Fri 14 Dec 2007, 10:09 am
During a rather solemn bible study sharing at L Cell, someone said they thought Joseph was a very successful man. So Sharon probed further asking,
“Why do you think Joseph was very successful?”
The reply came,
“Because he is your boyfriend.”
***Am terribly glad that the name Wai Kay isn’t even remotely biblical…
Sun 14 Oct 2007, 01:25 am
I haven’t been up at this time in ages and ages…Â Ever since I started working I think…
Working life changes you.
I was telling the dar that I used to blog more when I was a professional bummer. No… I used to blog a whole lot more when I was a professional bummer. (1 post a week now, if I’m in a good enough mood… such a shame)
But it’s not just the sleeping pattern that changes. Nor how much time you spend online.
Working and independence changes the way you relate to people, respond to them, and how you think of them. Even God.
He’s been fading in and out of my mind throughout my working life… And I was fine with that. I never expected Him to crash so suddenly back into my main consciousness. I know He set it up. I know He set me up.
The lesson He’d been meaning to teach me. The lesson that I’d been ponning, for as long as I’ve known. I hoped that if I skipped it often enough, I’d never need to learn it this lifetime. I can’t believe I was caught, and strapped into my seat, with the books piled in front of me.
The voice inside of me cries out, God, I can’t do it! Please don’t make me do it. It’s too painful.
I said to my dar, Things are getting harder.
The dar reminded me that it is during hard times that we learn to depend on God, and watch as He moves the mountains around us.
Fri 5 Oct 2007, 02:16 pm
It’s time to give my Daddy God the due credit for what He’s done for me…
For a while now, I stopped thinking that He would answer my prayers…
I’m not talking about the big major earth shattering prayers, for the church, for the nation, or even the ones for my life direction… Those He’ll definitely answer… I mean the tiny prayers, the little ones to get a parking lot, or to get a treat from someone… Situations where God gets you out of trouble… To me, those answered prayers are little gimmicks that He does for new believers so that they know He is real…
But I’m no new believer… I’m stuck with Him for life, and we both know it… It’s all about having faith and trusting Him even when I don’t see anything happening… So I assumed I was out of the running for these random blessings…
Thank goodness, my God doesn’t think the way I do… Cos He blessed me in 3 different ways at 3 different times, in 3 days…
The First Time
The rigours of the new job demanded that I make several drastic changes to my life, in dressing, personal grooming, and being ready for any situation that crops up during my work… So I spent quite a bit of money in my first month, getting new corporate clothing, new comfy yet pretty shoes, getting specs with an accurate prescription, and even getting a hassle-free hairdo…
With all the big purchases out of the way, I was really reluctant to get the small things, like a small bottle of perfume to mask kopitiam food smells, and to always smell pleasant for afternoon assignments… I figured that for those small things, I’d wait till I recouped my losses the next month.
One afternoon at the office, one of the marketing guys came round to my desk and gave me a tiny hat box. It was a set of sample perfume from Acqua Di Parma! I couldn’t believe it! It’s a pretty little bottle and the scent is really lovely. I got exactly what I wanted without having to pay for it!
That was score 1 for the Big Guy in the Sky.
The Second Time
I was low on funds and I needed to get a cab. The nearest ATM was too far to get to and I was already running late. So I hailed a cab and asked if the guy took NETS. He said he accepts credit cards. I have a sub card from my dad so I agreed.
When I arrived at my destination, the bill was $22.30. I opened my wallet to get my credit card and I couldn’t find it! I’d left it with my sister weeks ago and never got it back from her!
I check the cash: $17 in notes. That wasn’t gonna get me anywhere. I tried to call my friends whom I was going to meet, hoping that they’d be able to bail me out. No answer. Desperate, I opened up the coin compartment to pay with whatever I had.
To my surprise, I took out coin after coin. $1 coins, $0.50 coins, $0.20 coins, $0.10 coins. It suddenly occurred to me that I might actually have the money to pay my cabbie. So I started counting: $17 in cash, 2 $1 coins, a few $0.50 coins… I got to $22.20 when the cabbie stopped me. The last 10cents he said, was fine. So I paid up and left…
In the lift, I was curious to find out how I could have had so much in coins. I peeked into my coin compartment once more. All I had left, were 2 shiny gold 5cent coins. The last 10 cents.
At that moment, I knew God provided the cab money. Like the story of the widow filling all her jars and all her neighbour’s jars with olive oil - when the last jar was filled, the olive oil stopped flowing. God knew I didn’t have my credit card (even when I thought I did) so He provided all the coins I needed to pay my cabbie, right to the last cent, and stopped.
The Third Time
The boss sent me out on a strange assignment, to shoot the skyline on one particular day. It was a rainy cold day and my boss said the clouds outside were so low that the tops of the buildings were blocked by the clouds. He wanted that picture.
So I ran out with my camera and my brolly. But it was the shift changing hour. There was no cab in sight. The cab stand was full, and there were no operators attending to me.
I kept checking the top of UOB to see if the clouds were still hovering around. When the cloud dispersed, my heart sank. At that point, I asked Him for a little help to keep the clouds there, and for a cab to come by willing to take me to the different locations.
The cab really did come by. And he brought me to my two locations. I stood there with my camera shooting. At first, there were no clouds. Then a breeze came and carried the lower clouds across the sky, covering the tops of the buildings, and then carried it away again. I got my first shots.
At the second location, the clouds were covering the tops of the buildings even more than before. I started shooting. The breeze came again, moving the clouds across the different buildings, and I shot until the sky was completely clear again.
When I left, a young man decided to get the picture I had, with his point and shoot camera. He even stood at the exact same spot I did. But I knew it wouldn’t be the same. After all, my Daddy God had put the clouds there for me and moved them away when I was done. Heh…
In the busyness of daily life and work, I sometimes forget that my God can move mountains, that’s why I’m writing this down, so that perhaps, next time, I won’t forget so often anymore…
Sat 16 Jun 2007, 12:10 am
Another silly realization…
I was just telling my cell how my week really went downhill at the first half of the week, and then picked up completely by the end of the week.
And it was all because of cell!!
L cell gave me a new burst of excitement to love people and pray for them. And today’s cell reminded that in my weakness, I am strong in God… Dunno why that sharing stuck with me… Cell also forced me to think about what I really want to do and accomplish… Instead of just rushing though life…
And the one part where I really felt God’s presence… The impromptu worship session where I played, together with Sarah-Jane, my theme song “Heart of Worship”. God’s presence was really awesome and warm and so comfortable.
It’s something so intrinsic yet I have to constantly remind myself…
Music is my greatest worship to God.
Tue 15 May 2007, 12:30 am
Exactly a month ago, my dearest old friend and sister-in-christ, chose to take a step of faith and obedience to follow Jesus in water baptism.
I had the privilege of witnessing the entire event. Even took a video of her testimony (which I will not show because she would kill me if i did…) Her written testimony was also unexpectedly published in the church magazine, together with her photo of her and Rosco (her boisterous pet dog)… Man, she felt so embarrassed…
I, on the other hand, thought her testimony was very heartfelt and honest and inspiring… But I can’t show that either… (she specifically warned me on this one.) In fact, her story of finding Christ still never fails to amaze me, no matter how many times I hear it or read about it.
As I sat in the audience watching her, I felt nothing but joy! God did a great thing in her life, giving her a lot of strength and hope, and we’ve grown so much closer than we’d ever been before.
Congratulations Ling! I’m so glad that God gave me the privilege of being a part of your life! Love you so much!
Thu 22 Feb 2007, 11:59 pm
Weird things come up when you play taboo in a big group…
Today at informal L Cell, the new code word for computer is…
CTRL-ALT-DEL
Wed 21 Feb 2007, 11:59 pm
There’s a new poster up near my office for some woman’s magazine and the caption goes…
“Out of your league? Tips on how to hook him.”
I’m guessing the analogy is to fishing and getting a catch. But I wonder why anyone would want their date to have a horrible hook through his lower lip.
It probably wouldn’t be half bad if following such steps actually guarantees a good relationship. But, those only ever work out in romantic comedies. I’ve dated enough guys in my lifetime to know that this whole thing is bull. This sort of dating doesn’t get you anywhere.
Dating must be realistic. If he was out of your league, why would you want to date him in the first place?
There are a lot of reasons people get attached nowadays. Not all of them are wrong, not all of them are right either. It boils down to your real motive for wanting a partner. It can’t be a decision made solely on external appearances and personal assumptions.
Dating because of looks…?
I once knew a guy who was very good looking. He was very nice to me and I thought we’d be great together. But during every phone call, there were long pauses- we had nothing in common. He did sports. I clearly did not. Nothing came out of it. Up till today, we still have nothing to talk about.
Dating can’t be a game. It’s much too difficult and complicated to be a game.
It must be a conscious decision to be committed to someone. A realistic exploration of marriage in the foreseeable future. Couples dating casually wouldn’t think seriously to sort out differences and conflicts, because the option of the cut-and-run is always there and it’s always more appealing than to struggle things through.
I was a commitment phobe. I would cut-and-run from every relationship as soon as I felt I was going to get hurt. God taught me the hard way, to learn to trust Him and to trust people.
The mini squirmishes, tiny disagreements, small quarrels, medium arguments and large fights have been adding up too. (Contrary to fairytale belief, real relationships have real fights.) Some weeks there are more, some weeks there are less. But everytime, by God’s grace really, we’d find some way to resolve it. Sometimes in an hour, sometimes after several.
And it isn’t easy. It’s not easy to admit that you are in the wrong when you are still fuming. It’s not easy to forgive a person when you are still counting the ways he is wrong. But it isn’t impossible either. The benefits are real. When someone backs off, the whole conversation turns around.
And of course, dating isn’t all bad stuff. It’s wonderful when he comes to bring you for supper after you’ve worked late, when he gets your favourite flowers for your birthday when you never thought of having any, when you do the things you both love, when you hold hands while napping on the train ride home, when you pray together for each other, and when you both commit never to do anything that will hurt the relationship…
It’s an experience I know I wouldn’t trade for anything else.
Thu 8 Feb 2007, 11:52 pm
Got my pay the other day…
After taking out the tithes, faith promises, 家用, & savings… I found myself left with very very very little money for the rest of the month… (Sorry TP99A, the treat will have to wait a bit… Or I can treat hawker centre supper!!!)
The problem isn’t all the money that I took out… Cos those are necessary… And I don’t think I’m some 穷光蛋 (that was before I had a job…) I honestly believe that God can and will provide for our needs… But at the same time, I think I need to learn to control my lifestyle expenditure…
After all, I do wanna save up to get married some day… The cost of my biggie sister’s wedding preparation scares me…
Lifestyle expenditure includes cab fares (haven’t taken one in a long time), good indulgent meals (essential for keeping me happy @ work), phone bills (make him call me!), shopping (my dar is working on that one), and coffee (to get any work done)…
Ok… One mustn’t be too ambitious… I shall start with small steps…
ANYONE KNOWS WHERE I CAN GET GOOD CHEAP COFFEE AT SHENTON WAY, WITH FREE WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS?
Cos if you do, I could save a lot on my morning coffees… Starbucks is great, but it can really burn a hole in the pocket…
Tue 6 Feb 2007, 11:45 pm
and because it’s xin’s birthday…
HAPPY HAPPY BLESSED BIRTHDAY!!! -throws confetti and sings- i hope you have an awesome awesome day ahead… i think you’ve already had lots of happy celebratory days looking at your previous posts and that really means you’re one reaaalllyy reaaaally loved girl! and like what the above graffiti depicts, that God the Dad watches over you in all that you do!!
you’ve beeen one source of encouragement and inspiration to me; like a giant sister (not in size of course…) that leads me out in my dark days of track and keeps me in check when i’m over here. and God has indeed blessed you with a… let’s see, awesome job with starbucks nearby sweet boyfriend great multiplying cell warm family and the list goes on and on. love you babe and i cannot cannottt wait to see you in less than half a year’s time. (:
Tue 6 Feb 2007, 10:41 am
Sorry about the 1 month plus delay… But my blog was undergoing some upgrading… (i.e. the background techie stuff that my dar likes to do and I dun understand. I just get an idiot proof blog to use…)
The thing about cell outings nowadays, there are always new people around… It’s great!
Enjoy!!
After Watchnight Service @ Paya Lebar
At Clemmie’s place
I'd like to believe I know what I am doing with my life… But really, I have no clue at all…
(more)
,
