Today my senior pastor expounded on living with grace. We need to be gracious to the people around us especially our families. Is the home a war zone? Do family members fight and ridicule each other? I have seen it happened before even in my own home. But things have improved a lot since I am earning a good income and no longer feel inferior to my siblings.
When I was not working for about 1 and a half years and resting from the stress of living and working in Singapore, my parents favored my more successful sisters and treated me like a black sheep. Ever since my earnings are on par with them or even more, I am now treated with more respect and feel part of the family. Seems like money talks louder regardless of blood ties. Sometimes, I feel that I come from a dysfunctional family where money talks the loudest. Anyway, these are the facts of life and thank goodness, by God's grace, I survived this turbulent period. I still continue to earn good income part time from blogging and full time in my home office.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Psalms 1:1-3
Psalms chapter 1, verses 1 to 3 states below from NIV.
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
This is my reading every morning that I have even memorized them. As we meditate on God's word day and night, whatever we do will prosper. God's words contains jewels of wisdom and insights. We cannot neglect reading the Bible or miss spending quiet time with Him. As for me, the first thing I do in the morning when I wake up is to recall on these favorite verses and read a chapter of Proverbs to correspond the date each day. There are 31 chapters for 31 days.
So, I am hoping that by meditating on God's words, whatever I do will prosper. Isn't this great? It does not say one thing I do that will prosper. But it clearly states "Whatever" I do will prosper. And it is happening now in my life. From my home-office work to blogging, I am prospering daily and monthly. And all these are possible by the grace of God.
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
This is my reading every morning that I have even memorized them. As we meditate on God's word day and night, whatever we do will prosper. God's words contains jewels of wisdom and insights. We cannot neglect reading the Bible or miss spending quiet time with Him. As for me, the first thing I do in the morning when I wake up is to recall on these favorite verses and read a chapter of Proverbs to correspond the date each day. There are 31 chapters for 31 days.
So, I am hoping that by meditating on God's words, whatever I do will prosper. Isn't this great? It does not say one thing I do that will prosper. But it clearly states "Whatever" I do will prosper. And it is happening now in my life. From my home-office work to blogging, I am prospering daily and monthly. And all these are possible by the grace of God.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Pride Goes Before a Fall
Pride and ego are the main reasons for many people's downfall in life. In the process of making money, their heads got too big and ego the better of them, that both these are the cause of downfall of many great men. It is no point argueing who's right or wrong or who knows better.
There are many humble but less knowledgeble people who can continue to work and earn income because they know how to keep their pride and ego in check. They are team players and not prima donnas. So to ensure job success, be a team player and you will go far in life. If you want to be a prima donna, then it is better to open your own business and not work for anyone else. Of course, I deliver results, regardless of what time I work.
There are many humble but less knowledgeble people who can continue to work and earn income because they know how to keep their pride and ego in check. They are team players and not prima donnas. So to ensure job success, be a team player and you will go far in life. If you want to be a prima donna, then it is better to open your own business and not work for anyone else. Of course, I deliver results, regardless of what time I work.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
It is Not How much you know, but WHO you know
I need to remind myself of this phrase constantly as well. To succeed in life, it is not How much you know, but WHO you know. You need to be more gracious and polite to people that come across your path, for you never know, some day, you may need his or her help. It does not pay to let pride and ego get in the way and in the end, you find youself as the biggest loser. People cannot exist alone. We all need each other.
On the other hand, if you find some people are obnoxious, downright rude and poisonous, then it pays to avoid that person at all costs. Ignore him or her completely and don't let that person influence you. But if you keep making enemies out of people who can help you out, then something is desperately wrong with your upbringing. Either you were disowned by your parents and lack parental love and care or you simply have the heck care attitude.
It is not a matter of who's right and who's wrong. Neither is it who knows more. Humility is the key and if you make mistakes, which I do sometimes, then it is advisable to admit your mistake, apologize and move on. Many marriages broke down because either party refuse to say, "I'm sorry." This is the magic phrase. There was a show made in Hollywood that states, "Getting married means never having to say you are sorry." How many marriages have broken down because of this stupid show. So folk, even if you are not in the wrong, but to retain the goodwill, it is advisable to use the magic words and be humble. You will go far in life if you keep your pride and ego in check.
On the other hand, if you find some people are obnoxious, downright rude and poisonous, then it pays to avoid that person at all costs. Ignore him or her completely and don't let that person influence you. But if you keep making enemies out of people who can help you out, then something is desperately wrong with your upbringing. Either you were disowned by your parents and lack parental love and care or you simply have the heck care attitude.
It is not a matter of who's right and who's wrong. Neither is it who knows more. Humility is the key and if you make mistakes, which I do sometimes, then it is advisable to admit your mistake, apologize and move on. Many marriages broke down because either party refuse to say, "I'm sorry." This is the magic phrase. There was a show made in Hollywood that states, "Getting married means never having to say you are sorry." How many marriages have broken down because of this stupid show. So folk, even if you are not in the wrong, but to retain the goodwill, it is advisable to use the magic words and be humble. You will go far in life if you keep your pride and ego in check.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Cell Group
Last night, my friend, his non-Christian ex-classmate in Belfast, UK and myself went to a cell group meeting in a deacon's beautiful bungalow. It was supposed to be a cell group on Friday, but apparently they have decided to take a break for the week and in the end, there were only 4 of us discussing and having fellowship. It was a cozy atmosphere as there were not too many people, 3 men and myself. I did not share too much, as they did most of the talking and my friend was hoping his non-Christian classmate will become a Christian one day.
The host, a deacon in our church, in his beautiful bungalow in Minden Heights tried to show us The Pineapple Story, a video tape on the pineapple plot and this missionary staying in Irian Jaya trying to reach out to the villagers there on his own. The villagers are born thieves and keep stealing anything in his home and the pineapples. No matter what he did, even to the point of hiring them to plant pineapples, the villagers will continue stealing the pineapples from this missionary.
To cut the long story short, it was when the missionary decided to surrender and give the pineapple plot to God that the thieves stopped stealing the pineapples. This was because when the pineapples were stolen, the thives experienced sickness, disease and other mishaps that they have stopped stealing the pineapples altogether. Not only that, the whole village got converted to Christianity.
The host, a deacon in our church, in his beautiful bungalow in Minden Heights tried to show us The Pineapple Story, a video tape on the pineapple plot and this missionary staying in Irian Jaya trying to reach out to the villagers there on his own. The villagers are born thieves and keep stealing anything in his home and the pineapples. No matter what he did, even to the point of hiring them to plant pineapples, the villagers will continue stealing the pineapples from this missionary.
To cut the long story short, it was when the missionary decided to surrender and give the pineapple plot to God that the thieves stopped stealing the pineapples. This was because when the pineapples were stolen, the thives experienced sickness, disease and other mishaps that they have stopped stealing the pineapples altogether. Not only that, the whole village got converted to Christianity.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Proverbs 6:6-11
Taken from NIV or New International Version, Proverbs chapter 6 verses 6 through 11 states below:
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-
11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man. [a]
We are reminded to be diligent in anything that we do and put our hearts and minds to it. Even in work, we ought to work hard and not be slothful and lazy. I have seen some blogger stated that they are lazy to do certain things and this should not be their mindsets. From my observation, certain race here seems to take life very easy and lazyness seems to become of them and they bemoan their poverty and underpriviledged status. It is obvious that if you refuse to work, then don't expect the government to give free handouts every time and to salvage your poverty state of mind and body. IF someone is handicapped and you keep feeding him without him trying to better himself in society, then you have to keep feeding him for the rest of his life. If only they can see what is the root cause of their poverty, then they should not blame other races like the Chinese for their wealth. The Chinese, by nature, are diligent, hard working and tend to be wealthier naturally. So buck up and stop complaining.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-
11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man. [a]
We are reminded to be diligent in anything that we do and put our hearts and minds to it. Even in work, we ought to work hard and not be slothful and lazy. I have seen some blogger stated that they are lazy to do certain things and this should not be their mindsets. From my observation, certain race here seems to take life very easy and lazyness seems to become of them and they bemoan their poverty and underpriviledged status. It is obvious that if you refuse to work, then don't expect the government to give free handouts every time and to salvage your poverty state of mind and body. IF someone is handicapped and you keep feeding him without him trying to better himself in society, then you have to keep feeding him for the rest of his life. If only they can see what is the root cause of their poverty, then they should not blame other races like the Chinese for their wealth. The Chinese, by nature, are diligent, hard working and tend to be wealthier naturally. So buck up and stop complaining.
