Indescribable gratitude.

I've just finished replying every Facebook birthday wish. Some longer than others but nevertheless a reply from me as the least I could do to acknowledge it. Facebook messages sometimes seems insincere because it is so convenient nowadays, well for once I decided to put that aside. I thank everyone who did so.

I'm not going to mention names about anyone but you know who you are (if you ever come across this post). To my friends who are currently, studying & living aboard. I'm very thankful for your wishes despite the time zone differences. Especially for those who bothered to type an email and call back. I'm very flattered that you have remembered :) (believe me, I remember yours)

To the 5 who waited for me, and then spent me the dinner. A big thank you to all of you. For the time and effort placed into making this happen for me. Friendships are things, we all try to keep and hold on to. Hope this is something that i will hold on for a long time.

To those who were also around last night to throw a little surprise and then footing the bill, once again. Thanks much. There is really little ways to describe the thankfulness. Good friends used to be hard to find, now they are almost extinct. I am glad to have you. Those who have mentored and act as an older sibling for me to follow after, how you have shown guidance I will follow suit.

Daddy, Mommy and Cheryl. Whether it's a meal in a hotel or in a normal restaurant. Birthday or not. Any meal with you all is special regardless. Has always been, and forever will be. 

Shermaine, the one and only. Even though you are far away in person, my thoughts are always to be with you. I miss you deeply and thank you for the present. :) It is a great reminder of all we've had, and what is yet to come :)

Lastly but not least. My Jesus, comforter and friend. Without You, none of those wonderful things above can ever happen. Thank you for the chance of knowing You from a young age, some much potential pain, suffering have been avoided because of that. May this be one of the many that has come. May Your Name be glorified before all else.

Born to serve

This is the 4th time in my 22 years that I will have my birthday on a Sunday. To me it's the first time, I'm on duty on my birthday.

An what an honour it is to live out your life, for it's full original purpose. To serve and not to be served. To serve God.

I have something else to say, but i guess it'll wait/it can wait. 

Perception, the prior Judgement..

This title has been lingering in my head for more than a week already. I told myself that I would try to blog more meaningful and beneficial things. However, even something that is supposedly meant to be positive can also offend a person. The fact of the matter is, you can't please everyone. This is something that no one should ever attempt in trying to do, because the enormous effort will only be in vain. As it is impossible, and we will die trying to achieve that.

There's this saying that goes, "don't judge a book by its cover". Referring to people in this context, it actually means do not judge a person by his/her outward appearance, instead get to know the person first. How often do we actually put that into practice? How many of us can actually honestly say that we don't judge.

I can say that I've made this mistake before, and sometimes it deprives us from getting to know the "real person" beneath the outward appearance. There are times where we would need to apologize, be humble about it and apologize that we had made a wrong call. We Mis-Judge someone. Judging is what leads up to the aftermath, the execution. But what is before that? What causes us to judge?

It is what I believe is perception. There are many interpretations to it, mine in this context is like a pre-judgement. If we were to apply that phrase again " don't judge a book by it's cover", this would be like just hearing about the book and think negatively about it. In a more humanly context, it could basically mean that you did not even get to meet the person, but you hear someone rant about him/her, and you form an opinion already of the person.

Even in the bible, God talks about this in Matthew 7:1-3

 ¹ “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

Well, there is no short cut solution to working around this. It takes alot of courage and humility to admit a mistake, let alone to someone you have not seen eye to with. However, if you are right about the person, that doesn't mean you have the right to judge the person. Like what a good friend told me, "everyone has their skeletons, it's just how well they keep it".

Everyone has flaws, just that some are more visible compared to others. Well, a flaw is a flaw nevertheless. What maybe unbearable to you, may not be to someone else. Don't judge, it's a painful way to lead your life. Seriously, it's not worth it. You have nothing to lose, and possibly something/someone to gain.

The biggest stumbling block

I'm probably currently facing what I would describe as "New Year syndrome", where because it is the turn of the new year, levels of enthusiasm is beyond at any other point of the year. So that goes for blogging as well, because I cant't foresee myself continuing to keep up the blogging pace for a longer stint other than perhaps the first week. I wouldn't really call this a continuation of the last post, but i guess somehow they are going to relate at some point.

Talking about following God fully, we don't really have a problem declaring it out loud actually. But more often than not, and we know it! our words tend to always go before our actions. That's how we end up with promises we cannot keep, obligations we fail to fulfill. Those aren't exactly desirable things, but well honestly there isn't a big deal with it. The big deal usually comes when we don't admit it, when we are forced to answer about it. Here's a fact : NO ONE likes to be corrected. Even I don't like being corrected but sometimes as lousy as it will make us feel, as low as it would take us to. It is good for our soul, keep us in-check from being arrogant and cocky. What is this that makes us into being arrogant and all that? Pride.

Yes. Pride. I have taken a great amount of time to dealing with this Pride. Lets just say I take Pride in dealing with my pride :p I believe that everyone can overcome it, if we understood how to work around this. We Men especially have a problem with this, and trust me most aren't going to admit it. The common phrase that goes with it (although never said out loud) "lose face la"....It's actually a form of embarrassment. Basically taking it apart, we're not actually prideful, we just don't like to be embarrassed, no? Back on the matter of correction, if we looked at being corrected as another opportunity to learn as to another opportunity to being ridiculed than i guess we would have less of a pride issue. Once again, it's easier said than done but come on there's a price to pay for everything and this is the price of getting rid of pride.

Sometimes, we hold on so dearly to our own opinions, our views, our feelings, our agenda and so on. Frankly, because if everyone thought the same way, this is all we're going to be living with. A selfish culture. So much so that sometimes, even God cannot intervene in our situation because of it. Of course, God has His ways of making things to work, but I mean pause for a moment and think of the magnitude of it. That sounds like a pretty big issue to me. And it usually is. Cause it gets embedded in our character, reflects in our personality and then it affects the way we deal with others. And then we wonder why there is so much tension, because the other person probably thinks the same way. There's no wrong in putting your point across. But as much as anyone would hate to admit it, you will never be 100% right all the time.

In the last post, I talked about Pastor declaring this year is about following God fully. So you tell me, how are we to follow God fully, whole heartedly if this pride issue is making us trying to play the role God in our own life? The rule of thumb is if there is a leader, then there will be a follower. Leadership is good, but good leaders are also good followers. (Well, thats another separate matter to discuss). So if you want to be the leader in your life, you expect God almighty to be your follower? Some people say, that destiny is in our own hands, so we must take the lead and control. That's not entirely correct. Yes, we are the driver of our own destiny, but God is the navigator to lead us to the right destination. We can of course leave God out of the picture, but we may end up somewhere where we weren't destined to be. 

If that's not a reason good enough for you. 

James 4:5-7 says

⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

    “ God resists the proud,
      But gives grace to the humble.”

   
⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Pride is the prefect platform the devil needs to twist your arm. Don't ever put yourself in that position to be compromised. It's not worth it. No one likes a prideful man. I do not know for sure if God likes a prideful man, but I know He still loves a prideful man.

Empowered to follow God fully..

There's a famous quote that goes "It's not how you start, but how you finish". Well, it really depends what are you referring to. But in most context, they are both equally important. How you end something will determine how you start the next, it is a cycle, a process if you like a repetitive one.

Last year 2010, was the year of God's empowerment. This year is about following God fully, whole-heartedly. As I was thinking about it, a thought came to me and I never in my life have I looked at this at such a contrasting angle. It always has appeared to me, to take each year at what it is, and when the new year comes we start with a fresh state. What if we were meant to bring forward whatever the previous year brought into the present.

For specifically 2010 to 2011. I think we have to be empowered by God first in order to be able to follow Him fully. I think 2010, ended on a high note for me, many things by the grace of God came my way so I finished well. However, now I need to start well.

There are things I know God wants me to follow Him fully and whole heartedly. Even though last year was mainly about being empowered, there were hints all around that made me wonder whether God was already preparing us for what the future has to offer. In fact looking back to 2009, It was the year of God's blessing, and that was needed before being empowered.

Sometimes, we think that we can negotiate with God. Well, think what we want to think, God always has the final say. I've held tight to many things that God has given to me to equip and be empowered which I think I have been in several aspects. In turn of events, it seems like God wants me to let go of all those to move forward in a different kind of way. God has never planned for us to fail, He has given us a hope and a life.

What does it mean to follow God fully? It basically means you no longer decide where, what, how and when. God does, and you get on with the flow. I know there are specifically 2 things, that I can directly relate to at the current moment. I shared it with a close friend, and I think I know what I must do. How about you?
Have you thought of following God fully?

It's TOUGH. It's not easy. When it is difficult, then you know and God knows that it matters to you. It is sometimes the impossible that when we follow God fully, the odds defying moments are birth from there. It boils down to how much you are willing to trust God, and how much you are willing to entrust God with.

There were many heart warming testimonies today, about the goodness of God. Don't give up pushing for that miracle whether it is for yourself or anyone. Sometimes we give up right before it takes place. Follow God fully and He will lead you to that miracle.

Blessed New Year 2011! May the Lord be with you always, whoever you are great and small. Jesus loves us all. =)