It's been 2 years. Time flies so quickly, everything changes so rapidly. I still miss you as much as how I did two years ago. Well, these two weeks of internship has been an enriching experience in the sense where I got to taste what my prospect would be like. I can see myself doing this in 5 years time. Perhaps sometimes, priorities change. As you grow older, you start to think and process thoughts from a deeper perspective. A part of me has officially died down - the part that loves to play music. I've lost the hope and determination to pursue what I originally wanted in my life. But in my heart, I believe firmly that this skillset that god has blessed me with has a higher purpose. I believe one day, it'll be proven it's worth.

In this lifetime, what do we want to achieve? Do we live everyday to make ends meet? Don't we have only one life to live? Are we going to live life doing the things we dislike and leave our dreams behind? [Unnecessary epiphany] "An ongoing dilemma that cycles through the nerves of our brains. Passion VS Money."

What is it that we really want to achieve in this lifetime? What are the things you want to do that when you pass on, you can confidently and happily say that you've done it all? What if your passion isn't lucrative? Or wait a minute, what if it is? Isn't that up to us to define? If certain people can achieve their dreams, why can't we achieve ours? If you contend that these people were lucky or give a figurative number (like only 1 out of 100 people did it), did you actually think that these people had an easy time? These people made sacrifices and persevered countless times before they could be where they are today. These people actually worked hard at what they did.

You don't wait for opportunities to come to you. You make the opportunities happen.

Music can change the world. I want to be that change and impact the world.

What if I wanted to be a full-time musician. What if I  wanted to enroll into a music school.

What if I wanted to pursue music as a career. Is music as a career a viable option? If it is, why? If it isn't why not?

Would you rather pursue a career that is ideal or one that sustains you financially?

Do we live for money or do we live for the things/people that really matter in our lives?

Then again, if we lived for the people that really matter in our lives, we would need money to ensure they live comfortably and.. (you get the point.)

So what do we do? Do we do what we enjoy or do we do what is required?

If you could do life all over again and chosen that path that you wanted, would you do so?

Anyway I read this online short article and loved this segment. http://celestinechua.com/blog/passion-or-money/

Your options are only as limited as you let them be. If you feel your passion is less than lucrative than your day job, it is because you define it to be that way. If your passion is not a viable full time career, it is because you choose it to be so. If your passion cannot meet your material needs, it is because you think it to be so.

Let the visionary extraordinaire hidden inside of you emerge and go wild. Deep down, there is a side of you hidden that you have not unleashed yet – the side who is fully capable of creating your that vision and ideal of what you want to achieve, then setting out to create it in the physical reality. You know that yourself, don’t you?

Pastor Benny Ho (Hope Church Singapore)

Scripture: Philippians 4:1-9

Many things in the city life can cause us to worry, be it a bill that has to be paid, a relationship that has gone sour, or a situation at work that needs a solution before it gets more out of control. Most people would agree that being worried is one of those feelings that can easily turn a good day into a nightmare, or the serenity in our hearts into a crisis of turmoil.

But more than just an emotion to be suppressed, worry is actually a combination of wrong thinking in the mind as well as wrong feelings in the heart over circumstances, situations, people and things. Truth be told, worrying is essentially a habit, and can be faced up to, be addressed and be overcome.

During this season, we want to learn how to bring more of God’s Presence and His Truth into our city life, so find out more about the topic of “Winning Over Worry,” as our guest preacher brings us wise counsels from the writings of the Apostle Paul.

In life, it's only sane to fall. Sometimes we fall so hard, we feel we can never get up. What do we do then? We get stuck and stopped in our tracks and store up baggages(bad past or happenings). We start to give up. We start to lose hope. We stop fighting and trying. We lose the glow we used to have. We lose the happiness and smiles we used to evoke.

WELL...It's pretty much all in the head. Think Perspective-wise. Just like the classic example : Do you see a half-empty glass or a half-filled glass? The mind plays an imperative role in decision making. Do we have strong logical muscles? Can we handle things in a mature manner? How do we present ourselves in the most intense and desperate situations in our lives? Do we snap? We need to constantly develop , define and direct our minds. We need to see things from the positive side. Being a cynic would bring us nowhere near liberation from our life situations that we are currently in.

Abolish the cynicism in you, start believing in yourself. Put back that glow !

Have a great day!

Lately, I've been trying to perceive words or scenarios in different angles like the title of this post. I need to churn the creative side of my brain. I need to read more books. I need to start doing what I say.

There are many occasions when we say something but the actions do not match up to what we claim. This needs to stop.

I need to let the creativity in me ignite. It's(creativity) been inactive since I stopped myself from thinking of anything before sleeping after I had nightmares during my formative years in primary school.

I have this problem of wanting to do everything at one go just so I won't forget to do any. Dilemma.

Today, I learnt a lesson. It's about the having a heart of compassion for people. Sometimes God uses the weak to educate us all on how forunate we are.

Scenario:

Pinoy colleague worked from 10am to 2pm going without lunch of breakfast. He rushed down to Serangoon for a product training and the rain started to pour down heavily. When he reached the outlet, he was told that the product training was actually cancelled. The boss questioned him on why his sales was so bad for the previous few weeks and that he had to lay him off if his sales target didn't meet the requirement set. Pinoy colleague told the boss that he needed to use the bathroom. When he returned, I could see his eyes, feel the tears and knew what was going through in his mind when he was in the toilet.

After everything, I treated him to lunch at a near-by hawker.  We chatted and had a few laughs. I also offered to bring him to food places in singapore on his off-days or whenever he is free.

Sometimes, an act of random kindness can turn or change a person's day entirely.

So, what will you do to cheer people up amidst their dilemma or situation faced?

Have a heart of compassion.

This space has been deserted for quite awhile. It's probably time for an update of how I've been and what I've been doing. Recently, I got a new job at Orangecomms selling audio speakers, earpieces, sound systems and apple accessories with help of my friend Yu Xuan - real good buddy. It's probably one of the flexible jobs with average pay of $6.50 as compared to those of my friends who are fetching $6/hr jobs at F&B outlets with no flexibility. Amidst working, I realized how hard it is to earn money. It makes my vision clearer of the value of money. Though I do not worship money nor do I yearn for it so badly, I still need money. Having said that, let's not forget the fact that God FIRST provided us with all that we have, had and have yet to receive. God is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. Let us not forget that it is by his grace and mercy that gave us all we had. Let us not be materialistic people yearning for temporal possessions. I will trust in God's providence and lay not on my understanding but tap on his source for knowledge, wisdom and annointing.

[ Matthew 6:19 ]

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

I had Lifegroup (also known as Cellgroup - that's how my church calls it) today and my Lifegroup Leader shared with me a very interesting and insightful analogy of an Iceberg.

This is a psychology analogy of how people analyse each other.

The tip of the iceberg represents the surface which is what people see. People do not see what is beyond surface-level. People do not see who we really are and only God and we ourselves know.

Below the surface of the sea lies our values and beliefs.

How people look at us is only at the surface-level. If we are good on the outside, that is their final call/judgement of our character/attitude.

This is very true in modern day society where people judge you based on what they observe - your behaviour, the way you handle situations, the way you talk to them.

We are all founded by our values and beliefs which are instilled by our families which are all different.

The question is this : What are you basing your values and beliefs on?

The more we base our values and beliefs on God's instruction and decrees, it will manifest outwardly on the surface-level progressively. People are then able to see God's presence and glow in us.

Let us all base our values and beliefs on God's foundation - the word of God !

The walls of my throat feels as though they have been pierced by little needles. Lord I ask of your mercy and your grace to send forth rays of healing unto me. My throat is in a lot of pain. Take the pain away Lord.
Thank you in advance.

In your name I pray , Amen.