Some bad news last night.

This morning there’s a good news.

Scholes takes Manchester United to the Champions League final at Moscow.

I remember …

- Moses takes Israelites out of Egypt towards freedom

- Joshua takes the same group into the Promisedland

- Jesus takes people out of darkness into God’s marvellous light.

- Paul takes the ministry of grace to the ends of the earth.

Why not ….

- Joanna takes teenage girl from hatred to love

- Peter takes unmotivated group into days of continuous deep worship

- Nancy takes her ministry from boring to good and then to greatness

- Choo takes boys from deliquency to ministry leadership

- HopeKids takes the ministry to bless “250″ at the end of the year

In the midst of bad news, there can be always vision of good ones.

Our church is implementing Microsoft Navision as part of our financial system overhaul. I’m managing the project and was coordinating the training with the vendor over the weekend.

I saw enthusiastic volunteers from all congregation in a great ministry behind the payment counter. It’s always interesting to see an intergenerational group serving God together.

Yesterday my colleague Joy and I were doing re-barcoding of the books and resources in the store to prepare the data for migration to the new system. While doing so, as redundant that I was, I had some time in between to browse through some books in the store. I read some Andy Stanley and I found one book which I thought will be great for the ministry.

It strike me as a true visionary book. I like books that change mindsets and this one does that. I had time to go through all the concepts and I cannot but recommend it highly. That’s Dr. Tim number 1.

After work, there’s a hour or so before picking my daughter up. At Lifebookshop I found books by the second Dr. Tim. Not Kimmel but Elmore, founder of “Growing Leaders” and peer and friend to Dr. John Maxwell.

I’m so impressed by them that I (and I seldom do this) bought not 1 or 2 of his books… on impulse…

These two books are so easy to read and contains so much for a post-modern leader who still cares about biblical leadership principles. I finished reading one of them last night… yeah quite late at night.

I truly like his method of teaching leadership using images. Yes we perceive vision in images rather than it words. When we say “Elephant” we don’t think E-L-E-P-H-A-N-T but the big gray animal. Visions of leadership should whenever possible presented with images. It is also very practical with exercises that anyone can do and ponder through. I don’t quite appreciate those leadership books that focuses on just information about what leaders should be. Such books has flood the market for centuries but what is needed today is what does it means to us in practical terms. And better still what should we do to form leadership habits. These books are great.

I realise that I almost never do it but these 3 books are in consideration to be compulsory reading for all volunteers, builders and leaders in HopeKids

What I learn about authenticity from Craig Groeschel this morning:
Confess to God for forgiveness, confess to your community for healing…

What I learn from my son Chern Han last night:
Always find out why…

What I learn from Nancy Orthberg about leadership:
Make our leadership smaller so that other’s can be bigger. Don’t always come with a statement but with a question and observation..

What I learn from those old men sitting together in the coffee shop this morning:
We’ll survive working life and adulthood one day and while somethings will matter, some just don’t at all…

What I learn from Michelle our HopeKid who’s been in hospital for 5 days already:
Smile even in adversity…

This is for all builders who are committed to building kids in the way of the Lord.

Just got the photos for the Hope Centre cyberwellness talk few months ago.

30 minutes, 2 basket load of props and a great time presenting “Two Worlds : The Real World Guide To The Virtual World”.

This is special because it was Hannah and my only time speaking before 800 kids.  For a brief moment, we felt that leading kids at this level on a regular basis may one day be possible. 

We don’t date quite a lot before our marriage, now 10 years later we try to do it often. Our last date was great. The musical wasn’t fantastic as we are not fan of Queen’s songs but the time with each other was fantastic.

Yeah folks, we all should work hard to be ‘Champions in marriage’. It’s not easy but a lifetime is really too short to be loser in this area.

Tip for not losing in marriage

Step 1: List out 3 things you have always like about her/him and keep reminding yourself those things which created the kind of magic in the first place.

Step 2: List out 3 things you dislike about him/her and tell yourself; Now that’s the ‘bad’ side which everyone has. Don’t bite the dust, they exist in everybody to rock you and your world. Sort of to help you learn.

Step 3: Develop an unreasonable bias that he/she is your champion spouse, the best in the world. Do it by giving thanks to God and to your spouse for the 3 qualities always and other developing qualities you see in him/her.

Good and perfect gifts do come from above. That’s the music, the bohemian rapsody to all of us who are married.

Having been certified as facilitators for the teen module for Focus of the Family’s Parenting with Confidence last October, both Mag and myself pull ourselves together again for the training and certification of the 6-12 years old module today.

It was a break out of normal routine. But as usual what’s worth doing isn’t going to be easy (especially if its on a Friday). Mag has to take leave, my mum in law has to come to babysit, preparation for Sunday has to be completed. Training back in the office for our Centralised Finance System is also going on full steam without me today.

But what’s obstacles when the other side is a great day of learning and sharpening of swords. Inspired living is fueled by learning and these resonate with me to see people starting their journey of being great coach leaders at home. Parents who has the availability and commitment just needed great knowledge to set them off.

Now what if parents have no time or are not initiated? What are we to do for the kids then? That’s where I’m also extremely proud to be a part of HopeKids where we are making a great difference to kids regardless of family situation. My heart yearns for kids who yearns for love, acceptance and good leadership in their lives and not getting them enough. As biological parents, spiritual parents and workshop facilitators, we have a role to play to impact our next generation.

I’m so hot about God giving me the chance to not just reach children but parents as well. Today’s training is like gold and I appreciate it very much.

Faith without deeds is dead. The principle of faith is action.  I’m amazed so many things happened with we change the way we do things. Changing the way we think, to have faith and believe with action, nothing beats trusting God in this way. Day 4 is a great day.

I have receive a request to write, to speak and people popping into my live to help me see in a clearer what my goals meant. Even people around me are being blessed. Kids are doing devotion by themselves, care leaders are asking for prayers and even one of them getting hitched. I’m still hearing encouraging updates. 

It is of course not so much myself (for what can come from out of that) but by what God is doing in our lives when we change our ways.

I think I need just another day of ”clearification” and I’m on my way again. May the Lord be praised for all His unseen and mysterious work in our midst.

In Day 3, I’m suppose to start journalling consistently again. God must have shown me so much lately that I understood on the spot and then forgotten. It’s a pity when I have no inspiration to share with my kids. I think its time to be more faithful in capturing God’s work in my life again.

I woke up at 5 this morning with a slight headache. But I believed the voice that say I should sleep for another hour. I woke up one hour later with the same headache. I’m not listening to that voice cos when I started the morning club, “Swisshh…” it just went away and i felt great. I still managed to read the scriptures and journal that one big idea that was deposited in me.. but it’s not to be that way. Tomorrow, I’ll redo Day 3’s “Clearification”. It has to be clear enough and its not so today.

Day 2 is getting back to the morning club consistently. Being an early riser has been such a key aspect of my personal growth in all departments of my physical, mental and spiritual life that its too important to let it go. The cost of discipline is always cheaper than the pain of regret. Being ill disciplined is the next to go.