Wait Till You Hear This….!

Let’s be honest. Every one of us has gossiped one time or another in our life. For some it has become a habit; part of their character and that is really sad for they will find themselves very lonely one day.

Most people however, try to distinguish between communication and gossip. They draw a line so that they do not cross over to the dark side but sometimes they are confused, or their emotion gets the better of them, or they didn’t want to feel left out. Sometimes silence makes them uneasy, or they simply wanted some attention. Some do not know how to steer the conversation away from the gossip. So they listened, trying all the while not to contribute anything to it yet knowing that by tolerating it, they have already contributed. They always regret it afterwards.

If like me, you are concerned about what this destructive activity does to your soul and your sense of worth and how to know the difference between communication and gossip so that you can eliminate it from your speech and improve your relationships, may I recommend that you read this.

Wait Till You Hear This….!

Have you seen the latest episode of Gossip Girl? Read National Enquirer lately? How about People Magazine? Decrying gossip may seem quaint today, but with over one hundred magazines, TV shows and websites selling gossip, maybe we ought to remind ourselves of its dark side.

The more we value something the more specific we are in discussing it. For instance, to me, flour is just flour. However, if I’m shopping for my wife I am forced to differentiate between unbleached, bread, whole wheat and various other types.

The Bible contains many different words for ways to communicate because it places such high value on human connection. These words are not interchangeable; each has a specific meaning.

Leviticus 19:16 is commonly translated as:

Do not go about spreading slander among your people…

The Hebrew literally reads as:

Do not peddle gossip among your people…

Everyone agrees that slander is destructive and Biblical laws prohibiting it spawned similar civil laws. But gossip isn’t slander, right? Gossip is neutral and harmless, isn’t it?

Unlike any other language, Hebrew words magically intertwine with one another in a mystical dance. Every word in the Bible sends the student on a search for words that share the same roots and letters. Thus we get a clue to gossip’s essence by noting that the Hebrew for gossip, R-CH-L also means peddler. Ancient Jewish wisdom tells us that both these words also relate to R-G-L, the root word for spying.

In other words, gossiping, peddling, and spying are closely related ideas.
This helps us understand the reference to “peddle” in Leviticus 19:16. Peddlers convey goods from one person to another just as spies carry information. Similarly, gossips transmit details about one person to another. Peddlers provide economic benefit while spies can be either heroes or villains depending on your loyalties. Think Nathan Hale vs. Benedict Arnold.

What about the gossip? The prohibition in Leviticus seems to suggest it is always evil. But how do we define gossip? After all, if we never talk about other people, we might never discover someone needing our help. We could become utterly alienated from our families and communities.

What turns positive communication into negative gossip?

The Hebrew reveals the answer. While earning his living, a peddler does benefit his customer by selling him a desired product at a fair price. The patriotic spy engages in dangerous clandestine surveillance in order to help his country, but we have contempt for the amoral spy who engages in his activity for self enrichment.

So here is the foolproof monitoring system you need to install somewhere between your brain and mouth. Before speaking about another person ask yourself, “Who am I trying to benefit?” If your answer is “me,” you can be sure you are about to gossip.

Perhaps you want to fill an awkward silence, or perhaps you want to draw attention to yourself and appear important. Either way, if you breach a confidence or invade someone’s privacy, you are crossing the line from communication into gossip.

The gossiper always finds an audience but all recognize that he is not someone in whom to confide.. Gossiping reduces you in the eyes of others.

Gossip shatters relationships. The victim often discovers who spoke about him and then shuns that person forever.

Third, listening to gossip not only coats you with a slimy, subconscious sense of reduced worth but it forever changes your opinion of the person under discussion.

Decrying gossip is far from outdated. It is one of the most important self-improvement steps you can undertake. Banning gossip at your family’s dinner table and making your workplace a gossip-free-zone, will improve productivity in both arenas.

This article is taken from Thought Tools by Daniel Lapin – Vol. II Issue #26

rk

Delayed Response to the AWARE Incident

Greetings to all my beloved fans! (i like to think that I have fans)

I am sorry I have not written for a while. Not that I have not been thinking about anything but just that I didn’t feel the flow to write, if you know what I mean. I have this bag of thoughts about various issues but they were very scattered and I didn’t feel up to task stringing them all together so that they make sense. I have been slacking a great deal lately, I know. And it doesn’t help that a friend recently introduced Korean drama to me. I tell you…in the past I would never be caught dead watching Korean drama, yet here I am – guilty as charged! But then again, I was a fan of Sylvester Sim before, so expect the unexpected! “Ahhh….how could you be a fan of Sly?? It’s so unlike you!” Hehe…I know I know, don’t have to remind me. So I have been watching Boys Over Flowers and I think I am in love all over again. Ji Hoo!!!….ahhh…you’re sO cUtE!! <in typical teenager’s shriek> For some reason, I have a soft spot for guys who are musicians and has a melancholic air. Hee.. Okay I better stop before I get dizzy and bore you to death.

Now back to the reason for this post. Just like many in Singapore who were caught up with the AWARE incident last month, I have much to say. Recently someone from a blog I have been following wrote about the subject and I found that it reflected very much my own views about the issue. So I am going to cut corners (no doubt disappointing some of you who wanted to hear my own voice about this) and direct you to that blog. I assure you, it is pretty close in terms of views, as it is to mine. She said it so much more eloquently, so why not? I am good at making excuses for my laziness. It is important to remember here that we and our views about issues change as we grow in understanding and grace.

In the beginning I had refrain from commenting about the issue because I had not been following its development consistently. I didn’t feel qualified to say anything about something I did not have a complete picture on. My lack of response disappointed my lesbian friend.  I realized it gave her the impression that I was indifferent to an issue very close to her heart and that was as good as saying “I don’t really care about you”. That was certainly not the message I wanted to send, especially so when the offending party in this saga are Christians. The reason why I decided I should spend some time finding out more about the story and give an informed response was first and foremost to let my friend know that if something is that important to her, then it is important to me as well. That is of more importance to me than trying to salvage the image of Christianity from a group of loud and aggressive Christian conservatives. Christianity suffers from an image problem due to the foolishness of some of it’s adherants but the true message of Jesus Christ will survive all that.  I made peace with my friend but there was so much more left to be said and I would like to share it here (through the voice of another).

The writer is someone I respect very much for her fair and balanced take on many issues that are of particular interest to Christians. I found her blog by chance more than a year ago. I do not know her personally but I found out later that she attends the same church as mine, although it is not her own home church. Another person I would like to recommend is Korean-born, American pastor, Eugene Cho (err…he was before my infatuation with Korean drama). I am sure you all know him by now as I quote him regularly on my blog. He always leaves you something to chew on.

So here they are.

From Still Haven’t Found
5 Things about the AWARE saga: one Christian’s perspective
Speak softly, love loudly: how Christians can love gays

From Eugene Cho
We should be enraged about bullying especially to gay/lesbian students

 

rk

Choir of PS22

I caught this video on Eugene Cho’s blog and I really like it. It is such a joy to watch these kids sing. Eugene called it an even better story than Susan Boyle.  Do visit his blog for his take on children, music and arts.

rk

The One-North Controversy

I was surprised to see my church making headlines last Monday, March 10th, in the local tabloid, My Paper.

19 million in the kitty in less than 24 hours.

That was in reference to funds collected on the Sunday of 15th February for our building project at One-North. In the midst of so much bad news about the economy in recent months, that was certainly good news, or so we thought. I had wanted to write about it the week following the update by the church leadership. I thought it would be an encouragement to all, especially believers, that people can be joyful and willing givers in times of deep recession. However, I chickened out for fear that my church would be misunderstood and criticized by people who will not understand. I am usually weary of too much publicity about my church because I know of man’s tendency to criticize things that are counter-culture, especially when it comes to money and religion. And I was right. Critical, mean-spirited, judgmental response did come. Sigh……

It all started a few Sundays ago. Our church collected close to 19 million in one Sunday for its church building fund. The intention for the collection was announced to us only two weeks before. When the day came, we gladly opened our checkbooks, emptied out the ATM machines in the Suntec vicinity, and arrived in droves in response to what God had placed in our heart. We recorded our highest attendance that Sunday. Over 80% of the congregation gave. It goes to show that people came with the express purpose to give. We were in this whole-heartedly and with our eyes opened. There was no coercion or pressure from our pastor or the leadership in any way. The only thing that came close to giving this a little push was a couple of excellent, heart enlarging, soul liberating, poverty-mindedness dispelling and biblically supported sermons on God’s provision and His way of rising above a famine. (Gosh, that was a mouthful!). Pastor was addressing the current economic crisis; lifting the people’s spirit and vision to a place where the crisis cannot touch. One-North was mentioned a couple of times in those sermons but it was not the focus. If people wanted to call that coercion, pressure, or even fund-raising, so be it. As far as NCC-ers are concerned, it was a great opportunity and privilege to give. So fired up was I, and I believe many others too, that I made it my goal this year, to free up more money in order to support God’s work. I am not just talking about One -North here. I am talking about funding the work of fighting poverty, slavery, disaster relief and missions. I have started making a list of Christ-centered ministries that cater to these needs which I can support on a more regular basis. So you see, it did not produce a bunch of people who were just hyped up about a building, it produced people whose heart are into giving. If that offends people, so be it.

We were told that giving towards One-North might not be the call for everybody and we should each hear God for ourselves and give according to what God has directed in our heart. There was no guilt-inducing tone in the sermons and no threats of God’s wrath and curses if we fail to give. For heaven’s sakes, we are a church that preaches grace! Threats and guilt-trips are not our way of doing things. Pastor whole-heartedly believes that if One-North is really of God, then God himself will convince the people’s heart to give. We were not there just to support our pastor and his 5-million-dollar vision, we were there to sow into God’s kingdom through a building project that we believe not only makes practical logistic and sound financial sense but also one that will see many souls saved and lives changed. You can find some of these testimonies here.  One-North is a commercial building. It is not fair to draw judgments by comparing it to a church building. I could go on and on but I won’t. I don’t expect people outside NCC to understand our position. For those who are genuinely interested to understand the rational behind this mega-project, may I direct you to this blog instead. I have personally read it and am fully in agreement with the response to every point raised.

I heard this story while watching Charlie Wilson’s War a few days ago. It’s the story of a Zen master who observes the people of his village celebrating a young boy’s new horse as a wonderful gift. “We’ll see,” the Zen master says. When the boy falls off the horse and breaks a leg, everyone says the horse is a curse. “We’ll see,” says the master. Then war breaks out, the boy cannot be conscripted because of his injury, and everyone now says the horse was a fortunate gift. “We’ll see,” the master says again.

Is One-North really God’s directive for NCC? Maybe or maybe not. All we know is that, right now, we believe it is God’s word for us.

rk

Related post- With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Cook-ing Up a Storm

I heard this on my son’s mp3 the other day and I am in love with it all over again – both the song and the guy who sang it. When David Cook reinvented Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby”, he became the most imaginative and daring AI talent to date. It was this performance that propelled him to a category all of it’s own. Everything about that rendition was brilliant. I love the voice, the look, the arrangement; it was the perfect fit for Cook. It was bold, sexy and vulnerable all at the same time. Love every bit of it!

 

rk

Seth Barnes on The Current Recession

Seth Barnes just wrote a piece on A Christian Perspective on the 2009 Recession. Seth is trained in economics and business but a minister by vocation, so you can expect an honest and inteligent take on the situation yet at the same time it doesn’t rob you of hope. This especially resonates with me,

A second observation is that the pain we’re going through creates an opportunity to offer to others the thing we Christians have in abundance – our hope. Not hope for a better salary or even a job necessarily, but hope that there is a God in  heaven who created you and me and made us for more than a slog through a life of nihilism.  Hope in a God who is in the business of redeeming adverse circumstances, a God who delights in showing himself personal and involved.

As a minister who is heavily involved with missions, his voice is distinctively different from many affluent preachers we hear today. Having worked with those who are really in need, he knows first hand the reality of suffering and poverty. He applauds those who are good at making money and using it to build the kingdom of God. At the same time, to those anxious to be delivered from this crisis, he made no promises of a quick fix but only a call to remember what out true hope is in Christ. In his own words, “We have a master who has given generations the serenity to face death itself with a smile.”

Click here to read the rest of the post.

rk

Jewish Humor and Wisdom

You know how I love all things Jewish.

There is this cute looking book I want to get my hands on – My Jesus Year by Benyamin Cohen. The son of an orthodox rabbi wanders the Bible belt (52 churches no less!) in search of his own faith and had a taste of what it is like to be a Christian. I’ve read some excerpts from the book on it’s own website and it sure sounds like one hilarious journey!

“Thank you Jesus, for making me less of a cynic. Thank you for teaching me that prayers can be recited in many ways and in many languages and that God listens anyway. Thank you for miracles, even those of the golden dental variety. Thank you for small synagogues. For big churches. For gospel choirs. For holidays. Thank you for gratitude. For sickness and health. For repentance. For the lessons gleaned from death and loss. And, most of all, thank you for rebirth.” – My Jesus Year.

Click here for Christianity Today’s review of My Jesus Year and here for the book’s official website.

There is something about Jews that enables them to have a lighter view of life. It appears to me that humor is built into their DNA. I remember a lengthy exploration of the MiddleEast conflit I read years ago in the book – How Israel Lost by Richard Ben Cramer, also a Jew or course. Not only was it entertaining but some parts were downright funny I had to laugh out loud! And if any of you can remember the Italian film, Life Is Beautiful (1997) starring Roberto Benigni, of how Guido (Benigni) in an attempt to keep up his son, Joshua’s spirit in the concentration camp, convinces him that the camp is just a game. He maintains this story right till the end even as he is taken away to be shot dead by a Nazi guard. He made his son laugh one last time by imitating the Nazi guard as if the two of them are marching around the camp together. That scene made me smile and cry at the same time. The ability to be child like in the face of evil is almost too much to bear. 

That is Jewish spirit for you. Is it any wonder how they survived so many persecutions.

Next on my list, once I am able to afford it, would be Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s Complete Library set. It includes all 11 products from his library, one of them which is the book I recently finished, Thou Shall Prosper. There is so much wisdom we can draw from the Jewish culture, language and faith. The Hebrew language for example is so rich. Understanding their usage helps us understand the Bible and ourselves even better. For example, according to Lapin, the Hebrew language, being the Lord’s language, is considered the most complete of all languages. If a word does not exist in Hebrew, it indicates that the concept that the word represents does not exist in reality. A good example he gave was the word “coincidence”. That was an Aha! moment for me even though as Christians, we believe the same. If you have the time, do check out Lapin’s Ask The Rabbi  and Thought Tools page in his website – Modern Problems, Ancient Solutions. Lots to learn from there and you will find that you don’t have to be a believer to benefit from them.

Shalom.

rk

Sowing in Times of Famine

Around this time last year, I took a challenge and made a personal commitment to God in the area of my finances. After a frustrating period of financial drought, I decided to run with God and follow his prescription for biblical abundance. I am referring here to a 3000 year old practice of the ancient Jewish people – tithing. When I first wrote about it last March (you can read it here) I have in mind to do a review a year later, if it’s just to see if this principal really does work in ways that are measurable. So here I am, trying to be as honest and fair as I can be.

A brief recap of the story – By Jan ‘08, my savings account was completely depleted. I had no personal debt, except for my share of our housing loan which was payable through my CPF, so that wasn’t a problem. There was no emergency fund. My cash flow was almost always a negative. I had some form of investments but the amount wasn’t substantial enough to make a big difference. They were invested for long-term returns anyway, so I couldn’t liquidate them. For as long as I can remember, I have lived on my savings and working income alone. I was completely clueless about personal finance, much less investments, and have a certain fear of money and numbers. At that point in time, I had already stopped giving tithes regularly. Yes, there was a time when I did and we got along well and good. Not living in luxury but comfortable enough. Then my husband’s financial woes started coming to light and I started fretting over having to shoulder more of the family’s expenses. I didn’t feel I could still keep up with the tithes. For a period of over a year leading up to Jan ‘08, I gave almost nothing. Occasionally there would be an offering made to the church or to other charitable organizations but they were different from tithes given consistently every month. I simply could not figure out how I could give when my monthly cash flow kept recording a deficit. So I stopped and that was the beginning of my undoing. I was frustrated and angry with myself for not seeing it coming and it certainly wasn’t difficult for me to push most of the blame to my husband. He was the one who was greedy and irresponsible and got himself into debt time and again and kept us in the dark. He was the one who couldn’t hold down a job. He was the one content to sleep his time away for months on end instead of actively looking for alternatives. I had felt completely justified in blaming him for all our troubles.

BUT God did not say to tithe only when your cash flow is healthy. He did not say to tithe only when your investments are making money. Tithe to show that you honor Me. Tithe to show that you trust Me. Tithe to show that you believe I am alive and a rewarder of faith. Tithe because that opens the way to true prosperity. Tithe in spite of your lack because you cannot afford not to. And so I did. It wasn’t an easy choice to make because it was so counterintuitive. I had to silence that rational part of my brain every time I send in my tithes.

Although my problems could hardly be called a crisis compared to the thousands who are in a much worse fate in the current financial famine, it nevertheless scare me enough to force me to reevaluate my priorities and the way I had handled money. I moved from denial to anger and blame, reflection and repentance, acceptance of my own guilt and stupidity in this situation and finally to faith in God that He will see me through if I will just hang on, trust Him and be obedient. During this time God led me to several people and resources that helped get me back on my feet. I was introduced to an independent financial advisor who happened to be a lay pastor. He made an assessment of my financial health and offered some advice. At around this time, I stumbled onto Suze Orman’s show on personal finance while channel surfing one afternoon and began my journey towards financial literacy. Feeling that I needed to learn more at a slower pace, I brought home several of her books and a few others from the local library and began pouring over the pages, learning as much as I could absorb. Compound interest and mutual funds, balance sheet and budgeting and deciphering the many unfamiliar financial jargon was very helpful but the greater wealth came from discovering the Laws of Money (Suze Orman) and the spiritual nature of money (Daniel Lapin). A very unusual book was Rabbi Lapin’s Thou Shall Prosper, where he demonstrates how the unique genius of the Jewish way of life, based on 3000 year old tried and tested wisdom of the ancient Scriptures could directly affect the bottom line in today’s world. They were all excellent materials but would be meaningless if our heart is in the wrong place. This brought me to yet another necessary read – Money, Possessions and Eternity by Randy Alcorn. I am only half way through the book but I could already feel its vital role in bringing everything I have learned about money into perspective. Alas, if my goal is to lay up treasure for myself here, then all is meaningless and chasing after the wind.

I have only started keeping records of my cash flow from Feb last year, so I am unable to make any comparisons with the year/s before. I couldn’t tell you how much of my income and expenses increased or decreased in proportion to the tithes. All I can tell after tabulating the figures from last year’s records is that my savings grew from nothing to 12% of my total income. I had thought I could not tithe without going into debt but God had shown me not only was it possible to give away 10% of my gross wage every month but it was also possible to have 12% surplus to set up an emergency (savings) fund. The sum may still be small but this little victory has greatly increased my confidence in the wisdom and faithfulness of God. May I be so blessed as to have the Lord’s favor and blessing super abound in my life this year and the years to come, so that I may have the privilege to sow even deeper into His kingdom and His purposes in the years to come.

As I shared in my earlier post, everything happened in a very natural way. I didn’t have anyone come knocking at my door and telling me that God wanted them to give me a love offering of a sum of money. I have heard of such stories many times but it wasn’t like that for me (and I suspect for most of us as well). I did not win the state lottery or lucky draws of any kind. Instead, God directed me to people who inspired me to make some changes to my lifestyle; people like Seth Barnes and Eugene Cho who wrote with such conviction and passion about simplicity and our call as believers to resist the pull of materialism so that we may serve God’s purposes more effectively. By allowing me to reach the point of desperation, God woke me up to the realization that continuing in my ignorance (about financial matters) is not only irresponsible, lazy and stupid but also robbed me of my ability to be a better steward of the seeds God puts into my hand. It was a lame excuse considering the times in which we live, where there is no lack of learning materials.

It was no coincidence that as this post was still in draft, pastor preached an excellent sermon on the same subject today, drawing insights from the story of Joseph and the famine of Egypt in the time of Pharaoh. The entire message can be summed up in this – in times of famine, the way out is to sow. The law of seed time and harvest is as certain than the law of physics. Throughout the entire two hour of the service, I felt like God was confirming His word in my heart. There was no feeling of hesitation about it, just a sense of peace and jubilation.

Sow, for we cannot afford not to.

2008 Chart: Tithes, Savings, Expenses

rk

In Focus 2008

2008 was a significant year for many. We lived through the continuing threat of terrorism, major natural disasters, soaring oil prices, inflation, global financial meltdown, tainted food and deepening political unrest. Many nations elected their new government in 08 too. And of course, who can forget the event that lifted China up on the world map. No, this one is good news – the 2008 summer Olympics.

What was it like for me?

Let me start by saying that 2008 was not a smooth sailing one for me by a long shot. I started the year with a general sense of impending doom in my marriage and finances. These alone were enough to keep me on the edge the entire year. You can imagine what it was like for me to hear pastor proclaimed to us at the start of the New Year that it will be a year of manifested blessings for many. It could feel like a slap to my face. I used the word could because although I had no inkling how this will work out for me, I said amen to it anyway. I know my God. Apart from loosing faith in Him, nothing that could happen can truly be called tragic. Now, please don’t think, “Wow…I wish I had her kind of faith.” The honest truth is that I am only able to say this in retrospect. At every point of crisis, I had my doubts and anxieties, coupled with helpless attempts to cling on to God. Sometimes I look shipwrecked….but always on the shore of His grace.

I discovered during my time in AQ (adversity quotient) training that the way I view my misfortune is more important than the misfortune itself. There is a saying that tragedies are only tragedies if we allow them to be. (Mine could hardly be called a tragedy) I know it is so cliché but there is a ring of truth in it. It is difficult to see things in God’s perspective when our faith is hijacked by the reality staring at us. I remember pastor once taught that truth is not reality. Reality is subject to change just like all things earthly are but truth is eternal and unchanging. The challenge for us today is to have a firm grasp of the truth so that it can begin to change our reality. As believers, we do not deny reality but we bring God into it so that His truth changes it.

So I was broke, my husband was selfish and irresponsible, our home was at stake. These were the realities. Some still are. Yet here I am. Have those realities changed? I know I have changed. I am more prudent now in my financial stewardship, I have a better understanding of money matters, my priorities are more aligned with what they ought to be, I am better able to pray for my husband regardless of how I feel about him and I have a lighter grip on the material. God changes reality through us. I think if He were to do it the other way round, we may not be ready to live up to the changes He wants to make. “It is one thing for us to set up a ministry and ask someone to lead it but quite another when God raises a leader and get him to start that ministry,” pastor said. Which do you think will be more successful? Inner transformation is an agonizingly slow process and its fruit may not be immediately visible. Meanwhile, God’s reputation hangs on the precipice of our human frailty. Yet this is the way He chooses. I discovered an important lesson here. Those who are secure and confident in who they are do not clamor after men’s recognition. God is not afraid to put his reputation on the line because He is sure of Himself and what He is doing. If I were to be given a Bruce Almighty moment, I will zap everyone into obedience and go about setting things straight whether my human subjects like it or not. No one can accuse me of not living up to expectations.

Yet the question remains, have those circumstances changed? People of the 21st century are very realistic people. We don’t need feel good stories and have little patience for philosophy, much less, theology. Yes, they are nice and inspiring but….show me the money! I want to know that my debts are cleared, that the tumor is gone, that my home has doubled in value, that I have a new husband! We want results and want them fast. Otherwise, we move on to the next thing that promises a quick fix. It is a short-sighted view of life. We make judgments base on the material. If only we realize who we are directly affects how we experienc life, regardless of the conditions, we will be more willing to wait. I recently read the testimony of Jacelyn Tay, a Mediacorp artiste. She said that she no longer sees her misfortune as something necessarily bad. To put it another way, all of life’s experiences can have a redeeming value. She brought God into the situation and rose above them.

But to answer the pragmatic question – I moved from zero savings to having an emergency fund. It is still small but growing steadily. The wonderful thing is that I did not have to sacrifice my tithes for it. I will write a little more about this experience another time. My mother-in-law stepped in to help save the home. It is safe for now at least. These came about in the most natural way. Money did not appear from nowhere. I did not suddenly win the state lottery. Instead God brought certain people and resources to me. They helped put me back on my feet. My husband is still pretty much the same but he did get his job back before the year is over. In the past I had struggled to pray for his blessing because I felt he deserved what was due him. Now I am learning to look pass his failures and pray for him anyway even though I don’t feel like it. Along the way, I also witnessed relationships of people around me rose and fell and was surprised to find myself interpreting them with new eyes; less judgmental, more honest and certainly more objective. Things may not have change much in the materialistic sense but I feel I have grown much more this year compared to the last couple of years put together. When I look back, I discovered I am a different person now then I was years before. Yet it didn’t all happen in one episode. It is an on-going process. Years of being washed in God’s word while in the training field of life’s arbitrariness has shaped the way I responded to life. Together, they made me who I am today. Looking back, I could see why all the shaking was necessary. May we all grow from strength to strength. Remember, we can also slip backwards. The determining factor is the condition of our inner man.

I say all these to say that the power to make a difference lies within and nothing changes the inner man the way God does. Circumstances can either make or break us but with God, the latter is less likely because in Him we find an anchor. Without an anchor, we are easily tossed about by the waves of life’s uncertainties. So it follows that real and lasting change (for the better) begins with God at the center. The horizon is still a long way off. Never think that we have arrived. Instead, let us look for redemptive value in every set back.

I have rambled for too long and should proceed with my list. It has become a tradition for me at the end of every year to present a list of favorites in various categories. I have taken out Lesson of the Year because I have just written 1000 words on it.

Music/Song of the Year
The Blessing Song – Dennis Jernigan
Amazing Grace – Chris Tomlin
I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
Lucky – Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
Footprints in the Sand – Leona Lewis

Film of the Year
Last King of Scotland / Blood Diamond / Children of Men / Waitress / In The Valley of Elah / Batman: The Dark Night / Freedom Writers / Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian / Good Will Hunting / Schlindler’s List / Gandhi / Apollo 13 / United 93 / Hitler: The Rise of Evil / The Good Shepherd

Book of the Year
The Laws of Money, The Lessons of Life – Suze Orman
Nothing short of life-changing for me. She gives sound financial advice that does not just address the surface of a problem but digs deep to reveal an underlying spiritual condition. Money is more spiritual than we think. Read Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s work in Thou Shall Prosper and you will know what I mean. The 5 Laws of Money just makes it easier for everyday people like us to understand it. Lapin’s work might be a little heavy for some of us. Neither of them are Christians but their views of money will lead us to honor God with our money and change our life for the better.

Waiter Rant – Steve Dublanica
It was finally revealed that Steve Dublanica is the author behind the hugely popular blog, Waiter Rant. I have followed his blog for years and am so proud and delighted to know that his first book by the same name is so well received. I feel a certain connection with the book. It’s like seeing one of your own finally making it big.

Significant Moments of the Year
My father’s conversion – Journey of A Decade
My financial meltdown – Jehovah Jireh
My marriage -
Waitress
At A Crossroad
Moving Forward

People of the Year
Suze Orman
I don’t care if she is lesbian. She is one of the most influential people God brought to my life this year. She is charismatic, sharp, witting and funny. It is evident in all the advice she gives, that she always lives by her values – people first, then money, then things.

Seth Barnes
Whenever I read about all the criticisms out there about Christians and our failures, I look at Seth Barnes and the work that he does and I don’t feel so depressed. Recently an atheist group in London launched a massive ad campaign in the city’s subway stations and double-decker busses. The ad carries the slogan, “There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life” Funny, ever since God came into my life only the opposite is true. When you read about Seth’s life, his thoughts and the work that he and his team is doing, you will see why that is so.

Sermon of the Year
There were just too many to list. The bulk of it came from my very own pastor, Ps Joseph Prince. There is hardly a sermon by Pastor Prince where God did not speak to me. There were many excellent sermons this year but one that particularly stood out was, God’s Protection Plan Against The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse.

Another notable teacher I read and heard this year was Joe Stowel of RBC ministries. He taught on the transforming power of Christ from the book Philippians, His book Radical Reliance: Living 24/7 with god at the center and his sermon albums, Ruth: Love Unshaken, Firm Foundation: Faith and Truth in an Age of Uncertainty and Shattered: Making Sense of the Brokenness of Life were all excellent materials.

Blog of the Year
Radical Living in a Comfortable World by Seth Barnes
Beauty & Depravity by Eugene Cho

Top 3 Post of the Year
Introducing Waiter Rant
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
Who Wants to be A Millionaire

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To read past year’s In Focus, please refer to the Site Index under the category: In Focus.

The Acceptable Year of the Lord

I am most happy to be back. I had been busy getting the kids ready for the new school year since my return. I have settled nicely into the new year now and is good to go!

Our reunion-holiday in Malaysia didn’t turn out as well as we hoped for. Due to an unforeseen situation, we had to make some last minute changes to our plans. But the more disappointing part is that there was a little fall-out between one of my brothers and our parents. Under pressure, feelings of regret and disappointment that were suppressed for many months erupted into a full blown confrontation. Okay, maybe “a little” was an understatement. It was uncomfortable and awkward for a while and I found myself caught in the middle, trying to play peacemaker. It’s grieving to see hearts broken in the process but at least there is no longer any repressed hurt. Hopefully healing can begin, now that everything is out in the open. The saving grace is, I am confident that as a family, we will always consider what is best for the other, employ our deepest understanding and make every effort to offer grace in a very delicate situation. It’s not easy, neither is it instantaneous but I know my family enough to know that no matter what challenges we face, we will not throw away the sacred bond we have as a family. I particularly hated to watch Dad’s bubble burst. I could sense his anticipation in celebrating his first Christmas as a believer with the family. I know it means a lot to him by the silent effort he made to make this a meaningful celebration.

My brother is back in UK now and I am home in Singapore. A brand new year is ahead and I am feeling optimistic. It really does pay to go to church every week. Whenever I feel overwhelmed by life, it allows for God to adjust my perspective and refocused my vision. He is the bearer of good news.

Welcome 2009!

“The dektos (acceptable) year of the Lord, when the salvation and free favors of God profusely abound.” In spite of the many predictions of doom and gloom in the secular world, I say AMEN to God’s proclamation to his people. So be it unto me and my family.

We closed the first Sunday of the new year with a graceful song, rich with meaning. Although it was more of a Christmas blessing song, it works just as well for the new years. May I pronounce these blessing unto you too.

The Blessing Song by Dennis Jernigan

 

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