Survey: Smoking Overcomers Support Group

The men's ministry would like to start a Smoking Overcomers Support Group to help guys overcoming smoking.

We'd like to poll to find out how many brothers would find this support group useful.

If you like to join this support group to help overcome your smoking addiction, please give us your name and contact by using the following form (before end Feb):

Dads for life

Dads For Life from Little Red Ants on Vimeo.

A heartwarming video about fathers, for fathers. First produced for the Dads for Life movement by the National Family Council and Fathers Action Network to encourage fathers in Singapore to be more involved in their children's lives.



Commissioned by the Ministry Of Community Development, Youth and Sports (Singapore), Little Red Ants Creative Studio is proud to work on this project with renowned photographer and first-time director Tay Kay Chin.

Dad....

How's Everybody?

Been through with my first week since term starts and now this is my second week. I feel like fighting for time to do things I really want after a day's work when I am so drained. Managed to get home earlier to take a nap before dinner, and after which, took a shower before writing this entry while catching a glimpse of "Superman" showing on TV at my living room! At the same time, I was reminded not to try to be a "Superman", in my attempt to accomplish numerous things and neglect the much more "super" God that we have. Tap on his strength this new year and may the Force be with you!

Have a good week ahead!

New Year, New Beginning

To start with this entry and on behalf of the Men's Ministry team, I wish all readers out there, a Happy Blessed New Year!

I had a great time playing games at Pit Stop Cafe, with my girlfriend and my sub-d brothers and sisters. There were new visitors who were introduced and joined in the fun as we anxiously waited for 2009 to pass and to usher 2010, in the midst of fireworks, laughter, well-wishes, cheers and loads of fun.

Just a few hours ago before going to the sub-d event, my girlfriend and I met up to share our reflections for 2009 and to put up resolutions for 2010. One of them was to listen more closely to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Acting upon the voice of God is easier said than done, but this does not mean I (or we) have to give up discerning what is His voice and what is not. Another resolution was to empathise with people and to feel what they feel. To build relationships with others, I would have to stop engaging people "head-to-head", but more on "heart-to-heart". To "end" my 2009 before the sub-d countdown event, my girlfriend and I committed all our resolutions into prayers, putting our trust in God to materialise them in the new year...

Bike Hike from Sengkang to Bedok

Allow me to digress from the usual postings but I really want to share something which all of us can do to bond with one another - bike hiking!

My girlfriend and I took onto the road with our foldable bikes today, and to our amazement, cycled from her place in Sengkang to Anchorvale, Buangkok Bridge, Tampines Road, IKEA Tampines, Tampines Interchange and then the park connector to Bedok reservoir. The amazing thing was that we did not feel worn out (at least for now) after the ride!!

The Mayonnaise Jar

Recently, I was reminded by my girlfriend not to miss out the small things in life as a I was preoccupied with work and other so-called the "bigger" things. I am not a fan of mass emails, but I think there maybe some readers who have seen this for the first time and find some truth in it.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar... and the coffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, " I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things-your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions-things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else-the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

God's Plan for You

Everyone has a plan, I think, even if you may not be a natural strategist or an eye for details. Some of us may pay other people to plan for our behalf, such as insurance or financial plans. However, God also has a plan for us, just in case you (even me) may not either realise or remember, hence, requiring somebody, something or the Spirit, to constantly remind you (and me) that God HAS a plan for you, which is different from the world (such as your friendly financial planner) can give. His plan is BETTER.

I have been reading Joyce Meyer's "How to Hear from God" and one of the questions worth reflection was:

"Do you believe that God has a good plan to prosper you, a plan to give you hope and a future? If so, how does your life reflect this belief? If not, pray and ask God to help you accept and believe His Word."

I believe God has a good plan to prosper me, a plan to give me hope and a future (Jer. 21). Here, I am not trying to state the obvious. If the above question has been asked last year or earlier, I would have replied that I "know" God has a plan to prosper me. You see, "knowing" God has a plan for you does not equate to "believing" God has a plan for you.

Recently, I had this urge to sit down and to list all the reasons for me to stay and to leave the teaching service. This sudden urge also caused me to a realization that my reasons for staying were probably not the best reasons for anyone who is either wanting to pursue or already pursuing a career in teaching.

Approaching three and the half years since graduating from NIE, I did not either enjoy or feel that I have done exceptionally well working with my past and present students, and colleagues. Deep inside, I never see myself teaching forever and maybe I should be looking for other job opportunities. But by God's grace, and not that I am trying to show-off my abilities, I am able to secure some performance bonuses, took on higher responsibilities, achieved recognition for my last school and eventually, able to move from one school to another, which is a very, very good school (and here I shall not name which school). Even then, I do feel that I am not needed in this school and perhaps, I should either ask for a transfer to another school, HQ or to leave the service.

I am not certain (or maybe I have to reflect more on this..)how did I manage all the above and why God allow me to stay in teaching when I feel I sucked in the job. Looking back to the day when I received my scholarship to do a Fine Art degree, though I am not so certain, God seemed to have crafted a plan for me to stay in art education.

After prayer for a breakthrough in my career, I have just sent my resume for a job in a local museum and during the process of firming up my resume and sending it, I could feel a sense of peace and anticipation as though the email to the museum was my beacon of hope for a better tomorrow - getting called, interviewed and eventually hired for the job. But if I were to be turned down by the museum, I believe I will not be discouraged as I believe He will open a better way for me elsewhere!