3 golden rule
3 golden rule when dealing with difficult people:- Remain silent when u're angry
- "Reward" negative response with a positive response
- Pray for that person
Labels: Feelings and Thoughts, Poetry and Inspiration
Character
It is such a quality of life, to clean up and beautify the whole house in preparation for Chinese new year, and after all these, to be able to take a seat by the wooden bench in a little balcony, under the sunny light, with a little crystal glass of warm white tea, and a bowl of delicious snack biscuits, taking my own sweet time, to read a book about God…… all in a day.
I’ve always felt, that life can be as beautiful as you want it to be. At different seasons of our lives, we experience different issues that may cause us to “distorted” in our perspectives, attitudes and emotions. At certain period, we may be extremely happy, but as we step into another period, we may feel very moody or upset by certain issues as well.
When we are very intense and trapped in our circumstances, we do not have the capacity to step out, slow down and reflect. Life became concentrated in a negative way, and we forgot all about the people around us. We lose the ability to appreciate the little pleasures of life, nature and the people around us. Our capacity to love and bless are deteriorating and we started finding shortcuts for everything. Everything becomes an obstacle and a hassle to what we’re seeking or desire.
Recently I’ve read a book written by Robb Thompson and I felt that it is so good.
Really, character is so important. Character is the foundation of everything. We spend our lives with people all around us. The decisions that people make affect us. Thus, we will definitely experience the positive and the negative consequences of the decisions and things people around us make or do.
What is character?
Character is virtue in the life of an individual.
Character is moral strength.
Character is a reputation of integrity built by the hard choices of self-sacrifice and self-discipline.
Character affects our decisions, our words, our attitudes, our goals, our relationships, and our actions.
In marriage, character is gentleness.
In the home, it is respect.
In business, it is integrity.
In society, it is courtesy.
In the workplace, it is excellence.
In sports, it is fairness.
In relationship, it is kindness.
To the victor, it is congratulations.
To the victim, it is protection.
To falsehood, it is resistance.
To yourself, it is absolute truth.
Indeed a true friend is one who would rather risk rejection than not telling you the truth.
And a person of true character will not reject what you tell him or her immediately, but instead, reflects and ask questions first to understand more before even putting on a strong defense about his or her stand.
Sadly, some people will immediately respond with “I dun live my life according to the expectation of others…. As long as it clears my conscience…...”
Life is not all about ourselves. What we think is correct may NOT be correct. Our moral values may NOT reflect the RIGHT moral values. Else we would not need the bible as character benchmark.
Our conscience may be seared. Thus, even when we feel that we’re doing nothing against our conscience, it doesn’t mean u’re right!
One part Robb Thompson shared really impacted me,
“It is impossible for your life to produce anything beyond the strength of your moral fiber”.
How true…….
Labels: Poetry and Inspiration, Sermons and Revelatns
Eucalyptus ~ My Inspiration in 25 Mar 2003
My Inspiration in 25 Mar 2003
The sub theme of this blog:
http://au.geocities.com/jesus_knows2002/eucalyptus
Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Sleeping Beauty
Psalm4:8 (NLT)
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Forbidden City
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
Imagination runs wild
Morale flees from adversaries
The Word dates the World
In the sly manoeuvre of a sophistication.
Lyrics from Kit Chan -> Forbidden City
Is this what eyes were never meant to see
The end of hope and all it meant to me
How can I find the strength to carry on another day
Without my pride there's nothing left to say
Is this the way my life was meant to be?
Too late only to say that I was wrong
Perhaps the weak believe that they are strong
I thought that if I tried I'd find a way to earn their trust
Yet all I've known and loved has turned to dust
It seemed there was no way I could belong
The fire that burns within your heart
The pain that tears your life apart
The rain that falls from broken skies
The love I lost beneath the lies
And must I face the truth along?
Is this the end of all I've known?
The years I gave, the tears I cried
Why dream of love, when love has died?
I know one day the story will be told
And in the end the secrets will be sold
And will they look at me and say
I should have known the end
Perhaps I did but why should I pretend?
I only dreamt of love and growing old
Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Fresh Air
Fresh Air
A second a stranger’s glare,
A minute a lingering fragrance,
An hour a bonding reassurance,
A day an unsatisfiable muse,
A week a brave step forward,
A month an eternal matter,
A year a deep awakening to,
A lifetime of impossible reinstatement.
Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
____Flesh and Spirit,
Weak and Willing.Emotions and Control,
Temptation and Discipline.A broken shell yet,
A place of grey security,
A regime of pride and intelligence,
An exotic destination thus long for.Augment the enchantment,
With the Question posed .Kill the magic,
Kill the foothold,
Kill the deception,
Kill the foolishness,
Kill the unceasing lure.Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
A Baby's Hug - Contributed by Carol :o)
A Baby's Hug
We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik.
My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?'
Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'
Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.'
Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.
My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.
We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.
I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'
Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.'
I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity.
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children.'Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Never, never, never, never, never, never
When times are bad, take it upon yourself. Let there be a reason for everything, yet you don’t have to know if this reason is for you to know. Yes or No, God is the Judge of everything; the Creator of this beautiful world; the Inventor behind every intelligent regime. Relinquish is the right word for Control; Respect is a treasure for the Oppressed; Awakening is timely in every timeline. Never will there be another time for such a time as this – cherish even a second, for it is never too short. If there is a right thing to do – never cause regret in the lifetime of another, never destroy what God has planted, never forbid what God has authorized, never forget what God has instructed, never be willful at the never ending seeds of God’s beautiful plans. Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never.........Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Good Assumption
No Assumption held bolder than this……………No Honesty fared better than this……….No Risk braved greater than this……….No Life experienced deeper than this……….No Love loved stronger than this……….Assumption in God for the tantalizing stuff,Sometimes in your final throes of asphyxiation,You saw it coming.Psalm 119:1-24Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Psalm 25:14-15
The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Three and Three Quarter Walls
3 ¾ walls
Be a very good child,
Against the Supernatural World,
Reign in little kingdoms with,
Revelry in a Pandora Box,
Encumbered and withdrawn,
Nobility in its drunken stupor.Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Unsound Script
Unsound Script
Manuscript from the heart,
A period of stumbling and death,
A consequence of decisions and sins,
A power struggle between light and dark.
Crushed, Dead, Buried,
Weeping, Choking, Clamoring,
Pressing, Crawling, Stumbling,
Menacing, Blasting, Scathing,
Butchery, Massacre, Annihilation,
Bloodbath, Bloodshed, Bloodless,
Breathless, Lifeless, Spirtless.
Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Poem: "there is no God"
Bro Victor LimFei wrote this poem:there is no God.all of life is accidental!no designer ordered earth in its orbit.no engineer fashioned the heart to beat.no architect styled nature in its harmony.no conductor taught birds to sing in symphony.no biologist grew seeds into flowers.no man gave life through love of lovers.have you seen the stars above twinkle?have you heard a baby's laughter?have you tasted earth's bounty's flavour?have you smelled after-rain aroma?have you felt indignant anger?all of life displays His splendour!there is no God?haa! With a drop of inspiration, I continued his poem with this:no genius invented wisdom.no doctor implanted heart feelings.no teacher taught the flow of breath.no luck created miracles.no technology prepared the presence of God.Indeed all of life is NOT ACCIDENTAL!There is no God so splendid and magnificent!!!Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Bon Voyage to YANLIN
Dear ah ne,Take care and jia you as you further ur studies in US.I've composed a little poem for you as a little gift. As you set off to this faraway place, I pray for God's peace to be with you.Tan Yan Lin
The wait is finally over,
Assurances too good to be true,
Now is the voyage to a faraway place.
Your Promises are forever real,
Anchoring my heart in Truth and Love,
Nurture my faith strongly as You are with me,
Longing to shine your glory like never before,
I hold Your plan dearly in my heart,
Need you so much more than ever.
Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Meaningful
God is the only one who can make the valley of trouble a door of hope.-- Catherine MarshallLabels: Poetry and Inspiration
Writings of Nancy Jo Sullivan
I had a bad cold that evening, and I crawled into bed much earlier than usual. While my husband and kids watched a movie downstairs, I huddled under blankets, my body achy and chilled. A soft rain shower fell out side my bedroom window. I started to relax. The sound of the dropping rain had a soothing rhythm, a soft, pattering cadence that calmed me like a lullaby.
Just as I began drifting off to sleep, I noticed Sarah, my Down syndrome daughter, standing in the doorway. With her curly hair pulled into pigtails, she was wearing a long robe and fluffy pink slippers. Her petite silhouette was shadowed by a light in the hallway.
“Mom…..you…….you……forgot to tuck me in,” she stuttered in a respectful whisper.
For Sarah, daily patterns and routines were very important. Even though she was sixteen years old, she still functioned at the level of a first grader. I knew this family ritual that we called “tuck-in-time” brought closure to her day and predictability to her life.
“Let’s wait a while,” I suggested as I motioned Sarah near. Without making a sound, Sarah sat down on the edge of my bed. For a moment, the two of us listened to the rain drumming on the roof above us.
“The rrrrain is nnice,” Sarah said.
I took her hand in mine. “It is,” I replied as I began remembering her early childhood and the many mother-daughter moments I had spent at her bedside. Night after night, I had tucked her in, snuggling a quilt over her shoulders and tracing a small cross on her forehead.
I remembered one night when Sarah was about nine years old. I decided it was time to teach her bedtime prayer. While Sarah nestled beneath her blankets, surrounded by pink-checked pillows and stuffed animals, I slowly repeated a rhyming passage about God and guardian angels, a simple four-line prayer.
“It’s….It’s….ttoooo hhard ffor me,” Sarah admitted with a sigh of dismay.
Stroking her hair, I saw her brow wrinkle with frustration.
“Sarah, what do you want to tell God?” I asked as I gently folded her small fingers into a clasp of prayer.
Sarah closed her eyes tightly as if formulating her thoughts.
“Dear God…..I…..I….love….mmmy mom,” she said.
Throughout the years, Sarah had offered this “mom-prayer” time and time again. Though she had never learned to memorize other childhood prayers, I had grown used to this nightly routine of guiding her through simple question-answer petitions.
But now, much to my surprise, I felt Sarah tug my bedspread over my shoulders, gently and tenderly smoothing each crease of the quilt.
“Mom, what ddo you wwant to tell God?” she asked as she traced a small cross on my forehead.
I closed my eyes. I felt like an adored child. I felt safe and secure.
“Dear God……I love Sarah,” I said softly.
Sarah smiled. The prayer lingered. The rain continued to fall in song-like beats, covering our home and sliding down my bedroom window in small streams. So, too, a shower of love was raining down on us from heaven, blessing us.
I began to doze as Sarah quietly tiptoed to her room across the hall. I heard the squeak of her box spring and the rumpling of covers as she crawled into bed. I wondered if I should help her settle in for the night. She’s growing up….let her go, an inner voice whispered in my heart.
Curling up in the comfort and warmth of my bed, I called out to her. “Sarah, are you an angel?” I heard her giggling. She thought I was joking.
From across the hall she called back. “I…... I…. am.” And the rain kept falling.
Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Back for Good Till Further Notice
Drain
A little reminder
The stars shone brightly
In a little world they owe arguably,
Winnowing the tiny being,
Nothing more than a breath.
A second is worthless,
A matter is unimportant,
The unbecoming will,
Honored by a diligent traitor,
Steadfastly by the wavering waters,
The precious anointing of gift,
Pilfered by the devils’ child,
Over and over again.
The journey is long,
The deadline is short,
The confession is weak,
The hand is far.
Be fain to go,
Is to be armed,
The rigorous voyage,
To brave it all,
Come what may,
The willful repentance,
Is still cherished,
Over and over again.
Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Foliage
Recently I have a deep thought about certain issues happening around myself. I saw many people, and understood many of their ways. I have talked of them, and tried to understand them. Thank God for many opportunities where I can share my life. Comforting as it may be during times of exchange, yet it is only momentary if there is not conviction.
I saw people coming to God when they are in need. I saw them drawing near to God when they need help. I saw them giving thanks to God when God has blessed them. I saw them faithfully attending services and cell groups. I saw them giving tithes and offerings. I saw them reading the bible in their quiet time. I saw them talking about God. I saw them pondering about the Will of God. I saw them praying. Yet, it is all only momentary.
It took a shower to realize my grief. Seems like God always likes to talk to us when we are bathing. With the water raining over me, tears flow out of my heart. I was very discouraged.
Why are people so ungrateful? Why had they tasted and witnessed the goodness the God and yet fallen away? Why are people having so short term memory? I thought forgetfulness is only reserved for forgiveness?
Jeremiah 3:21
A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God.
Proverbs 14:13-15
Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief. The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.
The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.
So what if some may attend church service regularly? What is Love? Remember Pastor once preached that we can give without loving, but we cannot LOVE without GIVING.
Being just a normal church goer is shallow. It is only about TAKING by involving oneself in something beneficial for them.
It is more important to GIVE. The word GIVE here does not mean tithes and offerings only, but it means to give our time, our love and concern for the fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It means to attend church services regularly regardless of the weather and emotional mood swings. It means to attend cell group even when you are tight in time. It also means to volunteer our time and effort to serve others.
Our root in Christ, and our character, is also measured by how much we GIVE. People who never GIVE are usually unstable in their ways, and bible says in James that double-minded person shall not receive anything from the Lord because he is a double-minded man.
So what if you have made a decision to GIVE? You have never stepped out in the first place. You did not walk the talk.
I felt sad for a friend whom I felt is highly favoured by God. Here’s a poem I’ve written for that friend.
Foliage
The lone feline rove,
Amidst the grey ruins,
Bewildered almost it seems,
If not for a Ray.
The leading with a trail,
The heartening by a Grace.
A traverse to a green grandeur,
A beholder of magnificence.
The shedding of the sun’s beams
The High favour revealed.
The feline dances,
Along the backward trail,
The fainting gleam of Light,
Her swan song in eternity.Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
