Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday and a happy new year.

It has been a month since my last update and i am finally finding the time and discipline to take a seat to write an entry. The joyous occasion wasn't much help in giving me some rest time to rest. Instead, the break was used to entertain and be of good fellowship to fellow loved ones. Not that i didn't enjoy any of it but it was taxing on top of my addiction to football manager 2010. I should stop my addiction soon and manage my time more properly.

There was this meaningful song at church on Christmas. It mentioned something about having a grown up Christmas list. I was able to locate it on youtube(The wonderful invention of youtube!) and it was titled Grown-Up Chritmas List by Amy Grant(Kelly Clarkson sang it too). I particularly loved the chorus where the singer wishes that no more lives will be torn apart, that war will never start, time will heal each heart, everyone has a friend, that right will always win and love will never end. A wonderful list for Christmas. Brilliant.

It dawned upon me that people celebrating their birthdays are usually treated like royalty. Look at how the royalties are treated in the past. People will pay tribute to them with gifts and kind words. Sounds familiar? Look at your Facebook and your phone. Those are people paying tributes to you. When you party, you probably receive at least a present. Restaurants are usually giving discounts and cakes on your birthday month too. See the similarities? Everyone is a royalty during their birthdays. So.. do enjoy and take advantage of your birthdays!

New year is coming.
2010 was quite eventful and i need to look back and reflect upon it before i move on to 2011

I took this from Nicole's blog, 'Animal Hug'
I like my big bear hugs.

Currently, i am covering on Holy Discontent by Billy Hybels.
Which gives me a new question to ask people.. "What is your Popeye moment?"
The moment where you say to yourself "I can't stand this anymore! I am doing something about it".

You know it.
I know it.

That there is something intangible in our heart.
Something of utmost meaning and worth.

It is called eternity.
He has placed eternity in our hearts.

What are you going to do about that?
Continue to just live life finding the next buck and the next fuck?
There is definitely more to life than that.

I went for my first Boys Brigade AOR(Annual Officer Retreat) a few days back.
I am encouraged by the speech that the BB president gave.
And i am also encouraged by the presence of the fellow officers that has attended.

The team building games that was introduced to us was really fun!
I enjoyed myself thoroughly!
I see the potential of such innovative games that bonds one another together.
The magic of variation and difficulty levels.

It does give some thought right now of why i enjoyed it so much.
It reminded me that most of the time, i fail to just gather and enjoy each others presence.
I may have become so self-centered and selfish of my time that i failed to give my friends my time and effort to just... be there.
Yes. Be There.

I guess i am really guilty of it.
Guilty of wanting to do work instead of being there.
Guilty of thinking of improvement instead of being there.
Guilty of being fearful of the future instead of being there.

However, how do we balance all of them out? (If it is possible to do that at all)
Is there any way to integrate all of them together?
This is something i need to find out.

Anyway, i guess what is going to be my biggest take away would be meeting some of the fellow officers from AOR.
I am probably blessed to have met the officers from the 93rd Coy.
I am duly impressed by the bond, the enthusiasm, the commitment and the forward thinking of these officers.
They are people that were genuine and friendly towards me.
I am also sure that they are not those who does not shy away from sacrifice for the benefit of their boys.
I would hope that the Boys Brigade would have more of such officers.
Men of substance.

I need to improve to be better so i can be better for the boys.
They deserve better.
And it is not because i owe it to BB or i owe it to the boys.
It is because i owe it to God.

This period has been quite a blur.
It does seem that way when i stop blogging.

Reading Psalms is really confusing.
In one psalm, the psalmist seems to be so happy!
In the next, the psalmist seems to be so sad!
So much so that i don't really know whether to be happy or sad anymore!
Yet, i do notice that in all of them, the Psalmist do acknowledge that God is present, always present.

Has God been present in your life all the time?
If so, have you lived as though he is?

A road less traveled may very well be a road with the most adventure.
Yet a road less traveled is usually a road that is filled with loneliness.
I want a lot of adventure... but i really don't want to be lonely.
Please, could you walk with me?

It starts with being self controlled.
Only then you will see goodness in your life.
Once you see goodness, kindness will abound among those around you.
With enough kindness, people learn to be more patient.
When people are patient, without doubt, there will be peace. Peace in not just the environment but also within people.
And when that peace come, joy will flood the heart.
And am sure that love will make its appearance too.
Now, to me, that seems like a progression of fruit of the spirit.

LTC ended on Saturday.
I am proud of the boys.

"Do the right thing at the right time."
To me, i saw that as the emphasis of the camp.

I am glad for those who got promoted.
It is my pride and joy to shake your hands and congratulate you boys.

Well done.
Carry on the good work.
We will be in touch.

May the Lord always lay his favor in all that you do,
like how he did with Moses and David.

Remember the lessons you have learned.
Remember the friends you suffered with.
Remember the skills you have picked up from it.

Those are things education cannot teach.
Those are things that would differentiate you from the rest of the world.

C.S Lewis once said
"Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil."

The Long awaited 10 mins reflection of John C. Maxwell's book
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

The content page has a really brief and good one line summary of the chapters.
I will have to thank John C. Maxwell for that, it makes reflection so much easier with 'in a nutshell' liners!
Anyway, i really do think it is good to share and improve each other with such principles.
If you like what you read and would like to know more... go get the book! It is pretty inspiring!

1)The Law of the Lid
Leadership Ability Determines a Person's Level of Effectiveness

2)The Law of Influence
The True Measure of Leadership Is Influence - Nothing more, Nothing less.

3)The Law of Process
Leadership develops daily, not in a day.

4)The Law of Navigation
Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a Leader to Chart the course

5)The Law of E. F. Hutton
When the Real Leader Speaks, people Listens.

6)The Law of Solid Ground
Trust is the Foundation of Leadership

7)The Law of Respect
People naturally follow leaders Stronger than themselves

8)The Law of Intuition
Leaders evaluates everything with a Leadership bias.

9)The Law of Magnetism
Who you are is who you attract

10)The Law of Connection
Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand

11)The Law of the Inner Circle
A Leader's potential is Determined by those closest to him

12)The Law of Empowerment
Only secure leaders give power to others

13)The Law of Reproduction
It takes a Leader to raise up another Leader

14)The Law of Buy-In
People buy into the Leader, then the vision

15)The Law of the Victory
Leaders Find a way for the team to win

16)The Law of the Big Mo
Momentum is a Leader's best friend

17)The Law of Priorities
Leaders understand that Activity is not necessarily Accomplishment

18)The Law of Sacrifice
A leader must Give up to go up

19)The Law of Timing
When to lead is as important as What to do and Where to go

20)The Law of Explosive Growth
To add Growth, lead Followers - to Multiply, Lead leaders.

21)The Law of Legacy
A Leader's Lasting value is measured by Succession

Its a new week.
Let us try our utmost!

Yesterday, we had YAM Afterglow and i was glad to gather and hear the testimonies from some people.
It does seem good that YAM is growing both inwardly and outwardly too.

I would really love to see more YAM or church people to join Varsity Christian Fellowship in their respective University or Polytechnics. To gain more insights from fellow like-minded Christians from other churches and denominations.
You will see Unity and Love like never before.
You will see God's plan of being a part of the body of Christ.
You will see the importance of why God's prayer is for unity for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
You will hear real and practical struggles from brothers and sisters that is going through similar seasons.
You will hear fantastic insights from the youngest and brightest minds in the world.

There is an upcoming event and i do challenge you to go for it.
Step outside your comfort zone. Challenge yourself. Go hear what Christians around the world is saying. Go hear what are the concerns of being a Christian.

FES(Fellowship of Evangelical Students) National Conference coming up!  This is a bi-annual 3 days and 2 nights event organised by FES! You'll get to meet not only VCFers from NUS but also from the other unis (SIM, NTU) and polys! Be richly blessed by the fellowship and learning more than you ever thought you could.  Do sign up for it if you can make it.  Its something really worth going for and it will be a real eye-opener to many things you never knew existed.

DETAILS!

Date: 23rd September 2010 - 25th September 2010 (during recess week)
Venue: Praisehaven Salvation Army (500 Upper Bukit Timah Road Spore' 678106)
Theme: Making A Difference For People Around Us
Cost: Student: $50 (individual), $45 (when you sign up in groups of five)
           Graduate/Professional: S$75

For more information and registration, please check out the following website:

OFFICIAL FES NATIONAL CONFERENCE WEBSITE (registration is done here as well)
http://www.fessingapore.org/nc10
Youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mndqVwaUuw
FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=131732286842303&ref=ts

God bless!

I know that this entry came in delayed.
I just feel quite spent recently, having to meet up and spend time with many people.
Sometimes, it does feel that 7 days are just not enough to do a week.
Although, I firmly believe in the thought of "You find time" instead of "I just don't have enough time".

Within myself, i still do think I've got a lot more to offer than what i am doing right now.
I do have my self doubts on how effective, efficient and intelligent i am.
I can safely say that i've been diligent and responsible yet i don't know whether i will say i am great in any capacity. It is necessary for me to take a step back and reflect these few weeks. There are definitely space for improvements.

I haven't gotten time to look through and reflect on the 21 irrefutable rules of leadership but i sure would want to do it. When? I am not sure. Until i find the time and the energy i guess.

There are numerous things that is going through my head right now.
BB, Relationship, Career.
These 3 things are definitely more than enough to keep my head full.

Tonight, i was hanging out with Weyshi and Shawn. I am getting encouraged and excited with the meetings. It gives me more purpose in spending my energy. It gives me more joy to see the occasional sparkle in the eyes and listening to visions and plans with so much potential waiting to be executed.
Handling LTC is a challenge.
Its something i have to commit it to God.
So God, Help me.

Some things i learned within these few weeks is
1. God always has a plan.
2. God is always looking
3. You can count on God.

A verse that caught me
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart- O God, you will not despise." Psalms 51:17 (NKJV)
If you read the whole Psalm, we will learn that any worship or offerings count for nothing unless we sacrifice what we truly have.
Something we are ashamed of, something that is of no worth to anyone. Yet, it is something that God requires and as one may put it, a prerequisite to make your worship and sacrifices count; Your pride and humility.

"As how the message version of the bible puts it:
Going through the motions doesn't please you,
      a flawless performance is nothing to you.
   I learned God-worship
      when my pride was shattered.
   Heart-shattered lives ready for love
      don't for a moment escape God's notice. "
Psalms 15:16-17 (The Message)

Honestly, I am pretty tired.
I've finish reading the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership by Maxwell however i've yet to contemplate about it. The next post that i am planning to write is probably about some reflections and takeaway i got from it.

One thing i figured is that if you do not know how to follow or be obedient to your ordained leaders(unless it is of evil instructions), i don't think one can lead. One needs to know how to be a follower in order to be a leader.

I was inspired this morning during my bus journey to write this:
"The Joy of the Lord is my Strength.
The Love of the Lord is my Salvation.
The Wisdom of the Lord is my comfort."

Am pouring myself out and i take comfort that the one i serve is the all knowing omnipotent creator.
In whose wisdom can i take comfort other than the all knowing?

I don't want to settle with a Good life. I want the best life.
I don't want to settle with 'i tried'. I want to do my utmost.
I don't want to settle with an idol. I only want God.

I was reading this from God's Outrageous Claims by Lee Strobel.
Let me quote from a part of the book that embodied what humanity is about.

From Claim #10, Random Acts of Kindness Aren't Enough
Making a choice to make a difference (page 194)
".... Or sometimes we get intimidated into inaction because we see the mountain of needs in the world and we feel that whatever we do just won't make any difference. It's so easy to forget this fundamental truth: no expression of compassion to another human being is a wasted effort.
This struck me afresh when i was reading the words of a new volunteer who had gone to serve with Mother Teresa among the poorest of the poor in Calcutta. On their tour of a children's home, Mother Teresa spotted an infant who had been rescued from the streets but who was beyond medical help. The child was surely going to die that day.
So Mother Teresa picked up that baby and handed her to the new volunteer, with these simple instructions: "Don't let this child die without being loved."
This is what the volunteer said later: "I held her in my arms and i loved her until she died at six o'clock in the evening. i spent hours humming Brahms' Lullaby, and do you know - i could feel that baby, as tiny and as weak as she was, pressing herself against me." Even a dying infant responds to a simple act of human kindness.
You don't have to take it upon yourself to change the world. Face it, you can't anyway. But just in the course of everyday life - from common courtesies to going out of your way to assist those in need - doing to others what you would want them to do to you will make a difference i both their life and your own."

I am looking back on the time i accepted the job and also the people i worked with and the people i talked to. I think it was not a mistake that i accepted this job over a prospective one at IBM. On hindsight, if i could go back in the past to see if i would make the decision again, i would probably have made the same one. To meet Rey Muk and pick up most of the ropes from him. To be able to talk and share the views from King Lee. To cooperate and work with Serene Tey. To meet, share and encourage Kang Ho Lie. To share the infectious joy from John Yoong. To have small talks with the HelpDesk team(Rey, Justin T, Huei Jia, Yong Sheng, Joey). To talk, assist and help the users having to trust us in helping them (Like Adeline P, Adeline S, Kristien C, Vicki O, Anne G, etc etc.).

I guess the only thing i would like to change is that i was able spend more time with my colleagues and also to be able to be more effective in helping the users, making better and sound decisions. As i shared with someone about my motto for my job before i start getting to work on most days, "My utmost for the most high"