Our morning was spend at the kids’ school, learning. Mag and I learned things that is of great use for leading kids. It’s my first time hearing Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development. I also learned that reading should have rhythm, fluency and pacing. It has great application in how we teach kids.
This afternoon, I listened to one of my favourite podcasts. Wynton Marsalis’ the great jazz musician was lecturing on improvisation and swing music in a master Class in France.
He said
“Another important thing about swinging, it’s almost never loud. If I start to scream at you, you don’t want to listen to what I’m saying “.
I’m reminded how our words should not be deafening, it should be rhymic, expressive and if possible as smooth as jazz.
Our Easter JC7 service was quite an event in my modest opinion. We received so many positive feedback from parents, leaders and several kids themselves that to mention them here just seem like a big showoff.
Anyway one thing that I want to showoff is really a team that has been toiling in making kids service what it is today. I struggle to know where to start. A greater showoff is of Jesus who died for us that we can be involve in church and not shopping on Sunday mornings.
Speaking of doing something on Sunday mornings, I just received an email this morning, she wrote
“I’m looking for a fruitful way to spend my weekends and found volunteer work in the Hopekids Ministry website. Would appreciate it greatly if you consider my request favourably. I’m a free thinker though, is it ok?”
We are grateful for people who looks into what we do and wants to be part of it.
Singapore, has the number one airport and one of most prosperous ports in the world. Singapore tops the chart in many arenas of life. But when it comes to happiness, a recent survey found that 9 in 10 Singaporeans aren’t happy. 90% of Singaporeans are stressed out.
I think it’s time to remind our folks that the glass in half full and not half empty. ‘Counting our blessings’ is a simple strategy towards being happy.
This Easter, we count the biggest blessing of all time. God’s Love for us on the cross and it is big time unconditional.
Just came back from meeting May Ann and Mei Si’s teachers.
As always with these meetings, we learned about the child’s performance that has both good and bad. We ended up discussing about the poor results, carelessness, concerns and how to fix them.
What Marcus Buckingham shares in this video resonate with us.
Marcus Buckingham believe that…
“People don’t change that much.
Don’t waste time trying to put in what was left out.
Try to draw out what was left in.
That is hard enough. “
The bad doesn’t improve by us focusing our total energy to fix it. It has a better chance when there’s acknowledgement of the person’s strength and letting the person develop confidence to overcome their own weakenesses.
In other words, we have a better chance doing the following for our kids
Step 1: Celebrating the kid’s strength (always!!!)
Step 2: Acknowledge their weaknesses and facilitate practically
Step 3: Helping kids believe and have the confidence they can overcome their weakness.
Don’t get me wrong, what we are doing naturally to be concern and to want to solve the problem is correct, just need to reorder the balance a bit to be “ strength rather than weakness based”.
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