be working out in the gym and thinking how I'm going to grab that frappe right after the workout, I mean afterall I did just burned X no. of calories, I deserved a cuppa, don't I? I would justify with something weak like that.  So the time came, I knew I had to do something. I started praying. Didn't the Lord say 'Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be open?" Also, growing up there was this one bible verse that stuck to me and it was "I can do all things with Christ who strengthens me." Amen, I also had good friends who supported and encouraged me. 

After more than ten years of Starbucking, I'm finally freed from being a slave to the drink. I can walk past a Starbucks store without any cravings, desires, clingy thoughts to the cup. I switched to my weekly (not daily) McCafe coffee and if I'm out with my guy, I would order my teh xiudai from the foodcourt,Ya Kun, Toastbox or wherever I'm at, the point is, it doesn't have to be Starbucks. I don't shun it like the plague or something, I still drink Starbucks, and I love every drop of it still, the only difference now is that I am the one in control :) 

So yes, there is a point to my sharing. You reading this would have your own forms of addictions or issues (eg compulsive buying, anger, gossiping, gluttony, jealousy), here are some of my personal tips to help you overcome your sitch:

1. Acknowledge that you have a problem

No one needs to know. Chances are, they already do but they don't know how it really feels like to be you. You are the one walking in your own shoes so acknowledge that you have this problem and that you are going to overcome it. Just by acknowledging this, it's a great first step because it shows that you want to get out of this crappy vicious cycle-zone, and you will.

2. Small Steps

Nothing great happens overnight, it's all a built-up of small steps. I didn't go cold turkey with my Starbucks either, cos I would have failed miserably if I did that. It has to first be a conscious decision which you are committed to keeping. So whatever stage of addiction you are at now, make that conscious decision that you will make a slow but steady cutback. Eyes on the prize, baby! (Prize here refers to how you would like to see yourself at the end of this, eg better health, happier days, clearer conscious, bigger pockets now that you had successfully saved a few dollars!!)

3. Build a Good Support of Friends

Surround yourself with friends who build you up, friends who are truly happy for you when you make a progress towards your goal. Remember that they too have their own problems and addictions, so respect them the way they are, even if they are not as encouraging or 'inspiring' as you want them to be. Instead, you can be that person to them. Lead by example and let others see the change taking place in you.

4. Prayer

This list wouldn't be complete not at all, without prayer. Never underestimate the power of prayer, better still if your friends can pray for you too. The Lord made us and He knows our constant struggles with our weaknesses. We are no saints but He loves us all the same and He will help us overcome our struggles, but first your heart needs to be open to receive. Do not give up in life, there is always hope, hope in the Lord.

I know it's not easy, and I can tell you, you will fail the first few times, but this consciousness of wanting to change will bug you so bad and raise your awareness to new heights that you will want this for yourself. I mean afterall, you owe it to yourself and you worked hard for it, why throw it all away?

patience and prayer

Today, I've learnt a very important lesson.  Because I had wanted to be seen peace-loving, not be the wet blanket or the 'partypooper' or be seen as naggy, I took a backseat after my views and suggestions were made known with regards to a session we run once a year. Generally, I do not impose my views on people, neither will I force anyone to do things my way. If I have told you why we should really do things this way, what more can I say, without losing you altogether? And because I was not assertive enough to convince on the importance of this and that, I had 'allowed' for a kids session to lose all focus on the basis of prayer. It was nothing short of a playgroup hour. And we lost a precious hour. I have never felt so conflicted. I can only pray for the spirit of peace, openness, understanding to be amongst me and my brothers and sisters. May we continue to be guided by God's spirit, for us to do His work according to His will. Amen.

Martha, Martha!!

Why must we eat? We eat because if we don't, we get weak and eventually we die if our body is starved for food for days. When we get weak, we don't have what it takes to do our daily work, activities, fun and play. Instead, we become susceptible to all kinds of ailments, diseases etc. So why do we eat? We eat so that we get filled up with the energy and strength to do the work while we are here alive on earth.

Why must we pray? We pray because if we don't, our souls get weak and we become vulnerable to feeling sorry for ourselves, we allow darkness and sin to creep in. We think it's ok to be indifferent to situations, 'as long as it doesn't concern me', we do as we please and we please who we want to please just so that 'everybody lives happily ever after'. Priorities get all mixed up!

Martha, from today's Gospel reading (Luke 10:38-42)  was so eager to please the Lord with her chores and service to ensure that He was well taken care of. Mary on the other hand, sat at the feet of Jesus listening to him as He spoke. Upset with her sister for not helping her, Martha asked Jesus to ask Mary to come and help her instead of sitting there. Aha! What did Jesus say to that?

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42)

That's us right there. We get so caught up with the doing, that we forget that Jesus our Lord is right there in our midst!!  Doing the Lord's work is great, oh ho, but it's never easy and you know it. You serve the Lord and his people in ministry work, and just like Mary, if done with the right heart and spirit, one that is open to the voice of the Lord, you should never grow tiresome, burnt out and weary because the Lord will give you rest ["Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Matt 11:28]. 

Was Martha wrong to be so eager to serve the Lord? No. She had every right to feel excited to welcome Jesus into her home, and I mean come on, it's King Jesus coming through your doors and into your house, of course all you Marthas out there will want to make sure He is well taken care of. We have played hosts to guests before, some of which you may regard as 'very important guests' and extra measures are taken to ensure that everything is there to put the guest at ease and comfort. So what went wrong for her? Just like Martha, many of us can relate to her (myself included!!), we go about doing doing doing and get so tired, burned out and complain A LOT about this and that. Jesus was right there, in her house. Martha got caught up with the 'doing' and got consumed with feelings of negativity towards her sister Mary, who had chosen to sit and listen to Jesus. 

Doing great works and acts of kindness and goodness may leave you filling empty and discontented, if done without the foundation of a good solid prayer life. Yes, just like Martha, your intentions are good and pure. However, it becomes distorted over time when you grow weary and tired and have no idea why you got into the doing in the first place. That first place will have to be the only place you start and end with. That is sitting with Jesus, and spending that time with Him, in prayer. 

Jesus is right here in our hearts and lives, right now as you read this, He is with us and inviting you and I, to come and sit with him and spend time with him. If you feel like talking to Him, then talk, have an exchange of words and thoughts with him, tell him what's on your mind, He already knows it anyway so you can go straight to the point to tell him how you feel. I would however, recommend you setting aside some quiet minutes alone with the Lord. Put away your cellphone, tv, music, game box, calendar planners, gadgets and anything and everything that is keeping you away from the one thing you really need. Go. 

Spend that quiet time with Jesus.

Melbourne Air 2013

I really praise and thank the Lord God for this time I have right here in wonderful Melbourne! The cold fresh air is so good for the soul! LOL. Well, for my soul that is. Really helps to uplift one up and give a renewed fresh perspective on things.

Living in Singapore can be rather crappy but life in Singapore don't have to be. Read that again and again, until you get it. Whenever you find yourself complaining about this and that, stop yourself. Start thinking of what you will now do to make things better. Note to self: Complaining and whining is NOT ATTRACTIVE.

With that said, I'm going to do my best to give my best, until this soul of mine gets ol' and weary, it's probably then time to book another flight out for a recharge session :) For now, it's back to the super-duper Target Store! :) wheeee! Thank you Jesus! :)

♥♥♥

Leave the Light On

"Your eyes are like a lamp for the body. When your eyes are sound, your whole body is full of light; but when your eyes are no good, your whole body will be in darkness. 

Make certain then, that the light in you is not darkness. If your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be bright all over, as when a lamp shines on you with its brightness."

Luke 11:34-36

This gospel text caught my attention during a retreat earlier this year in Jan. For some reason, it resonated with me and I scribbled the whole verse into my notebook. I never looked at it since then till today when I flipped through my notebook and there it was. 

We all have some darkness in our lives, it is not good and what makes it worse is that we have become so comfortable with it that it becomes 'nothing wrong'. We accept it as the 'norm' and give up fighting against it. This should never be the case. "When your eyes are sound, your whole body is full of light; but when your eyes are no good, your whole body will be in darkness." 

I attended Penitential Service on Wednesday and the truth is I cannot remember when my last confession was! That's how long it has been I guess. It can be daunting to tell your sins to a priest but the absolution he gives, the act of contrition you make, and most importantly, the forgiveness you receive from God the Father will set you free.

So as we welcome Jesus on Palm Sunday and we enter the Holy Week ahead, let your light shine and let darkness flee away. As long as your heart is in the right place, it's never too late to make this coming Holy Week a good meaningful one with your acts of penance, fasting, almsgiving and prayer. 

Wishing one and all a Holy Week ahead.

Crazy Christmas 2012!

Wow. Where did the time go? I looked up and it was already the 12th day of 2013. Just today I was humming to a christmas tune and my colleague commented that 'hey! Christmas is over ya know.' Where was I?

It suddenly dawned on me that I had missed Christmas. I mean yes, I was physically present, busy with my job, the Advent programme and party for kids, gift-buying and wrapping for everyone, christmas dinners and luncheons, weddings, church meetings, even my weekly personal gym-time had to stop (for 3 weeks, oh the horror!! LOL).

• I remember being at my grandma's house for our annual family Christmas dinner and whilst I enjoyed everyone's good company, my mind was on the big party for eighty kids to be held the next day and the 101 things that was yet to be done. This is not good, I thought to myself. We only get to meet like this once a year and I'm not even 'here'!

• I remember being on repeat mode, as I kept saying how tired I was, can't wait for this to be over, can't wait for that to be over. I guess it really came to a stage where I was really just going through the motion.

• I guess also when too often your friends SMS or IM you and starts off each time with "hi hi... sorry to disturb you ah.. but just wanted to ask.." , it just means that your "BUSY HEADLIGHTS" must be on so bright that they are fully aware of how busy you are!

• I remember thinking to myself of how I now fully understand and grasp the meaning of the word 'hectic'.

So... Christmas has come and gone (ended last Sunday on Epiphany ie 12th day of Christmas). In spite of all these busy-ness and upon reflection, I have to say that I did learn a couple of things:

1. Something's gotta give - When your plate is full and you start feeling overwhelmed, something has got to give. This means you can't do it all. You have to take a step back to prioritise and see what can be done now and what can be done later, and what are some of the things you can actually do without. In my case, I had to postpone all dinner appointments with friends to a later time and totally give up my gym time for 3 weeks. 

2. Support from around - Truth is, I couldn't have gone through the crazy month without the support of the boyfriend, family, close friends, and children's ministry team. These are people who probably couldn't fully understand how I ended up taking on so many things but yet they loved me enough to stick around with their support and care. I praise and thank God for each one of you! 

3. Spirit Wings - Last but not least, all of the things I have accomplished in the last month and the whole of 2012 would not have been possible without the abundant graces, blessings, wisdom and providence from Jesus God the Father. He had given me the strength to get through it all and although I know I complained alot to Him, I know He listens and stands by me always, for He is ever faithful. 

So yes, it is very very important to have a prayer life. No one is asking you to pray 24hours a day but keep that relationship with God alive. Start talking to Him, turn to Him with your troubles and let Him take the lead and center stage in your life. Very often we get caught up with the busy-ness in our lives, just like what I've described in this blog entry. Put God first and everything will fall into place. Wishing one and all a blessed and fruitful new year 2013!! :)

Let go and Let God

I was tasked to source for a song that we can use for this coming weekend's session with the kids. So in order to do that, I had to first read up on this Sunday’s gospel (Mark 13:24-32), find out the theme etc and find an apt song that we could teach the kids. Well, praise the Lord for He provided me with a wonderful song called “I PROMISE YOU” (performed by Trevor Nerva, CD: Walking with Jesus). 

As I was listening to the song on repeat mode, trying to get the lyrics down on PPT slides, it slowly became quite apparent that the song was really intended for me. Faced with more downs than ups lately, coupled with pure exhaustion and a massive burnout waiting to happen, I pretty much needed to hear what was right there, playing to me. 

Through the song, I was assured of His love for me and it reminded to lean and rely on God’s promises. Yes, we all go through trials and challenges, disappointment and hurts, knocking us down and out. When things just don’t go your way, the only way left (which should have been the only way to go in the first place!) is to let it all go and lift it up to the Lord, for He will take care of things. You will then see how everything will just fall into place, as you see how things start to unfold, all beautifully and wonderfully made, in His time. 

May the Lord bless each one of you abundantly and guide you in all you do always. Remember to turn to Him in good times and in bad, for He will always be there.

Full Circle

Two weeks ago, I moved back in to my old work cubi, where I had sat previously before I left (two years ago). It's complicated to list the chronology of movement but to keep it simple, returning to the old cubi after all this time, it feels surreal and I feel so blessed at the same time. It's coming full circle for me, especially after 'surviving' what life had in-store on the pretty rough roller-coaster ride. The Lord has been with me every step of the way and I am eternally grateful to God the Father for all that He has blessed me with.

To those who are going through a rough patch or feel stuck in a rut, lift it all up to the one who cares for you. Cast your burden unto Him and let Him carry you up on His Spirit wings. Remember to keep the faith and keep going. 

Need inspiration to get started? Go catch this DVD movie 'FACING THE GIANTS' or 'SOUL SURFER'.

May the Lord bless you and lift you up on His Spirit Wings. Amen!

Spirit Wings

Some birds live in cages
They never learn to fly
And like those birds, I never found my wings
But Lord, your love released me
So I could see the sky
And now my heart rejoices as I sing

Chorus:

Spirit Wings,
You lift me over all the earth bound things
And like a bird, my heart is flying free
I'm soaring on the song your spirit brings
O Lord of all, You let me see
A vision of, your majesty
You lift me up
And carry me on your spirit wings

Now when I'm feeling lonely
I just look at You
And soon my heart is soaring high above
Everything is clearer
From Your point of view
Lifted up on spirit wings of love

My 1st Prison Run - 16 Sep 2012

My first challenge was having to wake up at 0445hrs just to make sure I do not miss the six o'clock shuttle bus to the run venue in Changi. So yes, I made it to the bus and found myself headed bright and early to Changi. Of course, the main challenge was the run itself! This was my first 6KM run and the route was not a breeze, not to say that the runs completed at East Coast Park was any easy but this one right here really was the ultimate! It had many ups and downs, a lot like life. Yes, you can't help but to let your mind do the reflection and critical analysis on life when you're struggling to 'run' uphill with the wind blowing against you. Also, in the midst of the uphill trudging, I couldn't help but envy the cyclists enjoying their fun and easy ride downhill on the opposite side of the road. 

I've participated in mostly 5KM runs before and they usually have at least 2 waterpoints; one at the 1.8km mark and the other maybe 3.5km mark thereabouts. At this run however, they had just one waterpoint at the 3km mark and I was sooooo close to giving up. Well, I couldn't give up the run no matter how tiring and close I was to throwing in the towel. Firstly, it was because the bf was there to make sure I kept going, in spite of my irate state and eye-rolling glares in the midst of the buckets of perspiration and legs that started to feel led-heavy. Second reason why I had to complete the run and not give up? They had transported all our deposited baggage to the prison grounds aka the Finish Point and so I had to finish it now, didn't I?? :p 

It was also interesting to see the inside of the prison grounds, a huge big open field, surrounded by high walls and the cells were all in buildings that looked very much like HDB blocks on the outside, but only with highly-placed grilled-bar windows. The Yellow Ribbon Project does help to raise much awareness on unlocking the second prison (ie society) for ex-convicts. For more information, do visit http://www.yellowribbon.org.sg/

Praise the Lord for the strength and grace for me to complete my 6KM run :)

Proud Finisher :))

Fit to Run

This week, I am inspired by the strength, determination and tenacity of two very outstanding women. 

One would be my aunt, who in her sixties, had climbed and reached the base of Mt Everest just two days ago. We are very proud of her and we await her return for her to share with us her experience. 

The other, a female colleague of mine, had returned last week from climbing Mount Kinabalu. Out of the many who dropped out along the way, she was one of only three people who managed to scale to the peak of Mt Kinabalu. When asked what kept her going during this grueling experience, she shared how she had envision herself completing the climb and posing happily at the top! Having that positive image in mind kept her going and that in itself to me, is as real as it gets. 

In the past two years, I had started to get serious with keeping fit and healthy. I guess when you reach a certain age, realisation just hits you that life is indeed short and with whatever number of years you're left with, you had better make the most out of life. And to do that, you will need to have a fit and healthy body. It doesn't matter what size or shape you are, what matters most is you take the first step, show up and get it done. Everything else will fall into place.

I recall the day back in 2010 when I started out with my first gym experience at a workplace that came with free gym access for staff. So excited and foreign to this facility, I had packed in my father's shoes by mistake. What's a girl to do? Like Nike would say, 'Just do it!' right? So I put them on, and prayed no one noticed 'what big feet I have' and that was how I got started. For someone who disliked running very much, I decided that I was going to brisk walk on the treadmill. One thing led to another, I started jogging and then increased the speed a little and today, I'm still a work-in-progress :)  Practice makes perfect and you can't rush perfection. 

I have a 6km Yellow Ribbon run this Sunday and I hope to do my best. Can I do it? Just like what this good article here says, "it's not really a question of 'can you' - it is more a question of 'WILL YOU?'. 

Stay tuned ;)

Happy.

Sometimes, when you've been through a really rough patch, then something wonderful comes along, it's hard to articulate the immense feelings of gratefulness and thankfulness that is within, unto God the Father. He has been kind and merciful towards me, and I am indeed blessed and thankful. Praise be to God, our Almighty Father! :)

What's In Your Basket?

Tonight, I met up with a couple of friends from the children's ministry and together we headed to Holy Spirit Church for the Children's Eucharistic Adoration. It was indeed a blessed way to end the work week.

The gospel that was shared tonight was on the five loaves and two fishes. I've listened to this gospel story many many times, and had also told the story to the kids many many times. I would always note the kindness and willingness of the little boy to give all that he had, the power of our awesome God to perform the miracle to feed the crowd and how there was so much food in abundance leftover.

And yet in today's sermon, Father Emmanuel (a visiting French priest) posed a question that made me see the story in a new and different light. He asked: What will you put in that basket to give to Jesus?

It is always comforting to know that we have a best friend who truly cares for us and who knows exactly how we feel, when we feel what we feel. Knowing that I can lift up my sorrows, pain and my never-ending anxieties to Him helps me get through the day, with faith and trust in Him. I hope to be able to put in that basket all that I’ve got, to love and serve Him.

Coincidentally, I was youtubing for a nice song to go with this posting and this came up as one of the top search results. And guess what? Corrine May was actually there tonight with her child for the Eucharistic Adoration. I can’t say that I am familiar with her or her music but knowing how she has inspired some of my friends through her God-given talents, I have to admit I was quite thrilled that she was right there, taking a photo with my friend Justina!

Enjoy the video :)

Teach By Example

"If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with jealousy, he learns to hate.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to be appreciative.
If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with recognition, he learns to have a goal.
If a child lives with sharing, he learns about generosity.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with honesty, he learns what truth is.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself.
If a child lives with friendliness, he learns that the world is a nice place to live in."


(Dorothy Nolte, "Children Learn What They Live," Scouting Magazine (April, 1964), page 31, as quoted in The Teaching Ministry of the Church, page 114)

From Light to Darkness

Have you ever walked around with your eyes wide open but you can't see a thing in front of you, not even your own hand placed before your face? Today I participated a session organised by Dialogue in the Dark, Singapore. It was a very, very interesting experience with various emotions set in my entire being.

At the very initial point of entering total darkness, I have to admit that fear gripped my heart as my eyes were opened and yet I could not see. Few minutes into the 'darkroom', I found that it felt more comfortable to just keep my eyes closed. Equipped with a walking cane, we were led by a blind guide named Jason who was simply amazing. He knew exactly where we were in the room, gave clear instructions on where we should be walking and what we should be looking out for. What I was moved by was his confidence and cheerful disposition with us.

Some points to highlight based on today's experience and 'observation' would be:

1. I remember thinking loudly in my head, 'Thank you Lord for the gift of sight. Thank you, thank you, thank you.'

2.  I have learnt that we need to listen more and speak less, especially when we are in a situation in which we do not have much control or information on.

3. In your moment of 'darkness' in life, it is normal to be fearful of the unknown, the unseen, the uncertainty. We just need to remember to keep our focus on the voice of the One helping you through it all.

I would highly recommend Dialogue in the Dark to all to attend.

It will help you 'see' things in a different light.

Life In The Spirit

I've been on a spiritual low since the Lenten days and now that it's Easter, I thought I'd be okay but somehow deep within, there's still this gnawing tug that draws me in to succumb to feeling even lower. And so reading what Fr William Goh had written yesterday, it had hit me spot on nail on the head. Here's what he said:

"Today, the gospel reminds us that the Spirit is free, for Jesus said, “Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.” We must be open to how the Spirit is moving and acting in our lives. This does not mean that the Spirit is against the institution. No, the institution is meant to protect, and not stifle the Spirit. But we cannot reduce the Spirit to an institutional mode.

How then can we recover this Spirit, if it’s not the need to strengthen our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit? We need a renewal of the life of the Holy Spirit in us, especially for those of us who are active in Church ministry and not merely those who are inactive in Church. If we feel that our enthusiasm for the Lord is lacking and that we are simply working for the Lord or for the Church, accomplishing our work as tasks and forgetting the real objective of bringing the love of Christ to others, then we will find Church ministry burdensome and stifling. We need a recharge and a rebirth in the power of the Spirit. There is no other way to do this then to deepen our prayer life, our love for the Word and the Sacraments. For those who have been working in the Church, either as volunteers or full-time workers, an annual retreat is indispensable. If not, we lose our focus and Church ministry will become no different from secular work. Unless we constantly remind ourselves of the need to build and strengthen our relationship with the Lord, we will lose our fervour and faith in Him. We must pray for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that our faith will neither become institutionalized, nor our relationships with Him become ritualized. Once we lose the Spirit, we lose the power of the gospel to effect transformation in the lives of people whom we minister to."

By Rev Father William Goh
Read his full writings here:
http://csctr.net/16-april-2012-second-monday-of-easter
(2nd Monday of Easter, 16 April 2012, Readings taken from ACTS 4:23-31; JN 3:1-8)