See you soon!

As I got drawn here and reread posts, I smiled, giggled(just in case my family looked at me like a crazy dude), reflected

Reading quotes, words of wisdom, notes from friends, long lost post helps pause, connect dots to things.

Well, I happen to be reading obituaries on and off, where what you put in that section is an invitation to all about your demise. It also demonstrates a little piece of where your faith holds. I don't read enough of the Bible that these sections gives me a dose of wisdom, recollection of memory verses, verses that I once hold onto deeply. Apart from the verses, I managed to stumble upon one guy, who actually quoted himself, definitely an avid angler with his picture of him in one of those small yachts for a weekend escapade for fishing. There wrote his quote, which went along the lines of, "Gone fishing, see you soon!"

Well, I look at the words, " see you soon!" and reflect what does that mean for me?

I get away on a sabbatical, A retreat (silent ones), A getaway and then return?

Well, till I'm given that privilege to meet my Creator in heaven or when its time for Him to return,

"See you soon" for me as a living person carries on the message that "I'm going to go somewhere" but its all necessary because when getting away(not too long), you are more receptive to new ideas, new people, new ways of thinking(good ones), it 'deepens' my sense of life.

Well, this space that seeks to glorify God's amazing grace 'in His Time' will come to a 'see you soon', 

 I leave this refuge to grow in my willingness to walk on oceans floor that are deep, unknown, definitely scary, unstable, but I know He will be there with me, with us.

to grow in His likeness even more, and walk less waywardly but on His path where He straightens it for me

I look forward to coming back perhaps not on this platform but definitely leaning more on His heart, His voice, His ways. and shine not like stars in what Paul writes in Philippians only but remember His glory that glows like a million suns in our lives.

A  Million Suns(Acoustic) / Hillsongs United

You stand eternal 
The uncreated One 
Who knows no end 
The starry wonders 
The vast expanses 
Bound to Your command 

You shine like a million suns ablaze 
Wrapped in eternal light and praise 
Jesus the First the Last 
The Bright and Morning Star 
 
You spoke creation 
Into existence 
Life and all we are 
Beyond all measure 
The universe 
An echo of Your power 

You shine like a million suns ablaze 
Wrapped in eternal light and praise 
Jesus the First the Last 
The Bright and Morning Star 

Everlasting 
Never ending 
You will reign forevermore 
You are holy 
You are worthy 
Lord of all

Redeemed(:

I know I'm weak,

I know I'm unworthy to call upon Your name.

but because of Grace,

because of Your mercy

I stand here unashamed......

YWAM

What
about
being
a

Youth

with
a
mission?

pondering tonight, with Radion, and a walk to Cambodia, before the work is screaming to me at the corner. Thank God for wisdom(:

before I start again

You suddenly realised that 24hours is a lot of time, and its really scary when you realised what you did with those hours given daily. A lot more evident when I sit down with a 3rd party to analyse this situation.

This week consolidating materials for parent-teacher conference, still consolidating due to the lack of efficiency on my part, and relying too much on physical self .
While consolidating I saw the wonders in how the children have grown since they came in January, February, March, April,May.

a question beginning my week:
Is my energy going into disciplining the children solely or you will choose to empower them in areas that I as their educator will provide for them.

so before I start again this week, a new week with a different perspective

Thank you Lord for His grace in picking me up when you fall really flat onto the ground .
to work hard and play hard for the Lord(:

Quietness

In a day yesterday, I sent 2 groups of a people in the morning and person in the evening, most indirectly and not physically there, but in energy and spirit that I would have been(:

To be spoken to about God's promised future that He planted in us and an army friend who's future manifest in the few years he studies over there.

in the silence of my household, you allow your thoughts finally to get rested and through in your inner being, without the hustle and bustle of getting completing A today, completing B tomrrow.

and having conversations with a few people that I would not have talked to not for rest tonight, and also reminding me of going to God first, and the encouragement of people gathered in intercession.

stop whining and start moving before I waste the energy on the former.

and thank God for rest(:

Comparisions

Flipping open newspapers, reading off the Radion blog and think of what I am put on the table daily, just makes me grateful once again for what i have been given.
In fast paced society of Singapore, many voices I hear includes myself shouts after a 'increased living standard'. Put that in perspective as I walk on...

Want to remember His power daily instead of just the brief days in a mission trip(:

hope you do too.....

Redeemed

Watching Good Friday presentations, being part of a Good Friday/Easter Presentation, remembering the death of Jesus & and the redemptive grace of His love was just rekindling my faith once again.
Thank you Lord,
thank you Jesus
for the pain you bore for a ransom for many so that we were able to receive this eternal gift of grace(:

rememebr that time?

Having opened the quarterly newsletter from Radion, still penning my thoughts returning from Angkor of Faith. Its sometimes I put it so mammoth that I feel this computer screen is just too small to concise what the Lord has done in the week.
The follow up actions/steps just seem like treading water having to return to the bustle of work life, focusing on working with 'your' children' at the centres that the children you met in Siem Reap seem to be compartmentalised into a section of your head. the rejoices and thanksgiving at each corner whenever a few of us just sit down and start with a
'Remember that time in Cambodia..."

Praise the Lord!(:

routines

These 3 weeks since Chinese New Year ended revolved around display boards(especially), finding my teaching style, organisational style, understanding colleagues better, building my relationship with the children.

I'm coming to terms with the fact that its work, and the slogan 'work never ends' is quite prevalent in my line of work. Unless there's no children left in the centre, work is bound to continue, and the motion just goes on like a water wheel, rolling as long there's a water current going through.

so the fact is I have take momentarily rest, or 'Sabbaths' just to stop that motion after spending 12plus hours each week night, working towards a seemingly poly assignment deadline, and more starts interjecting in the week.

Especially on my night walks home from the MRT, just to hold on to a little more of my faith and lesser on my own strength, knowing I don't have lots of free saturdays, evenings to spend quietening my heart for HIM lest meet up with dear people around me for dinners that I use to during army days.

Been turning to 98.7fm's top 20 countdown for just some company apart from the ocassional Senior Teacher who's as work focused on friday nights for the evening company, reaslising how little songs though with good beat, how no sense some of it makes, and dee jays who just fill our minds with mindless conversations that keep the cutting, pasting, a little 'thinking out of the box' at random laughters when designs appear different from how you planned it to be.

Thanking God each day, each week for what I wake up to each time.
To be ever grateful for what He's done(:

My children's potential & my thankfulness

days in school while I reflected on blog. as they get longer, the entries start turning up like dots, joining up one by one in the sky line. like this one here



Learning to be thankful(:

2 'S'-es

S- igns

Signs for me to be part of the Angkor of Faith this year, with renewed leave, with renewed help, Use me Lord for Your glory...

S - wift

It was a 'Carpe Diem' moment that happened tonight having decided that a previlege to be part of the journey in Cambodia this year. The concentration to book the correct flights, contemplating flight details as I balanced the increased costs in flights with dedication of this trip to my G-man immediately.

Remembering how Satan lurks ever closer when you are near the Lord.

Align my spirit with yours Oh Lord.
Align yours my friends(:

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Its in the morning, where all my cousins are still snoozing away on the 2nd day of the Chinese New Year. Body alarm just got me up after about 4 hours, haha.
I'm awake filling stuffed from late night prata-ing, technically still sleep deprived and my body calls out for me to start my exercise regime before I struggle to maintain my fitness for the annual taking of the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT).
Better start training& to apply for the date!

From the Chinese New Year eve, to the first day of Chinese New Year, it has been thanksgiving for the overflow of food, for the cousins that I re-meet especially my dad's side which rarely gets together compared to my mum's for some reason,
for the connectedness when my other cousins with my mum's I think from all the annual chalets, annual outings as really young children to Fantasy Island on Sentosa, not forgetting weekly lunches at ah ma house,and not forgetting the very faithful 4-5 days we shared watching over our great grandma.

Definitely this season's 'highs' of this season saw me watching 'lows' appearing. Perhaps my journey adulthood got me observing how actually certain family members in the extended unit are seemingly in a different group of their own for some reason and the woes that I saw emerging from while working.

its sigh after sigh sometimes, behaving like an old man, which I'm like 'huhh, isn't there a better way we settle this?' into a sense of seemingly helplessness.
BUT, watching the thing go by doesn't seem to be actually helpful ain't it?
Change start with the hardest person......myself.


Remember how thankful we are to be provided with something to feast
while I had the opportunity to look at cards from the World Children Fund and also remember people who can't afford day to day living, what more celebrations like these.

so with that,Have a blessed New Year my friends(:

P.S: I can hear work calling me when the 3rd day of chinese new year come tomrrow:S

By HIS STRENGTH....

Passes

"I do not know who is Madam Ho, I only know her as ah ma."....

Just one of the lines I remembered from Pamela & Amanda's Grandma's funeral.

I sat there and listen to how their Cousin, George shared of their ah ma,
Food's what most of us remember our ah ma's for. Theirs was steamed Pomfret as the highlight, heartfelt laughable moments while you see their faces lit up, gesturing that "haha, those were the days." giving thanks when their ah ma has received Christ into her life while reminded, MY ah ma's don't exactly have much time left on this earthly realm.

Funerals are usually gone with a role for us related to the family to provide an unspoken support, just the presence, or the handling of contributions to help the family cover funeral expenses. But it also gave me a time of refreshing in my walk with God as I listen to assurance from the reflective songs we shared and of the assurance in the salvation through Jesus Christ through the eulogy&sharing of the worship leader.

"Through it all", especially bringing it back from Thailand while sharing in worship with my mission team mates & meditating on the words "I will trust in You..." when I'm down.

I leave the physical place,having been blessed with this humbling experience spiritually.
Thank God for HIS touch(:

January

Its 4 weeks ALREADY since the school just opened its door. My inital shock that 3 children were coming in only,but it was a blessing in disguise. Feeling ever unprepared, underprepared, unprofessional about my standards.

I want to thank God for His wisdom, in small steps that I was able to take
while embarking on this 4 weeks.

October is approaching when my service term completes and
I'm asked,"so Jacob, what's next?Degree to what?"

Father show me...

If you're at such a crossroad,PRAY...praying with you(:

KABOOM!

Thank God for the 1st worship that HE held in HIS hand, blessing our time as we honoured HIM. MAy the songs that we used be like fragrant incense that rise to HIM.

I pray that to not be a thing of this 1st sunday, but coming each week as an offering to HIM(: