Sunday, July 29, 2007

Standing up and Facing the World again

Standing up and Facing the World again

John Baillie:

“Let me use
Disappointment as material for Patience
Success as material for Thankfulness
Trouble as material for Perseverence
Danger as material for Courage
Reproach as material for Long suffering
Praise as material for Humility
Pleasures as material for Temperance
Pain as material for Endurance”

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

not a pause...

heh heh ... this time it wasn't a pause. it was just a lapse of space. so what happened then?

firstly, roger federer won his fifth wimbledon, making it 11 Grand slams. amazing mental strength. it is pretty interesting in one of the articles i read. during the game, roger was beaten 6-2 by nadal in the 4th set. it looks like the end for federer. the article wrote that during that time, "it looked like federer was on the verge of self-destruction. but he managed to pull himself together and keep the game going; playing safe, one at a time." (one at a time is one of the most basic and fundamental foundational mental patience of the game of tennis)

made me thought, at the top or when reaching the top, most of the times, it is our choices that are heading our direction. not much of the external factors influencing you anymore. you know that with all the external troubles coming on, it boils down to your personal choice to change it.
and on the verge of defeat or crumbling, stick back to the basics where it is strong and KEEP going on. that's life application.

i was working weekends for the 2 months before july 9th. it is really God's blessings that my manager allowed me to take leave from 10th-13th (tues-fri) which is 4 days so that i can spend that last week with my parents. and also a good rest. i did my part and gave all that is needed at work. spent good times with my parents. my father is working in british council, beijing for one and a half years max.

so my parents left last sunday. i'm a free man. i can do anything i want. party every night. that's what everyone is asking me to do. haha... not really. life goes on like normal. and just make sure i keep things and the freedom under control and not go haywire. a lot of admin stuff to do. anything my parents need, i got to get it done. the man of the house loh...what to do..

lots of weddings coming. somehow, chinese love weddings in september and december. been getting the invitations to attend and also have weddings to play the piano or the organ for. have to get into practise again. won't want to spoil the special day, right? hahaha....

i have a church musical in august 25 and 26. about Joseph. its going to be heavy with the practises and all. i'm in the acting crew. first time working with the music director. so wanted to join and help in the music recordings but work did not permit so with its late nights. so, too bad lah for that part. i got to know the other guys better (Joseph has 11 brothers).

and the best part of all, was that i got to talk to someone in church. was my sunday school teacher. and now a father with kids. i got someone to talk to, and i guess he got to know me better. things of the youth, i'd say i got to learn most of it. and for the adult matters now, career, church work, ministry, direction in life, church matters, waliau.... all different man. not the Christian faith, but more to the way things are handled and done.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

bits of time....

my time is in bits and pieces.
work was packed last week.
whatever bits that there are, i try to do the things that i love, like, have a passion for. i would love to have the time to do the things i love. but in terms of priority, it really ends up at the bottom. there are things i so so so want to do but yeah... it starts at the bottom of the priority list. time is precious. energy is precious too. God, You there?

my parents are going to China on july 15. next 2 sundays.
spending time with them is important. trying to. but having so many things to juggle. i got some complete so its pretty much okay for now. it is manageable.

my father is working in british council in China. so the plan is that they will be away till the end of next year. if it is till the end of the year, they can go see the Olympics. but its not a carreer chasing thing, so there are no worries. more of a just-try-and-see what is there. i recently watch a video about Christians in china. fooh! blew me away. i'll type something about that next time.

i admit i do get confused that, hey, God? i thought You told me to come back for my parents? weirdness-es. of course also, its not that my parents are obligated to stay in malaysia because i came back.

going on the internet is a luxury. so its rare. i am posting less because of the rarity of onlining and also not much time to think slowly and put a good post. i just realised i have a LOT of drafts. typed but unfinished.

i think i'm resting enough. or maybe its not enough and i'm pushing myself more on the edge. God, You there? Please, show me more of You.

on another note, wimbledon is going on now. i admire the tennis players mental strength, focus and concentration. i always try to increase mental strength.