*alarmclockring*
Whaaat?! You mean January has already come and gone? Already? Soo FAST?
I feel like I've not done a thing since the year started and tomorrow is already February, the 2nd month of the year.
Time to get my engine revving and start achieving some things for this year.
Time really does fly. By the months, I tell ya. Soon it'll be December again. *shudder*
Jan 31, 2009
Jan 22, 2009
Better is one day
Psalm 84:10-12
10 Better is one day in Your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favour and honour;
no good thing does He withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
12 Lord Almighty,
blessed are those who trust in You.
Amen.
Father, I trust You.
Jan 19, 2009
In the zone... not.
There are times when I'm all geared up to work on a Monday,
and there are times when I'm not in that zone at all.
Today is one of those days that I'm of the latter.
Great.
and there are times when I'm not in that zone at all.
Today is one of those days that I'm of the latter.
Great.
Jan 18, 2009
Jan 11, 2009
Compliments
The subject came up between me and 2 other colleagues: Giving Compliments.
What is a compliment? A compliment is an expression of praise, admiration, or congratulation, according to Dictionary.com. (Of course, I knew you knew that.)
See, we have come to know a certain someone who seems so liberal with his compliments that when they are given, they seem insincere and they aren't taken seriously.
I had a light-bulb moment and said:
So my advice when giving a compliment is:
1. Give it sincerely.
2. Make sure you mean it.
3. And, uh, ration it.
[akcherly ah, points 1 and 2 mean the same thing, but 3 points look better than 2 :-p]
I, however, contra to all that I've written, need to learn to give compliments because there is always something good in everyone that is always commendable.
Unpaid compliments have no value either. So there.
Since I'm in the mood to quote...
What is a compliment? A compliment is an expression of praise, admiration, or congratulation, according to Dictionary.com. (Of course, I knew you knew that.)
See, we have come to know a certain someone who seems so liberal with his compliments that when they are given, they seem insincere and they aren't taken seriously.
I had a light-bulb moment and said:
"Compliments are like currency. Give too much of it away and they lose their value."
So my advice when giving a compliment is:
1. Give it sincerely.
2. Make sure you mean it.
3. And, uh, ration it.
[akcherly ah, points 1 and 2 mean the same thing, but 3 points look better than 2 :-p]
I, however, contra to all that I've written, need to learn to give compliments because there is always something good in everyone that is always commendable.
Unpaid compliments have no value either. So there.
======================================
Since I'm in the mood to quote...
"I hate careless flattery, the kind that exhausts you
in your effort to believe it." ~Wilson Mizner
I resort to doing this to create space
"I can live for two months on a good compliment." ~Mark Twain
I resort to doing this to create space
======================================
Jan 3, 2009
The Story Retold
Thank you, Lord
Thank You Lord
I thank You Lord, for the trials that come my way
In that way I can grow each day, As I let You lead
And I thank You Lord for the patience those trials bring
In that process of growing, I can learn to care
Chorus:
But it goes against the way I am
To put my human nature down
And let the Spirit take control of all I do
For when those trials come
My human nature shouts the thing to do
And God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.
But I thank You Lord, with each trial I feel inside
That You're there to help lead and guide me away from wrong
For You promised, Lord, that with every testing
That Your way of escaping's easier to bear
But it goes against the way I am
To put my human nature down
And let the Spirit take control of all I do
For when those trials come
My human nature shouts the thing to do
And God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.
Yes, I thank You Lord, for the victory that growing brings
In surrender of everything, life is so worthwhile
And I thank You Lord, that when everything's put in place
Out in front I can see Your face
And it's there You belong
But it goes against the way I am
To put my human nature down
And let the Spirit take control of all I do
For when those trials come
My human nature shouts the thing to do
And God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.
I thank You Lord, for the trials that come my way
In that way I can grow each day, As I let You lead
And I thank You Lord for the patience those trials bring
In that process of growing, I can learn to care
Chorus:
But it goes against the way I am
To put my human nature down
And let the Spirit take control of all I do
For when those trials come
My human nature shouts the thing to do
And God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.
But I thank You Lord, with each trial I feel inside
That You're there to help lead and guide me away from wrong
For You promised, Lord, that with every testing
That Your way of escaping's easier to bear
But it goes against the way I am
To put my human nature down
And let the Spirit take control of all I do
For when those trials come
My human nature shouts the thing to do
And God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.
Yes, I thank You Lord, for the victory that growing brings
In surrender of everything, life is so worthwhile
And I thank You Lord, that when everything's put in place
Out in front I can see Your face
And it's there You belong
But it goes against the way I am
To put my human nature down
And let the Spirit take control of all I do
For when those trials come
My human nature shouts the thing to do
And God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.
Question: Why do we struggle to submit to God's will when we already know that His will is perfect?
Heard this song for the first time at the recent Watchnight Service at this church. I thought it was an interesting song, cos it's not often we hear worship songs that end with a not-so-good connotation.
How the songwriter chose to end the song is unique and real, for most of us. The struggle is real and our human nature definitely still exists.
But what is most interesting are the contradicting verses of the song. They thank God for the trials, for His guidance and His victory at the end of each trial.
The chorus leaves you tempted to think that our own human nature is so easy to 'fall' into and it can't be helped, but the verses give you hope, to continue to trust in God and have faith that He is and will be there in every trial to see you through and rise victorious.
I guess when you're struggling, you don't see/listen. You're too engrossed with wrestling for your own way. But when you take a step back at look, you realise that you have foolishly wasted time and energy struggling over something that was a non-issue in God's plan.
I think it was timely that I read this online devotional as well by a dear sister/aunty/mentor of mine.
God makes everything beautiful in His time. And I shall continue to hope in Christ Jesus my Lord and in His garenti-sure promises.
