Refrain, Resolve, Reclaim"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with."
-Michael JacksonThe theme for this year's YMLC is "The Restrained Leader". Certainly another apt title would be, "How to handle conflicts in Church without getting Your ass kicked". Something like that. But hey, some of the workshops seem interesting enough. I've finally decided on the two workshops to attend; maybe I'll get some questions answered there.I'm all hyped up about the Sydney trip...it's coming!!!!! Looking forward to hit the farmer's market...hhmmm...maybe even the ghost tour? So exciting~I finally found my next phone: the Nokia 6700 Classic. It's not out yet, but I'll be waiting in serious anticipation. I wish to get my next crumpler and second pair of glasses, but all of these will have to be put on hold till say august/september. Cash flow can sometimes bite you hard. But hey, I'm exercising self control, which is something everyone should learn.But if I can give all my money away, I hope to see Michael Jackson get his life back; better yet, start over with a better childhood. He's a legend, a mess, a totally misunderstood outcast. I wish his life could turn out better that what it is. But I think sometimes you just have to embrace the good with the bad. In time to come, I hope to see him soon. But for now, may he finally find sweet release.
Why So Mad?"I happen to feel that the degree of a person's intelligence is directly reflected by the number of conflicting attitudes she can bring to bear on the same topic."
-Lisa AltherThe sisters were watching a family edition of The Biggest Loser. The contestants were in the great outdoor, struggling to survive the harsh conditions of a camping trip. Well.Not really struggling since the contestants has electric grills among other cool devices; dome tents and thick sleeping bags with additional blankets; camp beds too so they're not really sleeping on the ground.But still you can see how the campers are whining about camping outside of home and how difficult it is to sleep outdoors. This, plus footages of them snacking (ok, so it's health snacks, but still), which got the older sister irritated and mad with the lazy bums:Oldersis: Look at those idiots. Are you kidding me?! That's not real camping!!! They should try sleeping in our 8-man tents that you have to pitch yourselves. And they're still whining!!!Youngersis: Americans what. Oldersis: And she's eating! Look! Eat lah! Eat somemore! [pause] Fat people make me angry.Youngersis: [Stunned Pause]Oldersis: I should make that into a T-shirt Slogan.Youngersis: Laughs with incredulous look. Oldersis joins her.Of course, that would be insensitive to parade in town with such a bold statement. Fatties might not appreciate that kind of humour. Not to mention quite offensive and a good chance the wearer might get arrested.But I wouldn't know. I wasn't involved in that conversation. *wink*wink*
All Is Vanity"Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be."
-Anton ChekhovI recently started an unhealthy obession over shoes. I don't know what has gotten over me but yes, I blame the girls in the office constantly showing me online stores selling shoes from Japan and Korea.But I will stay strong. No amount of kawaii shoes or bling bling will sidetrack me from having a decent stash for Sydney. I hope we can hit the bookstores there and grab a couple of Ravi's books. I don't know why we don't have more here. And a crumpler. Yes, it's very important to add one more crumpler to my existing one. ;PAnd Timtams. Only the love potion series. Yumyum. And a few other grocery items which can only be found in Australia. And flea markets...I adore the flea and farmer's market...*drool*
Say What?"'What makes you think the whole world revolves around you?!' my mother said, as I slowly rotated to maintain eye contact."
-John Alejandro KingI had an interesting call from Singtel the other day:Me: Hello?ST: Hi, Is this [My mum's name]Me: Uh, no. She's overseas right now.ST: Oh. Are you her daughter?Me: Yes.ST: Uh, can you talk on her behalf?ME: Sure.ST: Does your mother have broadband?Me: No.ST: [Pause] Oh. And does she have a computer?Me: No.ST: Oh. [Pause] Actually I'm calling to inform her about our new broadband promotion. But since she does not own a computer, the promotion won't apply to her.Me: Yes. (Like Duh~)At the back of my mind, I can only imagine what the poor girl must be thinking. Who doesn't own a computer at this day and age? It can only be my mum. And what a silly conversation to have too.
On My Mind
"A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities."
-William Arthur WardBoy. Am I glad I budget. This is something I picked up during my stint in Brisbane and I'm truly grateful that I saw the importance in planning my finances early rather than later. June/July will be an interesting juggle, but thank God for small miracles.I have been thinking really hard the past week. It's been weighing heavily on my mind and heart and I think I can more or less articulate my thoughts into a somewhat coherent train of ideas and opinions. I want to first make it clear that I'm not out to attack anyone. But rather, I want to express what I'm thinking and from my point of view, why I think this way.The youth ministry is special. It's where creativity comes from. It's where energy and endless possibilities abound. I get that. And I can see why the rest of the church would look to it to extend the church's lifespan.If the young adults don't go back to the main service, eventually the whole church will hollow out and die. I can see that as a possibility. I get that too.Now here's my point(s):- While it's important that we as a whole church grow together, shouldn't the main church also look to reach out and grow as one commodity and not just look to the youths to "recharge" the main service?-Likewise, the youth ministry should not just depend on the Sunday school P6 cohort to increase the numbers in the congregation. That's not growth. Not really.-With new initiatives in place to jump start the increasing young adults and families in church, the youth ministry can definitely assist to spread the word around. But I hope that people can understand that if the numbers don't go up, it's not because we're being prideful. There's also the freedom of choice. We can't force people to so call "move on" if they don't want to.-Ironically, we also have many leaders moving on to other churches or back to main service when currently, we're short of leaders. In a nutshell, if we're not careful, we might face the problem of not having enough leaders to lead the youths to grow and mature in a Godly way.And just so we're clear, we don't just need youthful leaders; the youths need leaders who are also mature and has a wealth of experience and knowledge to impart. And we need time for that to happen. That, or we have leaders coming in to join the youth ministry.Now, therein lies the conflict. Yes, we need to look at the big picture. Yes, we have to think of the Church's welfare (and by church, I mean the people). I don't know about the rest, but as for me, my interest lies in my youths. The flock that I'm in charge of. I don't care if they stay or go, so long they grow in the way God wants them to. Call me myopic, but it's hard for me to straddle both concerns and jump on the bandwagon just because it's the new initiative.I don't know if I'll "move on". My heart is in the youths. So I can safely speak for myself and say I'm in for the long haul unless God tells me otherwise. Am I being selfish for not wanting to go to the adult side? Is it fair to pin that label on me or others who feel the same way I do? I have never withheld my service to the main service unless I'm super packed with other commitments. Anyone who has worked with me knows that. But sometimes there's also a need to say No, just because there's too much to handle.If for argument's sake, we can't reach to a compromise, what then? I've learnt the hard way in the past to submit to authority. I will continue to submit whether I like it or not, but if there's ever a time I find myself having trouble doing that, I either shape up or ship out.I can't help but wonder, if push comes to shove, would it be better for everyone's interest to just start a separate preaching point? It's not meant to be a threat, but a genuine question.As for the leadership...well, that's another blog post for another time my friends...=.=
Cloud Balloons"I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering."
-Steven Wright
SampleThis is finally kicking off and I'm all scarily excited about the rest of the year. Yes, you heard me. Scarily excited. What was I thinking? Can I pull it off? Sometimes the feeling of excitement can border off to sheer terror.My sis' graduation fashion show on Monday was a success. But backstage was another thing altogether. According to her, the side seams of one of her garments split but to be honest I did not notice it. And the same thing happened to other students' garments with that same model. She says the model has put on weight since that last fitting. But who's gonna tell that to the model? haha.Yay. Weekend. I've finally decided that I'll get a 3 room flat after all. It's small enough for one person and it's cozy too. More importantly, I like the layout and already I know exactly what I can do with the space.I think that's the problem with newer 4-5 room flats. The layout is all awkward and the only solution I can think of is to hack off walls. But I can only go so far since I have a budget for that sort of thing.So yup. Just 7 more years to go. Dang. It's ok, I'll wait. Maybe something will happen to the existing ruling power and the rules will change. After all, somebody has to die sometime right? Gah. That's so mean. What I meant to say was-yeah, that's exactly what I wanted to say.Anyone read the news lately? How many billion was that again??!
Epiphanical Moment #664257"True freedom lies in the realization and calm acceptance of the fact that there may very well be no perfect answer"
-Allen Reid McGinnis
I couldn't help overhear the conversation between a young lady with "Lian-ish" qualities and her boyfriend.L: I don't know what to get...BF: Huh...?L: The...The mouse. I want a different type...BF: (Something I can't catch)L: Maybe more than one..uh..uh...get mouses...?Me: ??**&^#.....=.=Happy weekend, everybody!
