there is nothing new under the sun

there is nothing new under the sun… and honestly, thats true

i m addressing perceptions. we are our sum total of experiences, relationships. we make sense from that which we know. we become institutionalized. we frustrate the gift from the Almighty to perceive. we fail to think. we become lazy. we draw conclusions, address issues based upon the time proven traditions, from the ways that others have done before. not discounting the time-honored traditions, we must know that generations passed came to those conclusion because they THINK. they process informations, make sense of situations, draw conclusions, advance society.

we have a new set of challenges, times changed, we have the potential to come up with solutions. we desperately need to think. there is nothing new under the sun, heroes of yesteryears have done it, we need to do it. We need
 P E R S P E C T I F S . . .

remembering grandpa

As long as I can remember, Grandpa doted on the little ones. From the numerous stories that I can remember, of my many uncles and aunties speaking about how Grandpa
would take them out; of the many parks, kiddy rides, satay club, beaches and outings that are so deeply entrenched in their memories – Grandpa showered them with love and affection in the way he best know how. I am sure the deep bonds that they have have much to thank for the childhood that Grandpa has given them. I remember squeezing in Grandpa little Dahutsu Van, for post dinner trips to watch the many crab catchers along Singapore River, before the glittering of the modern day stole its old school charm. I remember Claire, Elaine and myself; sited behind his pale blue pickup, screaming our lungs out as Grandpa took us for road trips. When my cousins grew older, grandpa aged. He could no lover drive with his failing eyesight. Yet, his love for kids and the way he showered his affection never waver. Of many trips to the playground, botanic gardens, zoo; of the kiddy rides in people park, often topped with Char Siew and Roast Pork to supplement dinner, He never cease to add that little happiness to the family. I remembered how he love to make trips to Chinatown, to somewhat relive his younger days. I remember how Grandpa was the peacemaker, always putting himself on the line to care and to bridge the gap – how he left the comfort and stayed with my cousins and commuting weekly to see everyone else. I remember how he gave angpao in proxy during Chinese New Year, so that all of us will remember that we have an uncle overseas. I know deep inside, Grandpa hoped for reconciliation. I remembered how grandpa celebrates his love for grandma. When she was recovering from her stroke, how he brought food, encourages her in the ways and manner he best knew how. I remember his little pecks on her cheek during her birthdays. It always brought laughs to everyone. And I know that grandma is slightly embarrassed. I remembered how Grandpa didn’t show up one weekend. How our endless phone failed to reach him. I remembered how we found him at my uncle’s place, face down, on the ground. He had a stroke. I remember the time his health started ailing. I remember how he missed his little outings, how he insisted he could still. But I remember how he talk slower, how he walked slower, how he needed help. I remember the day I was on MC, I remember how grandpa came in and sat on my bed. I remember how grandpa still indulges in little delicacies. I remember how grandpa asked for charsiew for dinner. I remember how he walked out and I remember how he had another stroke at the door. Grandpa never spoke nor walked again. I remember his last request and I remember his last words. I remember how the last few years would have been so difficult for him. I remember the look in his eyes, I remember how he endure the pain. I remember how he struggled and how he longs to see everyone. How he loves everyone with his glances. I remember how grandpa would struggle to wake up to look at us when we visited. I remember how glad he was to see us. And I remember how one day, te doctor told us that we could no longer do anything for him. I remember how we saw him for the last time. How I held him for the last time. And I remember his passing. ————– I believe that we all remember grandpa in our special ways. I see a little of him in everyone of us, and I know he has impacted all of us in a profound way. More then memories, I believe that we will all remember grandpa in loving one another, in remembering the sacrifices he made for our family and remembering him in one another. And I can only hope and pray that grandpa is in that better place.

Today, we bought a house – tomorrow, we will start to build a home.

Facilitate

“Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.”

The key to facilitation is to allow fellow workers to fully exploit their passion and abilities and allow them freedom to exercise ownership and creativity in contributing to the work of the kingdom.

home

how often we think of coming home, to a refuge; a safe-house; a place of rest, comfort; to a place where the people you meet are those you love.

how often we think of home when the going gets tough, when we are in the midst of stress and tension, how often we think of home..

and yet..

“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

we must remember that home, a place to lay our heads with all the additional modern amenities is a great blessing!

it is a blessing from God to provide us with something that He did not have the comfort of. yet, there must be a constant reminder at the same time that this home, with all its goodness, is but temporary, all its serenity is a foreshadow of where our home truly is and we are all but sojourners on earth, making our way back home.

partiality

Partiality is not treating the noble as the ordinary but treating the ordinary as the noble #relationships

Analysis Paralysis

a n a l y s i s p a r a l y s i s

was introduced to this term today during an interview – of course, the one interviewed was not me. in speaking of one of the ways for an individual to enhance an organisation, he must not go into an analysis paralysis but rather, come to the conclusion quickly, and levelage on any little indication of success, and make ways forward.

analysis paralysis leads us into an infinite loop, where we become insular looking within for solutions, thinking of how certain situations will turn out, being positive, negative or otherwise. fact of life – there will always be maybes.

having heaps of maybes might indicate a deep and profound intellect, of the ability to process information, analyse and predict outcomes, thinking of the possibilities that MIGHT come as a result of.

the problem is that these possibilities will never become realities.

perspectifs

abahram left his familar place and exposed himself to new cultures, new ways of life and new thinking.. he gained new perspectives, and I am confident that these perspectives strengthened the ONE perspective that is unchanging; the unceasing love of the Father – expressed through the mercies that abahram recieved, the grace that he has come to experience and understand..

experiences in life do matter to reveal immanuel – of the God that is with us! faith cannot exist in isolation to reality, but only when we are mildly, just mildly confident of the little that is within us, of our position that we have in the Father; of the Christ that is within us – that we would be able to have the boldness and the confident to engage a world that is before our eyes, a world that the Almighty has placed us in. And only when we know Immanuel, that we are able to reveal and point others to Him, to a higher reality, to suggest another perspectif of life!

John 17:3 (ESV)
[3] *And this is eternal life, *that they know you *the only *true God, and *Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

:: 007 ::

caught a little of the movie last night and it got me thinking – what are the prerequisites that the state looks for in a man for him to be employed as an agent? intelligence? wits? physic? psychic? education? what is the one thing that the state looks for in a man or a women that is in line for the job?

there was a second question – what keeps that man in the job?

007 was betrayed, double crossed yet he continually put himself on the life.

i guess the only reason he does what he does is because he really did believe in the good of his country and the need to protect it from all possible evil. i guess his motivation is LOVE. but more then love, i dare say it is the trust of the agency, in his love and his loyalty above all, that keeps him in doing all that he is doing.

i guess it really begs the question for everyone of us, of asking ourselves if we indeed have what it takes to believe in someone else. to believe in the best of the person.. the power of believing in a person is perhaps the most power weapon of all… and allowing us all to release a battalion of 007s; of individuals that will risk it all for love!

of language and rules

a dear one recounted reading my blog, that there are spelling and grammatical errors, not that i was hurt or that it affected me, but it begs the question:

encompassing all language errors within, can it still be considered a piece of writing?

the only reason we identify errors is because we are taught, train in the rules of grammar, yet at the same time, perhaps these errors impend the reading from enjoying the contents to its fullness, yet on hindsight, it does not hamper communication. since i can remember, spelling and grammar has been my achilles heels, only in recent times, they defined it as dyslexia. it has always been a huge deterrent for me to write, to express myself. the perfectionist part of me wants to put out something that inspires, that invoke thought, surely there cannot be mistakes. that would demean the credibility of it all, not doing justice at all to all that i can give. for the longest times, that has put me off blogging, or any other form of expression.

this morning, i have decided to offer the world the person that i am, with all its flaws and mistakes, if only there is someone out there in the wider cyberspace that can connect to the combustion of neurons and electrons in this grey matter of mind, this day i offer myself, my thoughts. THIS DAY I OVERCOME MY INEQUITIES.

hopefully this decision will allow a combustion of thoughts and ideas, and they will be freely expressed in this place. the goal is always to offer an extraordinary way to look at the ordinary. not that i have all that it takes, but i give what i have. AND I CLICK THE PUBLISH BUTTON ONCE AGAIN.

on politics, politicians & the economy

of late there have been numerous talks by politicians on the need to sustain the economy – from barrack obama in the United States to some where closer to where i call home, measures, policies and recommendations by high power panels suggests ways and means to boast the economy, productivity and the like..

i am not one skilled in the wisdom of market forces and their wider implications, of growth and sustainability. i am sure that there are and will be numerous implications that has a far wider reach than i can ever foresee or comprehend. maybe one day i will finally get it.

my humble take is this: in a time where much is determine and driven by a capitalist ideal, where does the bottom line end up? cant help but wonder if these people are ultimately driven by motives that are beneficial to themselves, with reports and statistics to prove it, after all, isnt the capitalist market motivated by personal financial gain of some sort.

no policies will truly benefit the populous unless politicians and those in the high power panels put themselves in the shoes of the man on the street. after all, arent they suppose to serve the public, and the public doesnt just consist of those that are able to bring the country forward. yes, there needs to be progress, productivity and everything else. the COUNTRY needs prosperity, but it cannot be achieved at the expense of FAMILIES, CHILDREN & INDIVIDUAL MENTAL WELL-BEING.

“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”

perhaps work is meant to be a toil, perhaps work is meant to be tough, perhaps the search for progress and prosperity will always be there, and the can always be more. or perhaps there can a way where work will generate all that we will ever need, at half the amount of time, leaving everyone happily ever after. perhaps. till then we all will simply have to hang in there, work harder, wiser.