Little Lilies and Sparrows

Consistency – the key to success

2010-01-17T00:51:00.001+08:00

Today, I got my P4 students to do a math exercise in groups (which was quite a messy experience, haha). The exercise involved solving some sums to form a sentence which was “the key to success”. And this sentence was “Practice makes perfect”.

Consistency basically contains this same concept. Only when you are consistent in doing something will you be able to be a master over it. Yet many a time, being consistent in our outlook, emotions, disciplines can be so so tough. It always seems so much easier to do what we like, say what we like, whenever we like it.

In the past month, this word has been coming up frequently in my thoughts and conversations. Inconsistency has often been described as a problem for kids and teenagers. But I realised, as adults, we still battle this monster, largely due to the ups and downs of feelings and emotions. Well, at least I still do.

How can I be a more consistent person in the things I do and the things I say? I believe this is one of the challenges for the new year and it is going to take more than just willpower and strength to do it. Maybe a little touch from the Holy Spirit will help?

Karen Cheng’s Snippets of Life

2010-01-17T00:15:00.001+08:00

This is just a free advert for one of my favourite blogs/bloggers: Karen Cheng.

I’ve been following her blog since Ling Kai introduced it to me 4 years ago? And through the years, this blog has evolved to include more and more genres. I think most girls would find something they like to read about in the blog now!

But what really draws me is Karen’s thoughtful and honest writing, her sharing about her family, especially her reflective parenting. For someone who became a parent as young as she did, it’s amazing how much insights about parenting she has. Well, even if you are not interested in that, her little anecdotes about her 3 cute little boys are bound to make you laugh! Unlike many other blogs which rant about their feelings, Karen’s posts are always positive and light-hearted.

So if you are looking for something heart-warming to read, go to Karen’s blog at www.karencheng.com.au. :)

Celebrating the new year

2010-01-12T00:14:00.001+08:00

It’s the start of the new year! I haven’t been blogging for some while, but yay I’m back :)

Just past midnight on 1 Jan, I happened to be writing my goals for the new year and I wrote this: Do something new! Haha. This is like the worst goal ever – not specific, not measurable, no action plan as yet and may turn out unrealistic.

So I was thinking about it again today… Ever since I started university and came into church, each year I have done at least 1 thing new – produce a musical, gone overseas on exchange, start working, serve in a ministry etc. But 2009 I didn’t do anything new… In fact, 2009 was a year of CHANGES instead – change cell group, change job, change my lifestyle.

So after all these changes, I’ve decided that this year it’s time to do something new again! Learn guitar? Go on mission trip? Whether it’s big or small, my options are still open… We shall await and see what happens!

2 holes and an aching arm

2009-11-16T00:10:00.001+08:00

I have 2 mini pierced holes in my right arm and left middle finger, and an arm which is going to ache tomorrow, but my heart is filled with joy at the gift of life that someone is possibly going to get.

If you haven’t donated blood before because you find it too scary, let me share my story…

2 years ago, I was grossly afraid of needles, blood and pain. I still am. Haha. When I was going to enter university in 2004, I had to go through a medical examination – the first in my life. I was so nerve-wrecked about the possibility that they are going to draw blood from me that I couldn’t eat and sleep well for weeks, pondering whether I should quit school to avoid the examination. That lasted till I ascertained from a friend that she did the test and no blood was drawn.

My 2nd experience with medical examination came in 2007 when I had to do one before my company confirmed my employment. Same routine – I asked around if blood would be drawn but I didn’t have many close friends who were employed by the same company. Once again, I wondered if I find out that they are taking blood, should I run away and quit the company… Sounds crazily stupid, but I was THAT scared.

Ah well, no one in the right mind around me would have let that happen (not that I shared with many people cos I was ashamed of my fear), so I went for the examination and THEY TOOK MY BLOOD!!! I nearly freaked out that morning when I found out, if not for the fact that my good friend did the blood test calmly before me and that I assured myself that God would protect me.

Surprisingly, it was pretty painless. I was so shocked at the lack of pain that I immediately decided to go for blood donation. So here I am, after my 2nd blood donation experience, still not daring to look at the needles, and still shaking when I sit in the chair, but convinced of the impact that this bag of blood can make, and happy that I am healthy enough to give.

Here’s my message to all those who can, but haven’t given blood before: Donate blood, save lives!

(P.S.: That being said, and especially if you are a girl, please try to get someone to accompany you on your first time… And that is another story in itself :) )

My grown-up camp experience

2009-11-08T00:06:00.001+08:00

I’ve been in a camp the whole of the past week. When I tell people that, they look at me strangely, wondering how come I sound like I’m “back to school”. I’m not! But well, it essentially feels like it..

My company has a 2-week stay-in induction programme for all new joiners at NACLI, which is one of our training institutes. Hence, this week, about 30 of my fellow course mates and I checked in and spent a week together. Most of us are below the age of 30 (I think), and for many, this is kinda like their first job. Thus, despite this being my 2nd job already, it somehow feels like I’m back into a mini university once again (my 1st company took in about 300 fresh grads – can form a school on its own right?).

Games, cheers, teasing, lectures, morning exercises, late nights doing projects, hostel staying and the lot – how much closer can I get back to school life? Haha. But well, I’ve had a fun week overall, knowing new people and knowing my company better. I must say, I think I’m a better student now! I only fell asleep during 1 out of like 8 lectures (as compared to 7 out of 8 previously :P)!

On a side note, sometimes I really miss the crazy days of hostel life – hanging out and talking in friends’ rooms, late night suppers, the production days – working for things and people I feel for. But I’m also enjoying the new stage of life I’m currently in now, and looking forward to my life ahead, despite its unpredictability. I must remember to live life in the present, not in the past or the future, or in a hope or dream! Godliness with contentment is great gain :)

Why I laugh when things don’t go my way

2009-11-07T23:26:00.001+08:00

This is one of my favourite lines, and its taken from a song called “State of My Mind”, written by my friend, Jonathan, who has just recorded and released his album! (Picture taken from http://jonchong.com/)

WOW. Haha.. Jon is the 1st singer-songwriter and 1st phD grad whom I know, and he’s only 29 yrs old! Yet in my 4 years of knowing him, he’s always so down-to-earth and humble. The simplicity of heart and loving nature of Jon and his wife, Belinda, constantly touches me.

Check out Jon’s website @ http://jonchong.com/, and hear his rock/funk/jazz style of his own, or catch him on RazorTV @ http://www.razortv.sg/site/servlet/segment/main/entertainment/38576.html!

All the way, Jon!

UP! – Relationships vs sentimental value

2009-10-19T23:46:00.001+08:00

About 2 months ago, Alvin, Gerald, Seow Chean and I caught UP! It was a cute and funny show, yet with a lot of meaning.
After the movie, I penned down some thoughts for the night:
- Where do we place current relationships in comparison to things of sentimental value which remind us of past relationships?
- Are these memories more important and worth keeping, even at the expense of current relationships?
- Are we willing to “give old things up” for new things to come?
- And how about relationships in comparison to other tasks or things that are important to us?

I used to get upset over non-living things, like when my favourite TV shows didn’t get recorded, and made my whole family unhappy. I don’t anymore, not for TV shows, but there are still some things which I hold on to a little too tightly. I think each of us has. So the next time I face a dilemma, I shall ask myself: What are the things that will last, that are important for eternity? Don’t think it’s easy to always choose the right thing when I don’t feel like it, but ah well, I’ll try :)

Beauty!

2009-10-09T00:17:00.001+08:00

This is Beauty, my new workstation at home, where I post all my blogs and do all my surfing from! Its not a “monster” comp – i.e. the specs are not super power – but its good enough, and pretty too, right? Haha. Plus she’s a Lenovo – my favourite brand for notebooks (although she isn’t one but nearly operates like one).

A great and affordable buy from COMEX in Sept 2009, thanks to Alvin and his fantastic persuasion skills! :D

Being happy with who I am

2009-10-06T21:31:00.001+08:00

I'm terrible at counselling, at teaching, at giving verbal instructions, and basically anything that requires me to think heavily on my feet and not at my desk.

Give me something to manage and I'll gladly do it, yet I'm nowhere near a good leader.

I am someone who loves administration, silly and useless as it may be to some. I laugh at the man-made problems bureaucracy creates, yet I enjoy listening to these problems and I'm learning to sort between what's important and what's not.

I can't stand analysing words and processes, but numbers I'll analyse any day.

For the past months, maybe years, I have been upset with myself for not being able to do the things that people I look up to can do, yet I am lousy at. The world seems to be looking for people who can do what I can't. A friend who can listen and advise, a consultant to streamline processes, etc. Who really needs a leader who can't inspire or a fantastic book-keeper?

Once again, today, while I was being upset with myself while walking back home, I was reminded that God created each one of us different and unique. These things I can't do, because of my upbringing or my innate personality, were all within His plan. He had a reason for making me not the same as "everyone else", or at least the type of person I was thinking about. And with who He made me to be, He had a purpose for me.

So I told myself, even if my purpose is to be useful to just that 1 person in the world, I'll just faithfully keep to it. And I know that at least 1 person treasures what I think and finds what I say genuinely useful :)

At the end of the day, there are always things that I can learn to improve myself, but well, I shouldn't get too hard up if I take a longer time to catch it, as long as I continue to learn and grow each day!

Writing a story

2009-10-01T00:56:00.002+08:00

A few weeks ago, Nicholas, my fellow P3 tutor, taught the kids about the essentials of a story (basically the 6 Ws), and got them into groups to come up with a story each, based on the genre assigned to them.

Here’s the fairy tale my 4 dearest P3 girls came up with:

Who: Princess Qiao Mei and Prince ~~Nicholas~~ Alvin
(thanks to Nick’s input)

When: At night

Where: In the castle

What: Princess Qiao Mei and Prince Alvin had many, many
babies.

Why: Princess Qiao Mei and Prince Alvin loved each other.

HoW: They got married and had many, many babies.

Nick’s comments: Er… Girls, what is the problem and the solution? Too many babies?

(This account has been narrated to the best of my failing memory, but should not defer significantly from the original.)

The little lilies

2009-09-29T00:52:00.045+08:00

Tonight, I heard and read about what a friend was going through and felt very helpless about the fragility of life.

Then I thought about the flowers I had seen while travelling in Europe...

And this came to mind...

Matthew 6:28-33

"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

"Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Indeed, God has clothed the beautiful flowers and allowed them to display His glory. What more will He do for us whom He has made in His image? It is probably beyond our imagination.