ONLY BY GRACE

A word that has been running through my mind lately. It's one thing to aspire to live a "purpose-driven" life; and another to be intentional about it. It becomes more challenging in moments whereby what I do don't seem to giving me that sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. In moment like these, I begin to ponder about the meaning of the word "PURPOSE". I've reached the 1.5 year mark of my 3-years secondment stint. Just like that, in a blink of an eye! It felt like not so long ago I was almost drowning under the intensity of the BIT and frenzy of preparation for our assessment. And just like that, a bunch of us officially graduated from the Instructors' Graduation Ceremony on Thursday (10 Oct). Apart from the physical stretch (mostly from having to stay awake the whole night), it wasn't as hellish as the ISP. Hence, in my lucid moments, I had some quiet time during the solo trek. It was my favourite part of the whole IGC as I got ...

Luke 18:1-8 1. Jesus thinks it is important for us to learn how to pray. 2. When we pray, we are not to lose heart. 3. There are many things in life we can pray for - goods, guilt, acts of God etc 4. Need to be convinced God hears 5. The point is not whether we can get an answer but if Jesus can find faith. 6. What do you have faith for today? 7. Will Jesus find faith in our hearts and homes? Enemies of faith 1. Resignation 2. Coping 3. Numb 4. Bitterness 5. Tiredness 6. Self-centeredness 7. Self-loathing Areas needing faith 1. Forgiveness of others 2. Injustice 3. Sickness/health 4. Loss 5. Bondage from sin 6. Broken relationships 7. Abuse 8. Lack & poverty 9. Anxiety & depression 10. Blindness & deception 11. Change in transition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Today's sermon and so apt.  "Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Ye...

A group that I will remember quite fondly. Of all the courses I've ran since last year, this has to be the most challenging one by far.  The start of the week was shrouded with a lot of doubts and uncertainties. I wasn't confident I could keep this group together because of how separated they were. I found myself battling with a lot of negative thoughts and even the comments I passed to my colleagues weren't encouraging as well. It made my spirit very heavy. I don't recall being desperate enough to pray to ask for guidance but I knew I was at my wits ends. I believe in those low moments, God saw through my thoughts and emotions. And truly, He knows what to give even before I would utter my requests. This is how big my God is.  He paved the way for me to speak right into their hearts and I don't believe it is of any coincidence when we had that HTHT session on Tues night. I felt that broke something in the group and in the subsequent days, the group's dy...

Almost there....almost there. My biggest investment ever!  The journey that started last Sept is almost coming to a completion. The last few months and especially weeks were spent putting in the finer details - choosing materials, colours, furniture etc Whilst it was fun hunting for furniture it was quite a stressful experience also as the $$$ came out fast and furious.  Nevertheless I know that this is all worthwhile as it will be an investment that will exceed my earthly expectations. My God who is able to care for all the birds and provide a home for them will give to His daughter even more. I'm thankful every time I recount the provision He lavished on me and I believe His blessings will continue to flow through and out of this house that He has lovingly provided.  "Who am I, that the lord of all the earth Would care to know my name Would care to feel my hurt? Who am I, that the bright and morning star Would choose to light the way For my ever wan...

In Every Circumstance "God’s ideas about our flourishing are different than ours. We think flourishing means eight hours of shut-eye, a good job, being surrounded by people who treat us with respect, being given the opportunity to succeed at something, good medical care, a loving marriage, and happy children. Those are good things, but they are not the things God is most concerned about supplying us in this life for our flourishing. In God’s economy, we flourish when our need for Him is met in Him.  There is no circumstance under heaven that God isn’t using to grow us into oaks of righteousness. There is no need that He won’t fill with Himself. The promise is really true: God really will supply all our needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus ( Philippians 4:19 ). There is nothing we truly need that is not found in Christ . Even more, the circumstances of being denied an earthly need or desire are often His tailored means of accelerating our holin...

Newest additions : Gabe & Shane Leong  I AM OFFICIALLY AN AUNTIE TO 2 NEPHEWS!!!  When asked how I feel about the arrival of the twins, I really didn't know what or how to feel. To some extent, there was a mixture of jealousy and envy because having twins was something I wished for myself.  Truth be told, I wasn't that excited as I had to adjust to the house being more crowded, messier and my personal space became smaller. All these nagging thoughts and feelings were a struggle and I was thankful for my camps as they became like mini retreats for me.  In any case, I had to accept the fact that the family has expanded and I had to take stock of my own emotions and to commit them to God appropriately. Took my time to be familiar with the twins and learnt to carry these fragile little things. There's something magical about having a tiny bub in your arms. The feeling is especially warm when the little one snuggles near the bosom (the position of security a...

My 2nd RAC course turned out to be a memorable one. What I initially thought will be a disastrous week actually became one that will stick with me for a long time to come.  A motley all-boys group comprising of St Pats, GMSS , Deyi and HCI. The first impression the group gave me wasn't a very positive one with a few whose body language clearly told me that they really did not want to attend the camp. A sinking feeling hit me as I started my first get-to-know-you conversations. It wasn't as pleasant nor positive like my previous few courses. Nevertheless, I had to just press in and do my best to liven up the atmosphere and to have the boys buy into the programme slowly but surely.  If anything, I believe Simon and myself had divine favour as we heard of other instructors dealing with scuffles and defiant students who had to eventually be dealt by the higher management. In comparison, I believe we had a reasonably manageable group. Not only were we able to have control over ...

Change can be refreshing although daunting especially when we don't know what the change will bring. Change is not always something that we look forward to. Not when we are in our comfort zones. But it is a necessary disruption to shake us out of our comfort and subsequent complacency. 2018 has been a year of change personally. The most significant one has to be the switch in my work environment. What beholds me after the 3 years? A question that has been posed to me several times by different one. I still have no answer at this point. One thing I do know is the mission to be a "Guard-Post" remains the bedrock of my stint in OBS; regardless of my duties and roles in time to come. I can only cling onto the ONE who has led me thus far and the ONE who clearly knows my future and the paths I have to tread on. He will never fail me. If anything, this is the assurance and promise that will keep me trudging forward no matter what the days ahead may look like; be it sunny or ...

UNBELIEVABLE! I'm on my way to becoming a first time home owner. And the process has been nothing short of Daddy God's provision and direction. PSALM 131 : SIMPLE TRUST IN THE LORD "Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel (Grace), hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever."  A PLACE OF REFUGE, STRENGTH, JOY & HOPE.  A PLACE TO HOST HIS SWEET PRESENCE.  A PLACE WHERE HIS LIGHT WILL SHINE.  Was inspired by the feature on the couple who opened up their home to troubled youths and in my heart, I prayed I too can be like them. The house hunting journey started with exploring a private property and the lure of a luxurious lifestyle was so confronting. Upon deciding to give that up and continue searching for a resale fla...

A picture paints a 1000 words. Using scrabble tiles, I got the group to sum up their Outward Bound experience with words that symbolised their 5-days journey. Rather than to form bombastically intellectual words, they chose to form the names of every of the member in the team. It was a very heartening sight. This spoke of the connections shared amongst them and the extent of the inclusivity that surprised me as well.  #BOSENG2018 A group that wasn't mine to start with but quickly grew to adapt to one another pretty quickly. It helped that they were rather mature in their thoughts and able to also adjust to a new instructor within such a short span of time. Indeed, the only thing constant in life is change. This bunch did not just show me they had depth in their thinking but also the ability to accept and embrace different ones. I guess they would now be able to better appreciate the overall objectives of this MOE-OBS collaboration i.e. it's not just for one's...

A brand new post after 2 years to jot the milestones of 2018 - a year in which I embarked on a brand new journey in my career. Jan - June : Basic Instructor Training (BIT) What a deceiving term! It wasn't at all basic! Many times during the course of the training I found myself questioning if I did the right thing to make a switch. It has been such a long time that I felt so inadequate and I realised that feeling of incompetency can be what deters people from stepping out to try something new. It didn't help that every Friday was an assessment of the modular we had to go through during the week. It was literally CONTINUAL ASSESSMENT! Nevertheless, I bit the bullet and hung onto the promise and hope that all these too shall pass! Some snapshots to mark the grueling trainings that turned us from "zero to hero". Needless to say, our skin colour also changed. July - Sept : Co-Instructions & Assessment Plunging into the life of being an instru...

First holiday with my brother and the 9 days were absolutely memorable, albeit went by too quickly. As the saying goes, time flies when one is having fun. Indeed. It may not have been as epic as my 2014 Easter Europe escapade, but this trip was significant in strengthening the sister-brother bond. As much as having 2 trips in succession has its toll on my bank account, I don't feel that a single cent was wasted.  Great help to have! On our way to Jeju & the wind was crazy! There were many highlights in this trip but I'm just going to put down the Top 5: #1: MT HALLASAN HIKE via Eorimok Trail Summary of our unforgettable hike in winter.  One of the many breathtaking scenes that welcomed us during the trek.  We weren't even sure if we were able to complete the 3hrs trek & catch the last bus as there's a cut-off time period and limited shuttle service during winter. But God truly knows the desire of our hearts and upon reaching th...

What is most rewarding about teaching is to be able to embark on a journey with the students. I have had the best 3 years of walking with these kiddos who have now officially graduated. I will miss them dearly.  All good things must come to an end and as I prepare to close this chapter, I hope I will continue to be that ONE teacher who will be able to influence young minds. I may not have a close attachment with all of them but I do know that each of them has left an indelible mark in my life.  Greater things are yet to come! :) 

NIKE. ADIDAS. KATE SPADE. MACDONALDS. STARBUCKS... All are world renowned brands that transcend almost all communities globally. These brands are able to strike a chord with us because they mean something be it our social status, earning power and essentially our identity.  Not that these brands determine who we are but there's this connection that makes us want to be associated with these labels.  What will the 'brand of Christianity' be and look like then? If I were to create a logo/symbol representing Christianity, what would it be? When we share the gospel or tell of who Jesus is, how will these pre-believers envision what Christianity is and ultimately, who will they become when they put on this brand? a) Ephesians  5:1 - " Therefore be imitators of God as dear children." 5:8 - "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord . Walk as children of light. " b) Philippians 1:27 - "Only let your conduct be...