Last few days I was reading Aristotle’s On Sleep and Waking which deals with the topic of sleep. It was interesting that he ended the treatise with this statement, “swvzei gar h; ajnavpausi~” which means “For rest saves (or heals)”. Interestingly, the word used in Genesis 2:3 “He (God) rested from all His work which God had created and made” for ‘rested’ is katapauvw, a synonym of ajnavpauw/ ajnavpausi~ (to cause to rest / rest). God sets the seventh day apart for men so that we can rest and re-create ourselves. This is how important rest is to each one of us. Aristotle emphasized on the effect of rest in his writing, but it is God in all His wisdom who knows that we, human beings, need to have rest so that we will not be exhausted and fall ill. We must have time for recreation in our week, so that we will be re-created. An article in Reader’s Digest March 2009 (Pg. 37) issue has this to say about sleep: teens having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep have the tendency to have blood pressure 4 points higher than teens who slept well. Those who slept less than 6.5 hours a night were 2.5 times more likely than those who slept longer to have elevated blood pressure. Can you imagine if this is what it will do to teens, what greater damage it will do to us, the recycled-teens? So, please take time to rest and go for your own recreation, and also to sleep.
Psalm 127:2, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for He grants sleep to those He loves.”

I was at the Zoo on Monday morning. I went with some people and they commented that the place is unlike the Malaysian zoo which smells. Our Zoo does not smell of animal waste…but over there you can smell it even at the entrance. The animals and the enclosures are all well kept and clean. The animals look good and healthy to the visitors. The Zoo, I think, works very hard to present the pretty side to the visitors. All the ugly side is dealt with in the secret places, out of the sight of the visitors. The Zoo can look beautiful only if the Zoo keepers have taken care of the animals in the ‘secret chambers’.
This gives me the thought of how important it is to have our daily devotions. Devotions are like the ‘secret chamber’ in the Zoo where the animals are cleaned and getting ready for the day to meet the multitudes of visitors in their best. If we are to spend time with God before we begin the day, I believe we will be more ready to face the day. The Psalmist wrote, “But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; yes, I shall joyfully sing of your lovingkindness in the morning, for You have been my stronghold and refuge in the day of my distress. (59:16)” If we remind ourselves of God’s lovingkindness and His strength available to us, I think we can face the day better. I encourage you to go before God daily before you step out of your house for work or study. Let us get our ‘animals’ ready to face the world: (1) Meditate on God’s goodness, lovingkindness, and strength (Eph 1:19) for the day, (2) deal with any negative emotions or thoughts you have or anticipate you will have for the day, (3) pray for the people you will be working with that day, and (4) pray for God to help you handle the stress and challenges for the day. Before you enter the office, take a deep breathe, and smile, then step into the office and decide to be joyful in the Lord no matter what happen. Try it and let me know if it helps.

Exasperation

Life is full of frustration sometimes. There are things that you hope would happen and they don't. Things that you wish it won't, just happen everytime. Why life is such a way??? Dun you feel that we are like characters in a movie, everything is contorlled by someone out there. Today have been a day of greyness... it just rained when I am about to go home... whole day my mood was grey also.
When can we be released from this 'box'? or globe? Whatever you call it - life can really be tiresome to live... sighs...

Happiness is such an elusive thing. Try catching it with your hands, you'll find it just slip away. Try catching it by its tail... it brieaks off from the body like a lizard's tail. Who can deliver me from such a thing as this? O LIFE...when will you let me go? When can i escape from your hand? HELP...but yet i wish to live and not die... O what a conflict i have within me???? I am back in LIFE's hand and has to plough the field alloted me with my time again...

As I have shared in the Children’s Church that last Wednesday (25th Feb) while on my way home from the office I saw this beautiful rainbow over my head. I was on a friend’s bike and was travelling along PIE (I think so…) and he suddenly asked me to look up. When I looked up I saw this beautiful rainbow, the most beautiful one I had ever seen n my life (i.e. up till now). It was so strong and solid, the colours were so distinct and we could see the whole rainbow (from one end to the other, like the rainbow in a cartoon). I was reminded of the Genesis 9:9-16 where the rainbow was the sign of the “everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh”. The rainbow is a sign and a reminder of God’s faithfulness towards us.
This week as you go about your daily routine, keep in mind that our God is a faithful God. His faithfulness is shown in the day-night cycle, the four seasons, rain and sunshine, the right mix of air & gases, harvest & seed time, forgiveness of sin, answers to prayer, help in times of trouble, encouragement when we are sad, His abiding presence through His Spirit, and many more other ways. Why don’t you just take a moment and reflect on the many ways in your life in which God had shown His faithfulness to you? As you are filled with the awesome feeling of God’s faithfulness, make a check on your own faithfulness quotient as well. How do you fair in your faithfulness to your spouse, children, family, ministry, yourself and God?

I learned another precious lesson. In fact it was on 15th Feb evening. I was planning to go to Singapore Casket for a wake service. I, not knowing how to go, went on line and search for direction, and found that Bus 61 could take me all the way there. So i took the bus from Bukit Batok all the way to Lavender Street and alighted after it turned into Lavender Street from Lavender MRT Station. I knew that Singapore Casket was somewhere nearby and so i started walking towards where i think the place was. After walking the distance fo 1 bus stop i still did not see the place, thinking that it was th wrong direction i walked back and actually decided to give up and go back home. However, thinking that since i'm already here just take a cab lah. So i decided to flat for a cab and just nice a cab stopped infront of me and when i told the driver i'm going Singapore Casket, he told me that it was just infront. I told him i could not find it, and he was so kind to give me a lift to the building and FOC.
This incident just reminded me of perseverance and how the Holy Spirit is our Helper. Sometimes in our walk with God or service, we may feel like giving up just because we did feel that we are reaching the GOAL. We may want to shrink back (give up) or change direction (change ministry) or feel dejected (go home and forget about it) etc, and we may end up making a wrong decision. The end could be just so near (in fact if i walk for another 10m, i would have reached the place) and we would ahve missed it all. If you are feeling this way, then you need the help of the Holy Spirit. Like the cab driver who so give me a lift so willingly, the Holy Spirit is willing to help you to complete your journey. The Holy Spirit is the promised Helper - "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper, that He may be with you forever (John 14:16)." Paul said, "We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. (TNIV 1:28). That's what i'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me (Col 1:29)." As we continue to serve Him in Children's Church - doing our best to present every child fully mature in Christ - that we be reminded that God has given us the energy to persevere through His Spirit, our Helper. Don't miss your destination ... persevere with the help of the Spirit and His energizing power. March on...Christian soldiers!

Since beginning of this year the Lord has been teaching me to live my life for Him, especially in the area of holiness. To lead the teachers and children is not an easy task and I really need to hear and see what God wants to be done. This calls for holiness in my life (Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God ~ Matt 5:8) and when I read Leviticus 10:3 it really strikes me - By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honoured. Do we consciously treat God as holy when we approach Him? Will His name be honoured when people look at us? I believe that this is a very important element as we lead the children – treat God as holy and honour Him before others.
I pray that you too have been growing in your spiritual walk and hearing from God in your life. I encourage you to share your spiritual encounter with God with us so that we can encourage each other to continue to grow in the Lord.

On 22nd Feb 2009 I learned that God has suffered a lot while protecting and loving us. He suffered our rejection and willfulness when He tried to love us and hold us in His embrace. Last Sunday during the 9am service, there was this boy who was a bit destructive in the class. He walked about and going around the class disturbing other children. Thus, to prevent him from disturbing the class I have to grab him with my arms and make him sit on my lap. When I did that he actually used his finger nails to scratch my arms trying to break free (so now my arms have two scratch scars, one on each side :P). He even tried using his head to bang my face to cause me pain so that I will let him go.
This is the same picture between us and God. Luke recorded and account where Jesus lamented, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!(Luke 13:34)” Jesus was willing to hold them in his arms of love and tenderness, but they rejected him. Have we ever pushed his arms away when he tried to hold us? We may have behaved like the boy who tried to scar my arms. Jesus was scarred when he came to love us (1 John 4:9-10) because we rejected him. His nailed pierced hands, feet and side are scars that we have inflicted on him as we tried to escape from his loving arms. When he came holding us in his arms to keep us from self destruction and harming others, we rejects him and caused him pain. We mistook his strong and tender arms as a threat and we push it away. So, today if you feel God’s arms holding you, don’t feel threatened and push them away. It is God’s expression of love and care. Rest in his arms and feel the warmth of his love. GOD LOVES YOU. May we follow his example as we minister to the children, showing our love for them even when it hurts. “[E]veryone who loves is born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7b)”

On Monday I met up with one of my friends from another church. We were chatting over dinner before we caught the movie, “Slumpdog Millionaire”, and he was telling me that he was in the dumps and just recovered about two weeks ago. He was depressed because although he is in his late thirties and a graduate, he has no job and no church. This is what he said, “God brought me to the point where my reference point is zero!” God was gracious and lifted him up from the dumps and he shared with me that he learned that all that doesn’t matter anymore. What that really matters now is his family and friends. He doesn’t care if he is underweight or working as a cashier. He wants to spend more time with his family and friends.
It sets me thinking about what true success in life is. And what can we bring with us when we died? In Job 1:21, He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there.” This verse is true as far as possessions is concern, but I think we do bring something with us when we come from our mother’s womb – RELATIONSHIP, and when we die we can take these RELATIONSHIPS along with us. To me I feel that relationships are the most eternal and precious possessions that we can have. Jesus once said, “ … a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. (Luke 12:15)” A man’s life is not measured by how much he possesses but at the end of the day when he lies motionless in the box, who will be at the funeral? Let’s not be so poor until all we have left is $$$$$ (money)! Treasure the relationships you have and let them know how much you love and appreciate them everyday. Live life without regrets!