How To Fight So Everybody Wins

Do all things without complaining.

Philippians 2:14

He comes home flustered. "Honey, I'm late for a meeting and all my shirts are dirty!"

Now, he believes he asked reasonably for a clean shirt. But she, hearing herself criticised, fires back, "If you'd fixed the washing machine like you promised, you'd have a cupboard full of clean shirts!"

"I only asked for a shirt," he says.

"You didn't ask, you complained!" she replies.

Did he?

We complain, imagining we're asking reasonably that our partner change something we're upset about, then we're frustrated when it backfires.

Why not adopt the Biblical principle, "You do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:2 NKJV).

You'll be amazed how much you'll get once you learn to ask, instead of assuming, demanding or complaining.

Therapist and author Bill O'Hanlon calls this 'turning your complaints into action requests'.

Instead of telling your husband or wife what you don't like about their actions, ask graciously and clearly for what you'd like them to do.

Be solution-focused, action-oriented, concrete and specific.

Instead of, "John, we've got guests in thirty minutes and you're still watching TV!"

try, "John, they'll be here soon. Would you mind bathing the children while I finish cooking?"

No complaint, just a request.

Instead of, "Nobody lifts a finger around here but me,"

try, "Sweetheart, I'm really exhausted, would you help me clear up the dishes?"

Accept responsibility for turning your complaints into action requests, then make them concrete and specific.

Saying "I need you to be considerate" is much too vague.

Ask yourself, "If he or she were being considerate, what would they be doing?"

Then kindly request that behaviour - and always show gratitude when you get it!

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Psalm 139

Psalms 23.

Psalm 91 - music by John Michael Talbot

One Bread One Body - Sing Along

Love Letter From God

Learn To Make Better Decisions

A prudent man gives thought to his steps.
Proverbs 14:15

If you're still making the same mistakes at 50 that you were at 20, you need to ask God for wisdom. "The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out" (Proverbs 18:15).
What you are in the present is determined by the decisions you made in the past.
If you want to change your future, learn to make better decisions.
Be wise; let these principles guide you:
(1) Never make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances. If you do, you'll regret it.
(2) Don't let your emotions blind you reasoning. Pray, weigh things carefully and base your decisions on mature judgment.
(3) Surround yourself with sharp people and draw on their gifts, without being intimidated by their expertise.
(4) Take the time to consider all options. What looks good to you today may not look so good tomorrow.
(5) You can't fight successfully on every front, so choose your battles carefully. Simply stated: some things are not worth fighting for.
(6) Take time to get all the facts; conjecture leads to crisis.
(7) Consider the consequences of each action. Ask yourself, "Am I ready to handle this right now?"
(8) Make sure your expectations don't exceed your potential and your resources. Be realistic. If you can't count, don't apply for a job in the finance office. If you can't sing, don't try to make an album. Focus on what God gifted you to do. That's where you'll succeed.
(9) Time is your most limited and valuable resource. Don't waste it.
(10) Allow yourself a 10% risk of being wrong, a 50% likelihood of betrayal, and a 100% commitment to trust God, go forward and survive it all.

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冬恋

We are the World

Saturday Dinner

Sharon requested that I have to cook dinner, she is flying off to Finland at midnight for work.

Here are the menu:1) murshroom with oyster sauce

2) ginger pork

3) xiao bai chai with prawn

4) tofu with minced pork....

如果雲知道 --- 許茹芸

Getting Things Done

If any of you lacks wisdom... ask God.

James 1:5

Large tasks tend to overwhelm us. And overwhelmed people seldom get things done.

So ask God to help you, then apply these principles:

(1) Focus on the task. The secret of success is making every action count - being intentional. That kind of focus helps you live without regrets because it directs you and makes the most of your talents and your opportunities. If you know you have talent, and you are energetic and active, but you don't see concrete results, then lack of focus is likely your problem.

(2) Prioritise it by importance. When we don't prioritise what we must do according to its importance, the tasks begin to arrange themselves according to their urgency. And when the urgent drives you instead of the important, you lose your edge. Instead of activating your talent it robs you of the best opportunities to use it.

(3) Order it by sequence. Create a timetable, give yourself deadlines, and stick with them. The biggest lie we tell ourselves is, "I'll do it later."

(4) Assign it by abilities. When you divide a large task into smaller ones you begin to understand what kinds of people you'll need to get the job done. The most important step in accomplishing something big is determining who will be on your team. Jesus spent three and a half years discipling 12 men, then He delegated responsibilities to them. And the job got done!

(5) Accomplish it by teamwork. Even if you break a task down, strategically plan it, and recruit great people, you still need one more element to succeed. Teamwork!

Teamwork is the glue that can bring it all together.

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Thank You Lord

Visit to Air Force open house

On 30/8/08, brought mummy visit the air force show at Payer Lebar airport, went with the C C, air force celebrating their 40 years in service in Singapore......

it was a enjoyable outing...

Choices

Choose for yourselves.
Joshua 24:15

Our lives are like icebergs. Only 15 percent is visible; that's reputation. The rest, our character, is below the surface, hidden. Character is what we think but never share. It's what we do when no one's watching. It's how we react to everyday aggravations. It's how we handle failure - and success. The thing that has made us what we are is our choices. At the end of a successful career, Joshua challenges the people of Israel: "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." So the choice is yours!

French writer François de la Rochefoucauld asserted, "Almost all our faults are more pardonable than the methods we think up to hide them." Ever notice that people with the weakest character tend to place blame on their circumstances? They talk a lot about poor upbringing, financial difficulties, the unkindness of others, or other circumstances that have made them victims. Your circumstances may be beyond your control but your character is not. You can no more blame your character on your circumstances than you can blame the mirror for your looks. Developing character is always your choice. Every time you make a character-based decision you take another step forward in your Spiritual growth.

Take a moment and jot down times when you have faced temptation and adversity. Next to each, note your choice: escape, excuses, capitulation, avoidance, perseverance, or victory. What problem areas do you see? How will you learn to do better? If many of the things you list are due to circumstances beyond your control, then choose to take greater control of your life.

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Stick To The Plan (1)

I know the plans I have for you.
Jeremiah 29:11


Today God is saying to you, "While in process, stick to the plan!" Nothing takes God by surprise. He's a master planner. Joseph discovered that when your family turns against you, your friends let you down and you finish up in trouble, God still has a plan. Looking back Joseph could say, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good" (Genesis 50:20). When your situation seems too hard to handle and downright impossible to explain, remind yourself that God said, "I know the plans I have for you."
Some of us are not sure God has made up His mind about us, so we keep trying to earn His favour. Give it up! Receive the truth that God, for Christ's sake, has decided to bless you. And when God decides, temporary situations or the actions of others don't change His decision. There's nothing the enemy devises against you that God hasn't already made 'a way of escape' for. Paul writes, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it"
(1 Corinthians 10:13).
Observe: (1) In times of testing you discover how faithful God is.
(2) He knows what you can handle.
(3) He will "make a way" so you can exit this season stronger, and ready for what He has next.

So stick to the plan. The fact that you have a problem is a sign that you have a promise. It's only a matter of time before God reveals the solution.

Stick To The Plan (2)
My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Matthew 27:46


Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, yet He didn't stop him. He could have summoned twelve legions of angels to help Him, yet He didn't call on them. Under the weight of our sins He cried from the cross, "My God, why have You forsaken Me?" That's because He understood it was all part of God's plan for Him. His words, "God, where are You?" teach us that:
(a) You can be in God's plan yet at times feel overwhelmed and alone.
(b) When God doesn't answer you must stand on the Word He has given you.
(c) The pain of this season will eventually give way to the joy God has waiting for you on the other side of it. So stick to the plan; that's what disciples do.

The word 'disciple' means to be disciplined. It means sticking to the plan when you're under attack. It teaches you how to function when you don't feel like it. The enemy will come against the plan of God in your life, because that plan is like a hedge of protection around you. As long as you stay in God's plan, nothing that the enemy does can destroy you.
So, when you feel like you've reached the end of your rope and you can't go another step, do what Jesus did - pray, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:46). Give it to God! Look up and say, "Lord, I'm trusting You to do what I cannot do. Bring me through this. Here it is; I'm turning it over to You. My life, my future, and my all are in Your hands!"

Stick To The Plan (3)
Then Peter got... out of the boat, walked on the water... toward Jesus.
Matthew 14:28-29


Peter proved that as long as you keep your eyes on Jesus and stick to the plan, you won't go under. Notice:
(1) Before you get into something, make sure it's God's will for you! Peter said, "Lord, if it's You, bid me to come to You on the water" and Jesus said, "Come." Before you take on something like water-walking, pray and be sure God's in it. In other words, get God's plan and stick to it.
(2) Don't expect everybody in the boat to go with you. Water-walking is a lonely calling; it sets you apart from those who are timid and security-minded. It also tends to bring criticism from those who think you're making them look bad by contrast.
(3) If you wait for good weather you'll miss your moment. When Jesus said, "Come," they were in the middle of a storm. Face it; we'd all like the stars to line up, or some big donor to underwrite the whole project before we make a move. But how often does that happen? Peter wasn't walking on the water; he was walking on the Word! What has God told you to do? Stop waiting for ideal conditions and start doing it!
(4) Don't expect a mistake-free performance. Nobody walks without fluctuation.
The Bible describes its heroes in one sentence: "Whose weakness was turned to strength"
(Hebrews 11:34). All the great men and women of God you admire go through sinking spells when they cry out, "Lord, save me." And do you know what? He does! And He'll do the same for you.

Stick To The Plan (4)
Peter replied, 'Tell me to come to You on the water.'
Matthew 14:28


Peter didn't walk on the water all by himself, he did it with Jesus. Today Christ invites you to walk with Him and experience His miracles. Why don't we see more of them in our lives? Because:
(1) We don't pray and believe God for them. Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7). Your prayers give God an invitation, an entry point and a channel through which His miraculous power can flow to change your circumstances. But you have to pray and believe Him to do it!
(2) We think the day of miracles is past. The Scriptures declare, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever"(Hebrews 13:8). In reality there never has been 'a day of miracles'; there's only a God of miracles, and He never changes. So don't limit Him!
(3) We allow sin to sabotage our confidence. John writes, "If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him" (1 John 3:21-22).
(4) We look at the situation instead of the Saviour, and our faith falters. When Jesus told Peter, "Why do you doubt?" He was saying, "Don't allow this storm to overwhelm you. I'm right here with you. Your problem is under My feet, therefore it's under your feet too. Just keep your eyes on Me, keep walking by faith and stick to the plan!"

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Lessons From The Ten Lepers

Your faith has made you well.
Luke 17:19


Luke writes, "There met Him ten… lepers, who stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when He saw them, He said… Go show yourselves to the priests. And… as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them… returned, and… glorified God… Jesus… said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?… And He said to him, Arise, go your way: your faith has made you well" (Luke 17:12-19). Observe three things in this story:
(1) When people reject you, you start thinking God does too. Because of their leprosy, these men were rejected by society. So when they met Christ they expected more of the same. But no, the Bible says, "When you draw close to God He will draw close to you"(James 4:8). So come, bring your problem to Him. He's the great problem-solver!
(2) Sometimes you have to 'walk it out'. We read, "As they went, they were cleansed." Sometimes change takes place quickly, but most times it happens slowly, step-by-step. You don't know exactly which step will bring victory, so you need to keep walking in faith. Before a leper was welcomed back into society the priest had to pronounce him 'clean'. How wonderful; Jesus saw the change in these men before it ever took place. That's because He has the power to make it happen. So keep walking!
(3) Gratitude and praise are so important to God.

This story reminds us how quickly we forget God's goodness, how much our praises mean to Him, and that only one in ten of us will pass the gratitude test. But that one becomes "well".

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Be Prepared (1)

Work hard so God can approve you.
2 Timothy 2:15


Moses spent 80 years preparing for a job that would last 40. That's a two-to-one ratio of preparation to execution. The greater the goal, the greater the preparation! Much of your life can be spent getting ready for what seems like a brief season and assignment. But to be able to say at the end, "I have finished my course" is to have lived successfully. And that's so whether you are called to run a marathon or a 100-metre sprint.
Before passing the torch to Timothy, Paul says, "Work hard so God can approve you." Who does God use? People who prepare well. Whether you're called to business, education, politics, art, medicine or ministry, this principle remains - God uses prepared people. The price tag required for long-term success cannot be lowered. We all want what successful people have, we're just not all willing to pay the price they paid to achieve it. You must be prepared when your opportunities come.
Abraham Lincoln said, "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." Benjamin Disraeli said, "The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his time when it comes." When the fate of the Jews hung in the balance, Mordecai told Esther that her experience in the king's palace had prepared her, "For such a time as this"
(Esther 4:14). She responded and the Jews were saved. All these people had talent, prepared themselves and made the most of their opportunities when they arose. So your greatest challenge is not lack of opportunity, but being ready when it comes.

Be Prepared (2)

Hold on to instruction... guard it well, for it is your life.
Proverbs 4:13


It's not enough to get prepared, you must stay prepared. We're being told that knowledge is doubling every five years. So if you don't keep growing, you'll end up with coping skills that no longer match the challenge you face in the world you live in. It's estimated that many doctors are so busy taking care of patients that they're years behind in the latest developments in their field. If you or a loved one gets ill that could become a real concern.
Preparation doesn't begin with what you do, it begins with what you believe. If you believe that success tomorrow depends on what you do today, you'll treat today differently. A wise sailor studies the weather before he goes to sea, because he knows that avoiding a storm is easier than getting out of one. Howard Coonley of the American National Standards Institute stated, "The leader of the future will be rated by his ability to anticipate problems rather than to meet them as they come."

Preparation is not merely an event, it's a perspective. Abraham Lincoln said, "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." As a young man Lincoln had split rails with an axe, so he knew the value of staying sharp. Wisdom always prompted him to prepare - whether he was getting ready to cut wood, study law on his own to pass the bar, or lead the nation. This is why your Bible says, "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go. Guard it well, for it is your life" (Proverbs 4:13 ).

Be Prepared (3)

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:6


One of the most important questions you must ask yourself is, "What am I supposed to prepare for?" You don't want to be like the beauty pageant contestant who recently told a late-night TV talk show host, "My goal is to bring world peace - and get my own apartment." Ask God what you're supposed to do, and keep asking till you get clear instructions as to your next step (or for that matter, your first step!).
There are timeless principles in the Bible that work, whether you're walking with God or going your own way. So be careful that you are not using God, rather than allowing God to use you. "In all your ways acknowledge [consult, listen and submit to] Him, and He shall direct your paths" (
Proverbs 3:6). What ultimately matters most will not be what others say about your life, but what God says.
The humbling truth is, all achievements will eventually be surpassed, records will be broken, reputations will fade, and tributes will be forgotten. In college Dr. James Dobson's goal was to become the school's tennis champion. He felt very proud when his trophy was prominently placed in a display cabinet. Years later someone mailed him that trophy - they had found it in a trash can when the school was remodeled. Dobson says, "Given enough time, all your trophies will be trashed by someone else." Living to create an earthly legacy is a short-sighted goal. You weren't put here to be remembered, you were put here to do God's will and to prepare for eternity. If you're wise you'll keep that in mind!

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Healing Wounded Relationships (1)

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3


It happens every day. Maybe it's happening right now in your once-happy home: unrealistic expectations, infidelity and broken promises destroying the dream of lifelong love and trust. Thankfully, God is the healer of broken relationships and violated trust. When someone you love is hurting:
(1) Give it time. Healing is a process, not an event. Wounds of the heart heal slowly. Maybe you're thinking, 'But I've apologised over and over. How long will it take them to let it go and start trusting me again?' It takes as long as it takes! Demanding the other person to heal on your schedule only delays the process. 'But if they really forgave me they wouldn't keep bringing it up.' Not so. When your loved one can bring it up without you getting upset, healing will happen faster.
(2) Don't expect things to be normal for now. They won't be - and that's normal! Ever notice how you automatically protect an injured limb against knocks and bumps? It's a natural, instinctive reaction. The fact is, the one who caused the pain may be ready for business as usual, but for the wounded 'normal' feels way too vulnerable right now. By lowering your expectations and giving them space, you'll hasten and promote the healing process.
(3) Remember, people heal at different rates. God said, "There is a time… to weep… a time to laugh… a time to embrace and a time to refrain"
(Ecclesiastes 3:4-5).
Be sensitive. Let God teach you patience and growth as you give your loved one time to heal.

Healing Wounded Relationships (2)

I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.
2 Kings 20:5


Just sitting waiting for healing to happen doesn't help; it only lengthens the process. Working to become a positive influence is what moves things forward. If you want to help:
Listen.
When your loved one needs to talk, listen without trying to defend, explain, rationalise or excuse your behaviour. Don't try to correct their 'misperceptions' or lessen their pain by minimising it.

Validate.
Don't tell somebody, "You shouldn't feel that way." When people talk about their pain, often they're doing the work necessary to help them heal. By letting them know their feelings are legitimate rather than making them feel weak or silly, you enable them to work through the negative emotions.

Apologise. Yes, again! Whoever said, "Love means never having to say you're sorry," didn't know much about human relationships. Every genuine apology promotes healing. A heartfelt "I'm so sorry" is medicine to a wounded soul. So apply it till it's no longer needed - and your loved one will let you know when that is. Repair. Offer to help repair the hurt you've caused. "I know I've wounded you, and I really want to know what I can do to help heal the damage." Genuinely spoken, those words realign and make you part of the solution, not just the cause of the problem.

God said, "I have heard your prayers and seen your tears; I will heal you," and the sooner you become actively engaged in promoting the healing process, the sooner you'll get out of the penalty box and back on the field.

Healing Wounded Relationships (3)

I will restore.
Jeremiah 30:17


There are no painless, foolproof guarantees; healing a relationship involves shared effort and risk. I have to trust that ultimately you'll forgive me and put the offense behind you, and you have to believe that I'm sincere about changing. Healing wounded relationships is a two-person job. Your job is to work at trusting me again, and mine is to provide you with evidence that I'm trustworthy. When we do that we invite one another's co-operation, encourage each other and shorten the distance that separates us. Making a relationship work means deciding you have real and positive options, and both committing to them.
If your betrayal caused the wounds, you can make your own job easier by becoming more accountable. By voluntarily keeping your partner in the loop about your schedule, without their having to quiz you, you graduate from being the bad guy to becoming a full-fledged team member, pursuing a mutual game plan so you can both win. By agreeing to self-police you also remove the resentment one partner feels when the other one monitors them. In other words, it relieves them of the dirty work of micromanaging you, and spares you the humiliation of feeling like you're always under the microscope.

On the other hand, if you are the wounded party you can make your mate's job easier by letting them know you value the relationship enough to make it work by keeping up your end. Tell them you appreciate their efforts. When healing a relationship becomes the main focus of both partners, and you include God, who said, "I will restore" (Jeremiah 30:17), it will happen!

Healing Wounded Relationships (4)

I will heal My people and let them enjoy... peace and security.
Jeremiah 33:6


The 'surgery' stage of confession and apology can happen quickly. The more complex 'recovery' stage of forgiveness, healing and restoration takes time. Remember the last time you took your car to the mechanic? You brought it in for one problem and he found others you weren't aware of that needed attention. In the same way, the healing process brings into focus issues related to the original one: communication, finances, time, parenting, and intimacy issues. If you want a healthy relationship there are no shortcuts; you have to deal with them. If you try to cheat the process, your unfinished business will keep undermining your hopes for a whole and happy relationship. So if you haven't already guessed it, restoration work isn't for the cowardly or lazy. But the rewards are well worth it, so roll up your sleeves!
Reinforce each other's efforts. God said, "Render… honour to whom honour is due" (Romans 13:7) because it's a principle that works. We routinely thank the waiter, the taxi driver and the person at the supermarket checkout. It's an ingrained, invaluable courtesy - and one we'd do well to take home. People working on relationships need the healing power that comes from regular doses of courtesy. You'd be amazed at the restorative mileage you get from simply expressing your appreciation. The 'principle of reinforcement' says you get more of what you acknowledge, so remember to thank your partner for even the smallest effort to improve things. Not only will you be honouring them, you'll be inviting more of the same, and making interest-bearing deposits in your relationship account.

Healing Wounded Relationships (5)

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.
Isaiah 61:1

When you violate your partner's trust, you send your 'relationship account' into deficit! Intimacy is replaced by painful emotional and physical distance. As the offender you feel that, in spite of your apology and repentance, your wounded partner is still exacting their pound of flesh and making you pay. But they are not! They are simply out of surplus emotional resources. Their tank is empty. It's taking all they have just to 'keep it together'. Expecting them to be their old self is like asking a legless man to hurry up and walk! It's not going to happen.
What can you do to help? The same thing you do when you have a deficit in your bank account. (1) Stop making withdrawals! Don't ask or expect from your partner all they normally do for you. Don't wait to be served. Pick up your dirty dishes. Iron your own clothes. Surrender your sense of entitlement. Practise the Christ-like art of denying yourself. For now, lean on God and your Christian friends and family to help meet your temporarily unmet needs.
(2) Start making deposits! Make them small and often. "If you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you… pressed down, shaken together… running over"(Luke 6:38 ). Consistent deposits can eventually cancel the deficit, moving the relationship into surplus! Quietly find ways to make your partner's life easier: small courtesies, thoughtful deeds, little considerations that serve and salve. These are the things that invite your partner to feel like it's safe to push 'defrost,' start taking small risks, reconnect, and test the waters again!

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Do You Want To Change?

Let God transform you.
Romans 12:2


Change only takes place when you:
(1) Decide to change.
The London Times newspaper once invited readers to answer the question,
"What's wrong with the world?" G.K. Chesterton supposedly sent the following reply:
"Dear Sir, I am." Face it, if you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles, you wouldn't be able to sit down for a week.
Discipleship - the process of becoming like Christ - begins with a decision.
Jesus calls to us, and we respond. "'Follow Me and be My disciple,' Jesus said to him. So Mathew got up and followed Him" (Matthew 9:9 ).
That's all you need to get started: a decision!

(2) Change the way you think.
"Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think"
(Romans 12:2 ).
Change starts in your mind.
The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel influences the way you act.
So wash your mind, feed your mind, and programme your mind with God's Word.

(3) Take a small step every day.
Most of us want overnight change.
No, change comes slowly.
To be successful we must start with small things and do them every day.
St. Francis de Sales said, "Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly start remedying them - every day begin the task anew."
You say, "But I fall so far short."
We all do.
Don't be discouraged: "God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in His grace until His task within you is finally finished" (Philippians 1:6 ).

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Stay Focused

Let's keep focused... those of us who want everything God has for us.
Philippians 3:15

You become effective by being selective. It's human nature to get distracted. We're like gyroscopes, spinning around at a frantic pace but not getting anywhere. Without a clear purpose you keep changing directions, jobs, relationships, churches, etc., hoping each change will settle the confusion or fill the emptiness in your heart. You think, 'This time it will be different,' but it doesn't solve your real problem - lack of focus.

The power of focusing can be seen in light. With a magnifying glass the rays of the sun can set paper on fire. But when light is focused even more as a laser beam, it can cut through steel. Nothing is as potent as a focused life. The men and women who make the greatest difference in life are the most focused. For instance, the Apostle Paul said, "I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing" (Philippians 3:13 ). Paul's obsession was to make Christ known.

So if you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do less. Turn away from even good activities and do only that which matters most. Never confuse activity with productivity. Poet William Matthews wrote, "One well-cultivated talent, deepened and enlarged, is worth a hundred shallow faculties. The first law of success in this day when so many things are clamouring for attention is concentration - to bend all our energies to one point, and to go directly to that point, looking neither to the right nor to the left." Does focus come easily or naturally? No, it's a discipline that must be practised every day.

Do not swerve to the right or the left.
Proverbs 4:27

Focus does three things for you: (1) It keeps you on target. We find ourselves pulled in a dozen different directions, spending much of our time and energy on things we don't really care about. Author Don Marquis put it this way: "Ours is a world where people don't know what they want, and are willing to go through hell to get it." The Bible says: "Let your eyes look straight ahead… Do not swerve to the right or the left" (Proverbs 4:25-27 ).

(2) It increases your energy. Attempting everything, like attempting nothing, will suck the life out of you. Focus gives you energy. Admiral Richard Byrd, the Polar explorer, said, "Few men during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used." One of the reasons those wells go untapped is lack of focus. The mind doesn't reach toward achievement until it has clear objectives.

(3) It lifts you. It's been said that "the world stands aside to let anyone pass, who knows where he or she is going". In a sea of mediocrity, just knowing what you want to do and making an effort to pursue it, distinguishes you from almost everybody else. Henry David Thoreau asked, "Did you ever hear of a man who had striven all his life faithfully and singly toward an object, and in no measure obtained it? If a man constantly aspires, is he not elevated?" Just by striving to become better than you are, you become elevated - even if you don't accomplish what you desire, and even if others don't step aside for you. By trusting God and aiming higher, you move to a higher level.

Acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:6

When it comes to staying focused, keep in mind:
(1) Focused people always look for a better way. What got you where you are, won't necessarily get you where you need to be. A family who moved into a new neighborhood had a late start one morning. As a result their six-year-old missed her school bus. Though it would make him late for work her father agreed to take her to school if she gave him directions. After 20 minutes of going in circles they finally arrived at the school, which turned out to be only a few blocks away from where they lived. Steaming, her dad asked why she drove him all over the place when the school was so close to home. "We went the way the school bus does," she said. "That's the only way I know."
(2) Focused people concentrate a little harder and a little longer. Hall of Fame baseball player Hank Aaron says, "What separates a superstar from the average ballplayer is that he concentrates just a little bit longer." Focused thinking is the ability to remove distractions and mental clutter so that you can concentrate with clarity.
(3) Focused people make commitments, not excuses. A sign on the desk of an officer at the Pentagon read: "The secrecy of my job does not permit me to know what I'm doing." It's a cute joke, but not so cute when it's true. When you don't know what you're doing, you become frustrated and end up failing. That's why praying and getting direction from God, is critical for your life. "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct Your paths" (Proverbs 3:6).

That special gift... you were given... keep that dusted off and in use.
1 Timothy 4:14


Paul told Timothy to focus on his strengths. "That special gift… you were given… keep that dusted off and in use" (1 Timothy 4:14 ). Focused people don't hide their weaknesses or excuse them; instead they focus on their strengths! There's a story about a couple who decided to build a farm. Then they began to argue. The wife wanted to build the house first. The husband wanted to build the barn first to house the animals. They went back and forth until finally the man said, "Look, we have to build the barn first - because the barn will enable us to build the house, the garage, the silo, the childrens' swing set, and everything else!" When you focus on putting first things first, everything else is more likely to fall into place.
Anthony Campolo says, "What you commit yourself to, will change what you are and make you into a completely different person. The future conditions you, not the past. What you commit yourself to become, determines what you are - more than anything that ever happened to you yesterday. Therefore, I ask you, 'What are your commitments? Where are you going? What are you going to be?' Show me somebody who hasn't decided, and I'll show you somebody who has no identity, no personality, no direction."
Focusing on weaknesses instead of strengths is like having a handful of coins, a few made of gold, the rest of tarnished copper, and setting aside the gold coins to spend your time shining the copper ones in hopes of making them more valuable. No matter how long you spend, they'll never be worth what the gold ones are. So, stay focused on your God-given strengths!


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DON MOEN - Our Father

Good Bye Papa

Papa has gone to his eternal rest on 3/7/08 405pm...
He gone very peacefully, all his children were at his side when he stop breathing...
His wake was at Yong's place from 3/7/08 Thursday to 7/7/08 Monday. He is resting at Bright hill columbarium 65546....

I missed him when I am doing work that he taught me, I cannot hear his voice, I cannot hold his hand anymore.

But I am glad that I had told him all that I need to tell him, I did it in writing, he read it when he was in NUH WD 57 Bed 4....I show my gratitude and thanks him for what I am today, I told him I Love him too... And I represent my bother and sisters do the same to him...

Today is the 9 days that he has gone, I felt that his spirit is around and wtaching over us...

Bye Bye Papa...

wake photo of papa

Rest in Peace papa..

How great is our God

Everylasting (John 3:16)

my papa 18

Papa was admitted to NUH on 20/6/08 evening, he cough out blood in the afternoon about 4 pm, we were all panic, at the end , he himself said want to be in the hospital...

Dr Yeo examined him, his condition was not good, from the x ray, shown that the tumor is growing and he has difficulty in breathing, he has to breathe with the help of oxygen, but the doctor says oxygen is not his life saver... he was anxious and worry too... he cannot let go, he worry about me... I wrote him a note, to assure him that I will be alright, tell him my gratitude and love that he gave me ....

I encountered many problem at home with Peter, he wanted to lock Sharon and me out, he wanted to change the pad lock, at this critical moment, why can't he show a bit of compassion?
I pray to God asking for mercy on us! and God heard my prayer, he left the house on Monday to BL, at the same times he wrote me another nasty note, I offer it up to God, let God handle... again, God show me the truth...on Tuesday 24/6/08, he changes his attitude, he sent me a SMS..BOI..I LUV U..PS... I reply him .. I love you too... from there on he sort of quiet down and do not disturb me too much, as usual, he will call me everyday to check where am I, now I force to tell lie, even if I am in hospital, I will tell him I am at somewhere else just to avoid nasty remark from him again... today, Friday, I have fear again, fear that he will give me trouble not allow me to visit my papa in the evening, so I make a call to inform him that I will be going to visit my papa , Praise the Lord! he told me go ahead.. don't worry!.. God Our Father, I thank you for showing him the light, hope that this light will shine..Thank you God!

Back to my papa, it is another struggle with the siblings, the doctor suggest that we transfer him to hospices because of the care concern, but my siblings think that it will be better to bring him home and take care by ourselves, the problem is that we do not have the knowledge to take care of him, furthermore, he is now on tube feeding, everybody think that just pour the milk in the tube, but it is not that way, and mom is as old as papa, only one year younger, she is 81...so now just leave it, someone has to go hospital and learn how to feed him by tube and others...

God our Father, we need you, come and help us, help my siblings to understand each other and to live peacefully and do not make my papa worry...i ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord! Amen

Josh Groban - You Raise Me Up

Trusting God In The Dark (1)

If the Lord is with us, why has... this happened?
Judges 6:13


One hundred years ago Germany's exclusive textile mills had special rooms dedicated to spinning the world's finest lace. Each room was dark, except for the light falling from a small window onto the weaver's work. That's because lace is more beautiful when the weaver is in darkness and his work is in the light. Usually God's purposes are revealed and His power displayed, in our darkest experiences when, like Gideon, you ask, "If the Lord is with [me], why has… this happened?" (Judges 6:13 ).
When there seems to be no rhyme or reason, God's promise is, "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord… who [calls] you by name" (Isaiah 45:3 ).
Anybody can be faithful in good times, but standing "by night in the house of the Lord" (Psalm 134:1) takes real commitment. Hymn writer George Matheson wrote: "Will I remain in God's house by night… love Him in His own night… know I desire not the gift but the Giver? When I can stand in His house by night, I have accepted Him for Himself alone." When the Israelites faced their greatest challenge, the Red Sea, the Bible says, "All that night the Lord drove the sea back" (Exodus 14:21 ). Be encouraged, God is working, even though you can't see Him.
After all, how can God give us "songs in the night" (Job 35:10) if the sun always shines? Jesus said, "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight" (Matthew 10:27 NIV). It's in life's dark places that God shares things which strengthen you, and encourage those around you.

You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will.
John 13:7


Mary and Martha were upset that Jesus didn't come until their brother Lazarus was dead. "Lord… if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (Jn 11:21 & 32 ). But instead of giving them reasons, Jesus replied, "Did I not tell you… if you believed, you would see [God glorified in this?]" (John 11:40 ). When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac he didn't understand, but later he witnessed God's faithfulness when Isaac was restored to him. Moses didn't understand why he had to spend 40 years in the wilderness, but later when God called him to lead Israel to freedom, he got it. Joseph didn't know why his brothers mistreated him or why he was imprisoned unfairly, but later he saw God's hand in everything. His father questioned why Joseph had been taken away from him, but later, looking into the face of the man who had been made governor and who'd saved the lives of the nation, God's purposes became clear.
Just like your children don't always think your decisions make sense, we don't understand God's ways. That's why Jesus said to Mary and Martha, "You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will" (John 13:7 ). God doesn't expect you to understand, but He does expect you to trust Him. In spite of his boils, bankruptcy and bereavement Job said: "When He has tested me, I will come forth" (Job 23:10 ).
Is God testing you? If He is, what are you learning? Is the experience making you bitter, or making you better by causing you to draw closer to Him?

http://www.thevine.co.nz

Discover What's Within You!

This treasure... is from God.
2 Corinthians 4:7

Do you know you have treasure within you? God put it there. It's in your unique qualities, plus the fire in your soul. Life may have thrown cold water on that fire but God can rekindle it. Note, this treasure within you "is from God" (2 Corinthians 4:7). And what He owns He protects, He nurtures, and will use to His glory. But God is a wise businessman; when He invests He expects a return!
It's said that the wealthiest spot on this planet is not the oilfields of Kuwait or the diamond mines of South Africa. No, the richest deposits lie in your local cemetery. Buried beneath those sacred grounds are dreams that never came to pass, songs that were never sung, books that were never written, ideas that were never shared, inventions that were never designed, plans that never got beyond the drawing board of the mind, and purposes that were never fulfilled. Only a tiny percentage of those who live on this planet will discover and fulfil their true potential. Do you want to be one of them? Ask yourself: "Who am I? Why did God put me here? How much potential do I have? How can I maximise my ability for His glory?" Within the answers to these questions lie the keys to a fulfilled life.
If you haven't found your life's purpose yet, talk to God. "Everything… finds its purpose in Him" (Colossians 1:16 ). Before you spoke your first word or took your first step, God had a plan for your life. You say, "But I have failed so badly." Maybe, but it's amazing what God can do with a broken life - when you give Him all the piece

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Overcoming Procrastination!

Find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to.
Ephesians 5:17


To overcome procrastination you must:
(1) Take responsibility for your life. No matter how hard you wish, the tooth fairy isn't going to come while you're sleeping and replace failure with success. Great souls have 'wills', feeble souls have 'wishes'. You need to do something!
(2) Examine your excuses. An excuse puts the blame on something other than you, which means the solution is beyond your reach. Excuses are like exit signs on the road of progress; they take us off track. It's easier to move from failure to success, than from excuses to success. So examine your excuses and eliminate them.
(3) Focus on the benefits of completing a task. To get you over the hump, focus on what you'll 'get out of it' when you get it done. Will it bring you benefit? Clear the way for something else you'd like to do? Be a milestone in your personal development or the completion of something bigger? Will it help to clear the decks for you emotionally? Admiral William Halsey said, "All problems become smaller if you don't dodge them, but confront them. Touch a thistle timidly and it pricks you, grasp it boldly and its spines crumble."
(4) Ask for help. Columbus didn't discover the New World on his own, he needed a crew. Speaking of the church, Paul writes, "Each part… helps the other parts grow" (Ephesians 4:16). There's infinite value in the assistance others can give you when it comes to breaking old habits and beginning new ones. Yes, it means taking a risk because you will be vulnerable in sharing your hopes and fears. But the risk is worth taking.

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The Gift Of Repentance

I gave her time to repent.
Revelation 2:21

When God tells you to repent, He gives you time and grace to do it. If you don't, there are consequences. "I gave her time to repent, but she [would] not… Therefore… [she] will suffer greatly" (Revelation 2:21-22 ). This Scripture is an arrow to the heart of that stubborn sin you want to keep holding on to. Sin is always a choice. If you choose to keep sinning you can reach a place where your ability to say "no" is so weakened, you become enslaved to what you've chosen. As long as you prefer the rewards your sin brings, you won't seek deliverance from it.

The Greek word for repentance is metanoia. It means "to change, to turn around and go the other way". One counsellor writes, "I kept trying not to commit a particular sin, praying about it over and over, only to do it again. Finally I got mad at God and cried out, 'Why don't You help me with this?' He answered, 'Because you aren't disgusted with it yet. You're still enjoying it.' I protested, 'I do not. I hate it.' God replied, 'If you hated it enough you'd quit it.' In that moment I realised that I enjoyed the rewards of my sin more than the rewards of obedience. I also discovered something else; I couldn't hate sin enough by the power of my own fleshly will to come to true repentance. I stood helpless in corruption. Repentance is a gift of love which comes from God. And until that love is allowed to work in us, touching and exposing those carefully guarded areas, we cannot change."

So today ask God for the gift of repentance.

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Amazing Grace! 奇異恩典

Still

Kenny Chesney & Randy Travis - Baptism

Amazed By Your Love (Andrew Mitchell)

Forever (Calvary Chapel Singers)

Everlasting God (Chris Tomlin)

Shine Jesus Shine

How Beautiful

Divine Mercy Chaplet - 3 O'clock Prayer

The Divine Mercy Prayer in a Song

Chaplet of Divine Mercy in Song - New Version

The Millennium Prayer by Cliff Richard

Sarah Brightman - Love changes everything

Love, love changes everything: hands and faces, earth and sky.
Love, love changes everything: how you live and how you die.
Love can make the summer fly, or a night seem like a lifetime.
Yes, love, love changes everything, now I tremble at your name.
Nothing in the world will ever be the same.

Love, love changes everything: days are longer, words mean more.
Love, love changes everything: pain is deeper than before.
Love will turn your world around, and that world will last forever.
Yes, love, love changes everything, brings you glory, brings you shame.
Nothing in the world will ever be the same.


Off into the world we go, planning futures, shaping years.
Love bursts in and suddenly all our wisdom disappears.
Love makes fools of everyone: all the rules we make are broken.
Yes, love, love changes everything: live or perish, in its flame.
Love will never ever let you be the same.
Love will never ever let you be the same.

Press Through!

If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31

To reach your God-ordained destiny you must do these seven things:
(1) Refuse to give in to wrong thoughts. Guard your mind. Make it a walled city that refuses to allow negative thoughts and harmful influences to penetrate.
(2) Resist any temptation toward introspection. Only the Holy Spirit has the right to search the hearts and minds of men. When the Lord is ready to reveal an area of your life that needs correction, He will.
(3) Fight, using God's Word. Let the Rhema Word, the God-breathed Word found in Scripture, be your strength in times of difficulty and testing. In the wilderness temptation, Jesus used Scripture to put Satan to flight. And the weapon of God's Word still works today.
(4) Listen to the still small voice of God within. God doesn't play hide-and-seek with His will. Discipline yourself to spend unhurried time with Him and you'll thrive.
(5) Shift to a higher level of faith. Before killing Goliath, David had to kill a lion and a bear. Today we are contending with issues that require us to move to a new level of faith.
(6) Get into proper alignment. God's aligning His people - putting together those who'll stand as one in the day of battle. It's imperative to know who you can go to war with. You only discover such people in times of testing. Treasure them - they're 'covenant relationships'.
(7) Ask God to give you understanding about the place you are in. Knowing you are in preparation for your destiny will keep you from pulling back, wavering or throwing in the sponge.
The word for you today is - press through and seize your God-given destiny!

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Are You A Gossip? Mend Your Ways!

A word out of your mouth... can accomplish nearly anything - or destroy it.
James 3:5


There's a saying that goes, "The deepest wounds in life come not from swords but words." If you don't believe it look at the walking wounded; they're all around you! Are you yourself still struggling with the hurtful words of an insensitive parent, a school teacher, a marriage partner, or a boss? Or worse, a Christian who thinks God's Word on the subject of gossip doesn't apply to them?
God takes the sin (yes, it's a sin!) of gossip so seriously that He devotes an entire chapter of the Bible to it. If we were to read James, chapter three, regularly we might show more consideration before opening our mouths. The Bible says: "A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything - or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire!" (James 3:5).

One day a woman came to her pastor with a troubled conscience. She had "sliced and diced" just about everybody in church. "How can I make things right?" she asked.
He said, "Take a box of feathers and drop one on the doorstep of each person you've criticised." After doing so she came back and said, "Is that all?" "No," he said. "Now go, pick them all up and bring them back to me." A week or so later, the woman returned without a single one. "The wind blew them all away," she said. After a long silence the pastor said, "That's how it is with words; they're easily spoken, but you can never take them back again."

Are you a gossip? Mend your ways!

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What don't you understand?

Tuesday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
May 13, 2008
Today's Readings:James 1:12-18
Ps 94:12-15, 18-19
Mark 8:14-21

"Do you still not understand?" Jesus asks in today's Gospel reading.
Whenever we sin, or whenever we respond to life in unhealthy ways, it's because we really don't understand what Jesus taught with his words and with his life — and why he taught it.
Thus Jesus said on the cross, "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing." They didn't understand!

We sin when we don't understand the goodness of God's commandments.

We reject Church teachings that we don't like, because we don't understand what the Church is really teaching. But if we research them with a humble heart, we discover just how good and loving they really are.

We sabotage our lives with bad decisions or addictions, setting ourselves up for failure, chasing away the friends God has given us, etc., when we don't understand the damage that we're doing.
We don't want to love everyone unconditionally when we don't understand how God loves us. We run from suffering and we reject those who cause us difficulties when we don't realize the value of embracing our crosses.

We live in non-sacramental marriages, because we don't understand what's missing. Or we live in a valid divorce without an annulment, because we don't know the healing and freedom that we'd get in the process.

We're disinterested in ministry when we don't understand what it's like to be God's partner. We go home from Mass unchanged when we don't understand what's happening in the Eucharist.
Understanding is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It's one of the fruits of reading the Word of God. It's the blessing that comes from listening when we pray. It's a harvest yielded from retreats, spiritual seminars, and parish missions. It's a grace shared in good conversation with Christian friends. But true understanding is not achieved unless it's heard in the heart. For that, we have to act upon the truth.

We see the truth and we forget it.
We hear the truth and we remember it.
We DO the truth and finally we understand it.
Are you willing to really understand?

http://www.gogoodnews.net/DailyReflection

My Papa 17

Papa celebrated 82 birthday on 8/5/08

He is over joy that he can eats birthday sweet noodle with egg...

My Papa 16

Papa is not well ...

On thursday 1 May 08, it was a Labour Day holiday, it was also Ascension day of the Lord. I attended mass at the eve of Ascension. Went to fetch papa and mum to woodlands.... papa complained that he can't swallow anything, not even water, Lord I really don't know what to do,but I know that you are with me, at about 11 am, I decided to sent him to NUH A& E. As usual, the long wait and all the checking, dad has to be admitted to hospital... at about 1.30pm, I left to attend Shuan and Ashlyn engagement high tea. At 5.35 pm, the NUH staff informed me that they are going to fetch dad to the ward 53 bed 9...he was on drip till the next day 2/5/08. The doctor decided to do a endoscopy to find out what is wrong with him? I was at NUH the whole day, to accompany dad and mum, after the endoscopy at about 3.30pm...he looks relief when he woke up, he was able to drink water, and later the doctor order clear feeds for him.. he was happy becuase he can drink soup and water, on 3/5/08 morning , doctor said he can be discharged and immediately, he starts packing his bag and Yong fetch them to woodlands... Praise the Lord!

In the evening after dinner, he had the same problem again, he can't swallow water, Lord, I do not know what to do with it? Anyway, we will try it the next morning...

Dad decided to visit TCM at hougang, so we went, after visited the sinseh he became so depressed and hopeless because the sinseh told him that if this medicine does not work, he has to be feed by tube... he was very sad and give up hope and refused to try to drink water, keep on saying that he can't do it, it cannot work, all the negative thought in him... I pray to ask for guidance.. I called Sharon to check what is she doing at about 3 pm, and fetched her to Cold Storage for shopping, after that drop by to visit dad... at about 7pm after dinner, Sharon and I come near him and try to persaude him to drink water, he was not willing, I told sharon to pray with me, after that we give him apple juice, he drinks it,Praise the Lord.... he was able to drink again... we ask Grace to come over to give him support..... At about 8pm, Yong make half cup of ensure milk and he drank all... Thank you Lord! He is cheerful and smiling again... We will celebrate his 82 birthday on 8/5/08

God our Father, please continue to support my dad and show him the light ! Amen!

The cure for Loneliness

Turn to me and be gracious... for I am lonely.
Psalm 25:16


Loneliness can make you do things you wouldn't ordinarily consider.
And if you travel for a living you're particularly vulnerable.
For example, a motel room far from home can become the breeding ground for affairs, pornography, drugs and alcohol.
God said, "It is not good that man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18).
Being in the wrong place at the wrong time has caused many a man and woman to fall.
David prayed, "Turn to me and be gracious… for I am lonely."
You can live beyond Satan's reach by:
(1) Staying close to God. When you're lonely, distancing yourself from Him doesn't make sense. Jesus said: "I am the vine… you are the branches… you cannot do anything without Me" (John 15:5 ).
Jesus is your source of strength and wisdom; He's the One who can meet all your needs.

(2) Coming out of hiding. Get involved in some aspect of ministry. Be willing to be more transparent by getting to know others and letting them get to know you. When you spend time around people who care about you, loneliness ceases to be an issue.

(3) Reaching out. Focusing on yourself is a guaranteed way to feel isolated.
Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." Instead of throwing a pity-party for yourself, reach out to those in need by giving of yourself, praying for them and loving them unconditionally.

(4) Forgiving those who've hurt you. Feeling sorry for yourself and harbouring grudges leads to bitterness. Forgive, turn it over to God, let Him deal with the offender and get on with your life!

http://www.thevine.co.nz

Learning love from the Holy Spirit

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter
April 21, 2008
Today's Readings:
Acts 14:5-18
Ps 115:1-4, 15-16
John 14:21-26

Jesus says in today's Gospel reading that love is the key to knowing God and having God dwell within us. Loving him, Jesus says, means that we cherish him and embrace him so closely that we also cherish his ways and desire to imitate him. We embrace his teachings, his ways of handling problems, his ready and willing forgiveness, his servanthood, and his Holy Spirit.
Hmmm, can we really be that loving? Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit will teach us everything we need to know so that we really can love like him!

In the first reading, Paul and Barnabas heal a lame man with Jesus. It's their love for Jesus and their fellowship with the Holy Spirit that stirred up their compassion for the crippled man and enabled them to do the miraculous. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they felt the calling to reach out to him and the courage to shout out loudly, in public, "Stand up!" before they had any evidence that their prayers would work.

Whenever we help others, we are partnering with the Holy Spirit. It is this Person of the Trinity who enables us to go beyond our human abilities so that we actually live in the realm of Christ's abilities.

Notice how Paul relied on this partnership: He looked "intently" at the man. Why? I suspect that he was silently asking the Holy Spirit if the man had the faith to receive the healing love of God. Then he trusted the Holy Spirit to provide the healing that the man's faith level allowed. He knew that faith comes from having a love relationship with God. Faith is not a power, it's a union with the One who has the power. Love is the out-flow of that power.

The Holy Spirit answers people's prayers through us. But this partnership won't work unless we love Jesus so much that we embrace his love for others. Unanswered prayers are very often the fault of Christians who neglect to extend Christ's presence on earth through their own hands, their own feet, their own voice, their own actions and ministry — in love.
Our love is lacking if we see a need that we can address with the help of God but walk away saying, "God will take care of it without me."

After the resurrection, Jesus could have resumed his normal ministry activities. Imagine how fast Christianity would have spread if he'd made himself visibly known to the public. Even the stubborn Pharisees would have dropped to their knees in worship had he shown up in the town square preaching and healing and proving he was real by showing the marks of the cross that had killed him. But as the stories in the Book of Acts make clear, he chose instead to share his Holy Spirit with his disciples — who are now us — to continue his ministry of love.

http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/

Holy Spirit - Faith:

In today's Gospel, Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit will continue to teach and remind us everything that Jesus has taught. To listen to the Holy Spirit is to learn to discern. This is because there are many other spirits and evil voices that will try to deceive and draw us away from God.

Taking Responsibility

(1)

Much is required from those to whom much is given.
Luke 12:48


Responsibility is a two-sided coin. On one side is responsibility, on the other side is reward.
Too many of us are focused on one side of the coin only - reward.

Taking responsibility means three things:
(1) Acknowledging what you are responsible for.
(2) Acknowledging who you are responsible to.
(3) Acting responsibly at all times.
All the excuses you give yourself, and others, won't let you off the hook.
Jesus said, "Much is required from those to whom much is given."

At their annual conference the manager of a dog food company asked his sales team how they liked the company's new advertising programme. "Great!" they replied, "the best in the business."
"What do you think of the product?" he asked. "Fantastic" they replied.
"How about the sales force?" he asked. They were the sales force, so of course they responded positively saying they were the best. "Okay then," the manager said, "so if we have the best brand, the best packaging, the best advertising programme and the best sales force, why are we in seventeenth place in our industry?"
After an awkward silence one of the salesmen shouted,
"It's those dogs - they just won't eat the stuff!"
Guess what?
Your problem is not the dogs, or your job, or your spouse, or society at large, or whatever.
Be honest, your biggest challenge in life is you.
If your life's not going the way you want it to, you are responsible for changing it.
And God will help you if you turn to Him.
But you must want to change, decide to change, and work each day towards that end.

(2)

A man reaps what he sows.
Galatians 6:7

Our values today are badly messed up. We overlook the poor grades and irresponsible acts of high school and college athletes.

Why?

Because they win tournaments and make us look good! And how about 'celebrity justice'? Someone famous gets a free pass, while the less fortunate do the time because they did the crime?

Wrong!

We need to teach our children that unless they accept responsibility, life won't be good to them: "A man reaps what he sows."

Parent, taking personal responsibility means holding your child accountable when they violate the rules, mix with the wrong crowd; try "stuff" like drinking, drugs and premarital sex; cheat on a test; or stay out beyond curfew. Sound straight laced?

So is gravity. So is the harvest law.

Your sincere but naive sentiment, "I want them to have all the things I didn't have growing up," will turn spoiled children into spoiled adults.

Practice prevention: build a fence at the top of the cliff, not a hospital at the bottom!

You say, "By the time I get home at night I'm too tired to discipline them."

Wake up: when they get arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol the judge won't cut them any slack. Nor will the banker when he repossesses their car and their house because they didn't pay the loan.

Kindness is cruelty in disguise when it's not accompanied by responsibility.

Eli the High Priest rose to the top of his profession. Only one problem, he didn't take responsibility for his family. As a result, he and his sons died prematurely.

God said, "I told him that I would judge his family.... because… he failed to restrain them"

(1 Samuel 3:13 ).

So, take responsibility!

(3)

Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.
1 Corinthians 4:2

In any great endeavour you'll face:

(a) nay-sayers who think it can't be done;

(b) road-blockers who place obstacles in your way;

(c) a high probability you'll fail before you succeed.

Who wants to endure such things?

Winners!

It takes courage to leave Egypt, walk through the wilderness wondering, "Am I making any progress at all?" and stand at the Red Sea knowing that without a miracle you'll drown, thinking "Nobody's ever been in this situation before, what if it doesn't work?"

Taking responsibility means stepping out in faith when there's no precedent to go by, no logic to stand on, and your friends are questioning your sanity.
The one quality all successful people have is the ability to accept ultimate responsibility.

General Eisenhower was given responsibility for planning the D-Day invasion. Giving the okay was a painful decision, one he knew would lead to many deaths. Yet if it was successful, it would guarantee victory over the Nazis. In the hours prior to the assault Eisenhower wrote a press release that he would use in the event of the invasion's failure.

It read: "Our landings have failed… and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and this place was based on the best information available. The troops, the Air Force and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to this attempt, it is mine alone."
If you want others to trust you, to give you greater opportunities and resources, to partner with you - then embrace responsibility and practice it faithfully in every area of your life!

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