Adapted from ODJ "Our Daily Journey" Dec 17
This devotional spoke to me yesterday while i was seriously making decisions.
"We have some friends, a young married couple, living with us. Finished with one part of their university studies we've applied to a variety of graduate schools to continue their coursework. But they have no idea where they will end up. The possibilities are all over the map from Boston to Vancouver. They filled out many applications and been through interviews and carefully considered options. Now all they did was to pray and wait for the day the postman brings news of the future.
Psalms 5 begins with a straightforward request "O Lord hear me as I pray pay attention to my groaning" The psalmist King David was experiencing some measure of loss, sorrow or torment. He was in pain "groaning". In his difficult place, David wanted God to hear His agony. He needed God to listen to his "cry for help".
David didn't run to his advisors or wife or he many wise sages of his court for aid. None could help him. He didn't roll up his sleeves and pore over documents, figuring out a solution to his predicament.
He knew he couldn't help himself so he went directly to the only One who could meet him in his darkness. "I pray to no one but You," David said. David waited, watching for God. David's only work was not to work. He waited, watching for God. He decided to bring his heart and hope to God then to wait expectantly.
The Message Bible puts it this way "Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar and watch for fire to descend." --Winn Collier
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
the toughest dilemma
Sigh.....have you ever been in the toughest, stickiest (very hard to get out of) dilemma. yes call it a good problem as most would but it was horrible for me. I said "yes" to two job offers and then....u this week i had the horrendous task of rejecting one cos there's no way u can split yourself into two and do both jobs (duh).
I was debating between 1) passion (a job scope i really loved) and 2) Ok but quite a fresh job scope but more practical practicality (in terms of working hours and salary) and guess which won in the end?
Er....pragmatism. Yes note the hesitation. I was always the strong advocate of people following their heart or passion in a job. However this is not what i put into action for myself. But wait, I really wasn't offered enough (salary and freedom in working hours) for the first job offer. Sigh. AND aren't we singaporeans all the same? We always do what we HAVE to do first.
My thinking is this....I was given quite a golden opportunity and failing to seize it would mean a big chance/work experience missed. and seldom do you get a chance to work in interesting places (to me) like this one. I do love helping random people in a customer service environment, administratively, like doing paper work for them, registering them for this and that, even giving them advice from what i know.
As for teaching, yes its in my blood (a cousin and my mom are teachers).
But hey, who said we only have to consider JOB SCOPE? If the job meets our financial needs every month, the timings for work every day is okay, bills are paid and there is a bit of savings, wont we feel more comfortable about work and energized to meet each days's challenges? Of course passion is a good driving force as well. But that alone hm.....can I sustain my living expenses in a fast paced eveergreen metropolitan City that I'm in now?
But i was given FEEDBACK from senior teachers at the beginning of the year that i didn't seem to have the patience or the joy or whatever u call it, in teaching. But then again it was MATHs i was teaching that time. hardly my passion. this time i was given LIT to teach.....argh. But yup practicality first....like i said.
Alas, i kissed teaching goodbye at least as a full time job. but i believe when i've attained what i need to attain (experience and feeling more settled), i will DEFINITELY come back....to teach. In that private school who has a wonderful Korean couple. there will always be a korean market in singapore.
I was debating between 1) passion (a job scope i really loved) and 2) Ok but quite a fresh job scope but more practical practicality (in terms of working hours and salary) and guess which won in the end?
Er....pragmatism. Yes note the hesitation. I was always the strong advocate of people following their heart or passion in a job. However this is not what i put into action for myself. But wait, I really wasn't offered enough (salary and freedom in working hours) for the first job offer. Sigh. AND aren't we singaporeans all the same? We always do what we HAVE to do first.
My thinking is this....I was given quite a golden opportunity and failing to seize it would mean a big chance/work experience missed. and seldom do you get a chance to work in interesting places (to me) like this one. I do love helping random people in a customer service environment, administratively, like doing paper work for them, registering them for this and that, even giving them advice from what i know.
As for teaching, yes its in my blood (a cousin and my mom are teachers).
But hey, who said we only have to consider JOB SCOPE? If the job meets our financial needs every month, the timings for work every day is okay, bills are paid and there is a bit of savings, wont we feel more comfortable about work and energized to meet each days's challenges? Of course passion is a good driving force as well. But that alone hm.....can I sustain my living expenses in a fast paced eveergreen metropolitan City that I'm in now?
But i was given FEEDBACK from senior teachers at the beginning of the year that i didn't seem to have the patience or the joy or whatever u call it, in teaching. But then again it was MATHs i was teaching that time. hardly my passion. this time i was given LIT to teach.....argh. But yup practicality first....like i said.
Alas, i kissed teaching goodbye at least as a full time job. but i believe when i've attained what i need to attain (experience and feeling more settled), i will DEFINITELY come back....to teach. In that private school who has a wonderful Korean couple. there will always be a korean market in singapore.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
On resting and working
On rest
"In the modern, westernized world we think of our days as sun rise to sun rise. In other words, we rise, we work, and then we end the day in rest. We rest to recover from our work ... with whatever time is left over after the work is done.
However, in the ancient Jewish tradition the day runs from sundown to sundown. That's quite a different concept. In other words, we rest, then we rise and do our work. Rest becomes the source and fuel for the work rather than merely recovery from it." - Rachel Olsen
Tada! I finally got my much deserved rest and thorough proper sleep hours the last night! ahhhh........never felt soo recharged.
Genesis 2:2
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
On work
Gen 3
17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."
"In the modern, westernized world we think of our days as sun rise to sun rise. In other words, we rise, we work, and then we end the day in rest. We rest to recover from our work ... with whatever time is left over after the work is done.
However, in the ancient Jewish tradition the day runs from sundown to sundown. That's quite a different concept. In other words, we rest, then we rise and do our work. Rest becomes the source and fuel for the work rather than merely recovery from it." - Rachel Olsen
Tada! I finally got my much deserved rest and thorough proper sleep hours the last night! ahhhh........never felt soo recharged.
Genesis 2:2
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
On work
Gen 3
17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."
Friday, October 15, 2010
passion. working hours. salary.
1) is it consistent with the Word of God?
hm, teaching is consistent. so are the other jobs in question (that i have interest in). as his hands and his feet to the rest of the world who have not known Him, teaching others is good. If we are the body, why aren't we helping, going, teaching, showing the way? Helping others through counting, engineering, or reading drawings, interpreting data, etc. Helping through administration and paper work is also a form of service unto God. If we are gifted to teach, we teach. If we are gifted to count, we count. If we're gifted to talk and meet people and not afraid of rejections, we do sales. As long as we're not harming others, not hurting others, loving God, loving people (though it may require tremendous human effort to), not stealing, it should be fine.
2) is it beneficial to me? am i being mastered by it or under its control?
Most jobs are beneficial except those morally wrong. Or those where your body is not the temple of the Holy spirit. Those where you may end up worshipping another god or be tempted to. Or that takes your time away from God and gathering of His body of people. A job that has roots (even ancient roots) in worshiping of other spirits is not too good. Or where you have to steal or kill the innocent. Grey areas exist sometimes. Bottom line: if the job is your God or if your job takes time and focus from God and quenches your thirst for Him, it may not be the right job.
3) am i hindering another person in their walk with God?
tough one. I guess modeling Christ and His ways in our reactions and attitudes especially in bad times will show others His heart. So...how do i answer this question. Being Christian is about BEING not the job you do right?
4) are my parents, and other godly believers in agreement with what i do??
They usually agree about what I do. (or that's what i perceive). Usually. Unless its morally wrong or when your closer friends have no peace about it or they have evidence and facts that this job is non-peaceful.
5) do i have the peace of God about it?
yup yup its all about Passion, then the PEACE. Then the Pay. then the Price (time's opportunity cost)
6) open doors? favour?
Ahhh this one is fun to answer. Usually i first judge it by the interviewer who is usually the boss himself/herself. If she/he likes me, i will proceed.
Next round is the people at the company. If they SEEM friendly and generally nice and look like they are growing and interested, i would take another step in. then the surroundings or building itself would come into question.
7) has God revealed His leading in dreams, visions, impressions or prophecies given through others?
I HAVE NOT BEEN HAVING VISIONS nor DREAMS about anything thus far...no directions anywhere. how??? are we to depend on these signs mainly or the Word?
8) check my heart... are my motives good before God?
ahhh....i don't know there are no motives at all in both choices. no big save the world plan at all seriously. I don't even think i'm called to save or whatever. i only want to do my psychology or counselling everywhere. hm, that is the call after all huh.
hm, teaching is consistent. so are the other jobs in question (that i have interest in). as his hands and his feet to the rest of the world who have not known Him, teaching others is good. If we are the body, why aren't we helping, going, teaching, showing the way? Helping others through counting, engineering, or reading drawings, interpreting data, etc. Helping through administration and paper work is also a form of service unto God. If we are gifted to teach, we teach. If we are gifted to count, we count. If we're gifted to talk and meet people and not afraid of rejections, we do sales. As long as we're not harming others, not hurting others, loving God, loving people (though it may require tremendous human effort to), not stealing, it should be fine.
2) is it beneficial to me? am i being mastered by it or under its control?
Most jobs are beneficial except those morally wrong. Or those where your body is not the temple of the Holy spirit. Those where you may end up worshipping another god or be tempted to. Or that takes your time away from God and gathering of His body of people. A job that has roots (even ancient roots) in worshiping of other spirits is not too good. Or where you have to steal or kill the innocent. Grey areas exist sometimes. Bottom line: if the job is your God or if your job takes time and focus from God and quenches your thirst for Him, it may not be the right job.
3) am i hindering another person in their walk with God?
tough one. I guess modeling Christ and His ways in our reactions and attitudes especially in bad times will show others His heart. So...how do i answer this question. Being Christian is about BEING not the job you do right?
4) are my parents, and other godly believers in agreement with what i do??
They usually agree about what I do. (or that's what i perceive). Usually. Unless its morally wrong or when your closer friends have no peace about it or they have evidence and facts that this job is non-peaceful.
5) do i have the peace of God about it?
yup yup its all about Passion, then the PEACE. Then the Pay. then the Price (time's opportunity cost)
6) open doors? favour?
Ahhh this one is fun to answer. Usually i first judge it by the interviewer who is usually the boss himself/herself. If she/he likes me, i will proceed.
Next round is the people at the company. If they SEEM friendly and generally nice and look like they are growing and interested, i would take another step in. then the surroundings or building itself would come into question.
7) has God revealed His leading in dreams, visions, impressions or prophecies given through others?
I HAVE NOT BEEN HAVING VISIONS nor DREAMS about anything thus far...no directions anywhere. how??? are we to depend on these signs mainly or the Word?
8) check my heart... are my motives good before God?
ahhh....i don't know there are no motives at all in both choices. no big save the world plan at all seriously. I don't even think i'm called to save or whatever. i only want to do my psychology or counselling everywhere. hm, that is the call after all huh.
Monday, October 11, 2010
if it makes you happy, it can't be that bad?
Hm I am really analyzing this sentence in a song of the famous singer Sheryl Crow.
Ooooh just married off another one of my cousins (girl) yesterday.
I mean helped her a bit only with her reception and being 1 and half hours earlier than all the guests (which is a big feat for me if you know me).
I was actually very glad in helping, making friends with her friends and colleagues, mostly in medical field. They were all quite formal but polite and approachable and helpful. Helped erase the bad memories of this week away not that the week was THAT bad...but i was super kan Chiong (anxious in hokkien) about what to wear, how unprepared i was for a relative's wedding. And it turned out ok. Oh and i met old school mates and one old church mate who was actually related (cousins) to that ex church mate. Like my senior in NJC Council said (Miss O. whom i also met there and she is doing well) "This world is not small. We're just all very inter-connected someway or another." Miss O. was getting the wedding cake and she was congratulating me about my interviews coming up this week. And then this is the part: HAHAHAHOHOHOHEHEHE. my cousin was trying to put me with her childhood friend. She put him next to me at the dinner table hello when he's the only one not blood related to us at the table? How un-subtle can she get? Anyway she and he (groom and bride) gave each other surprise or not so surprise wedding speeches which were kinda more funny than romantic (lol). And this I am happiest to see : Equal Yokes. Of 2 believers coming together and working for the Lord. It's super important personally I feel to have this in common with the person you choose to fall in love with. Because human emotions and relationships ARE fragile, couples need that common strand to keep them going.
Sweet i love wedding days.
Truth is my job is actually the perk of my day every day and the ironic part is 1) its only a temp job!!! 2) i'm paid per hour an ok sum that pays my monthly bills 3) IT'S A JOB not a hobby or recreation, 4) Atmosphere and People here are 85% nice and reasonable almost all the time, except for 5% angry or frustrated or impatient customers who train our EQs and capacity to be nicer people (to them) and oh yes the horrible weekend crowds and overcrowded pool.:P there were a few times a monkey (should be the same one) visited the pool and played with the kids on the slides and in the kids pool. and once the pool was overcrowded by 50 people....and people still wanted to come and swim. so we had to stop them.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
:( then :)
I love times which start out as :( then becomes :) in the end.
For starters, the stress is on as its my tuition kid's PSLE. So that equates to 3 or 4 tuition sessions this week in the hope that he or both of them would be motivated to stardee out of enjoying the process studying and learning new things AND not only for the sake of good grades.
Ok....what else...one big interview where i finally put my best foot forward and tried to impress the judges oops i mean the interviewers. Usually i keep wondering before and DURING the interview whether I should even have gone for the interview, whether i should put my best forward or be brutally honest about how i feel about myself in the job, and whether I would accept the job if they 'wanted' me. Lesson for the week: Putting my best foot forward despite doubting my ability to do the job.
The question i keep asking myself is What job do i have the passion for?
Without the PAssion....(oh haha....i love my temp job there by the way (pun intended)) it would be pointless unless we're dying of starvation (working for the money only).
So... so.... prospects are what you make out of it. please don't go listening to friends who advice you to choose "this or this" out of prospects because prospects are what you carve out from your own passions. you can have the strangest passion that no one else shares, but if you can turn it into something that helps people, that keeps you close to God still, that pays the bills, that uses your gifts, why not??
For starters, the stress is on as its my tuition kid's PSLE. So that equates to 3 or 4 tuition sessions this week in the hope that he or both of them would be motivated to stardee out of enjoying the process studying and learning new things AND not only for the sake of good grades.
Ok....what else...one big interview where i finally put my best foot forward and tried to impress the judges oops i mean the interviewers. Usually i keep wondering before and DURING the interview whether I should even have gone for the interview, whether i should put my best forward or be brutally honest about how i feel about myself in the job, and whether I would accept the job if they 'wanted' me. Lesson for the week: Putting my best foot forward despite doubting my ability to do the job.
The question i keep asking myself is What job do i have the passion for?
Without the PAssion....(oh haha....i love my temp job there by the way (pun intended)) it would be pointless unless we're dying of starvation (working for the money only).
So... so.... prospects are what you make out of it. please don't go listening to friends who advice you to choose "this or this" out of prospects because prospects are what you carve out from your own passions. you can have the strangest passion that no one else shares, but if you can turn it into something that helps people, that keeps you close to God still, that pays the bills, that uses your gifts, why not??
Monday, October 4, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
how could it not be God? (last paragraph)
The asian way of thinking sometimes makes me cringe and wonder if the values we have and get used to and evenn uphold on daily basis is actually better than the western way of thinking and doing things. I will say that no every asian is good or filial and neither is every westerner ambitious and unflilial.
I really want to do some research on this. I should read Ravi Zakarias's book "From East to the West" next on his growing up in both sides of the world.
I don't know what sort of blog posts i should put up....the abstract subject based type or the daily happenings and events reflection type...
Lastly but probably the best things that have happened to me thus far at the place i temporarily work at is this :
i've been bumping into so many people of the past whom i thought i wouldn't meet again! and these are old church mates. not old in age but i knew them in sunday school kinda thing? and over the years they've left but not left in heart but physically left to go to a nearer church to their homes or left to go with their parents somewhere God led them to go, and hey presto! there i meet them! at the place I work! So far I've met 3 or 4 of them. We were all meeting each other without planning at all. It's such an encouragement to me that i feel strongly must be from God otherwise how would it happen, by sheer coincidence? I really don't think so...
I really want to do some research on this. I should read Ravi Zakarias's book "From East to the West" next on his growing up in both sides of the world.
I don't know what sort of blog posts i should put up....the abstract subject based type or the daily happenings and events reflection type...
Lastly but probably the best things that have happened to me thus far at the place i temporarily work at is this :
i've been bumping into so many people of the past whom i thought i wouldn't meet again! and these are old church mates. not old in age but i knew them in sunday school kinda thing? and over the years they've left but not left in heart but physically left to go to a nearer church to their homes or left to go with their parents somewhere God led them to go, and hey presto! there i meet them! at the place I work! So far I've met 3 or 4 of them. We were all meeting each other without planning at all. It's such an encouragement to me that i feel strongly must be from God otherwise how would it happen, by sheer coincidence? I really don't think so...
Narrowing down
Ok I have narrowed down to 2 main choices. 2 and a half because the current temp job i'm at seems tolerable and almost decent and nice. Great opportunity is there. the first proper offer came in today at long last. it was definitely a scope i have passion for and would love to grow in seriously long term and mid term.one of the jobs i could would really love.a job i can really learn a lot. cos i'm totally new but totally interested.
The other i have already tried and tested before, something i like but being creative, getting the kids to like you, and TO TALK to you, and to do well is a learning journey. inspiring them is another thing. but the best part is your on your own to get this done. its up to you to go to their level of thinking and relating to get them to love learning.
the final choice is the one im in now. er........its interesting and passive. u just sit there and wait for people to talk to you and ask strange questions about activities and handle complaints and suggestions and process administraiton work for their memberships, courses, etc. collect money. i feel like a cashier or tax collector, security guard, clerk, counsellor, information counter, public relations exec, etc.
so these are all good people jobs. :) hm, every job has a hazard and its just what i can give up and willing to give up or what i can tolerate/take every day to get to do what i do.
Factors: Interest and passion
Working hours/ days
salary
Ability to grow and learn
Environment
The other i have already tried and tested before, something i like but being creative, getting the kids to like you, and TO TALK to you, and to do well is a learning journey. inspiring them is another thing. but the best part is your on your own to get this done. its up to you to go to their level of thinking and relating to get them to love learning.
the final choice is the one im in now. er........its interesting and passive. u just sit there and wait for people to talk to you and ask strange questions about activities and handle complaints and suggestions and process administraiton work for their memberships, courses, etc. collect money. i feel like a cashier or tax collector, security guard, clerk, counsellor, information counter, public relations exec, etc.
so these are all good people jobs. :) hm, every job has a hazard and its just what i can give up and willing to give up or what i can tolerate/take every day to get to do what i do.
Factors: Interest and passion
Working hours/ days
salary
Ability to grow and learn
Environment
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