“I think everyone who allows themselves to honestly be loved is going to be wounded,” muses Rich. “Your life is a gift, and out of gratitude to God you should go out there and live. And when it’s all over you’re gonna be pretty wounded. And I hope that you’re hurt because people have loved you, not because they used you.”

A problem without vision is just …. a problem.

But a problem accompanied by vision and goal becomes potentially a great step forward.

I sent my Mac Book to the service centre last week. Got my problem fixed and today I receive an email asking me to help with a survey to improve their service.  I don’t normally have time for surveys but since I received really good service, I did it anyway. The survey took 2 minutes and when I completed it by hitting the ”submit” button,  I was overwhelmed by the 18 thank you notes in different languages on screen. It’s a simple thing to make me feel good about helping. 

Always be grateful to people around you who work with you.  Express your gratitude with many different ways. If possible do it at least 18 different ways. I don’t know, maybe other than innovation, this is Apple’s secret of success.

Facilitating the Problem Management course tonight with Soo Feng. Here’s what’s cooking in my head.

“Solution to any problem always introduce a new set of problems”

If you are hungry, the solution to eat introduce a new set of problems of where, what and how much to eat. The key idea is to look 2 steps ahead and solve those at the same time. Of course once you have that (ie. know where to eat, what to eat and how much) you have another new set of problems like car park, if its a balance diet and if you have actually eaten too much or too little. How are you going to pay and who’s sending you home?

Well look 3 steps ahead then. That means, if you are resolving a problem of a misunderstanding by meeting someone to talk through the problem. Make sure you take another step to think about what to talk about and what would be the outcome of that talk. If the outcome of that talk is going to be challenging either yourself or the other person, solve how to followup to bridge reconcilitation.

The idea to look 2, 3 or more steps ahead and solve all problems ahead is wise. At the end of the day, it is not if we have solve the problem or not but that we are always problem solving and we become comfortable with it.

The outcome of problem solving; You becoming comfortably uncomfortable and very good at it.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1853330,00.html

” …psychiatrist Adelheid Kastner wrote in her 130-page report. “His childhood made him susceptible to an emotional handicap; [he felt] the need to possess an entire human being.”

” …In six lengthy interviews, Fritzl described himself as an “alibi child” who was only conceived so that his mother could prove to her partner that she was not sterile. According to Fritzl’s account, she neglected him and subjected him to traumatic experiences like abandonment. During World War II bombing raids, for example, Fritzl’s mother would retreat to an air-raid shelter for safety, leaving Fritzl alone in the family home.“

“…Psychiatrists say the children are more likely to suffer from a range of psychological problems in adulthood, including becoming abusive themselves. As a nation obsesses over one man’s evil, the challenge now is to help his children escape their dark past. “
Things get messy if we neglect what’s one of the most important people we have today: The children.

Found this one from today’s study room clean up. A CD of our songs from Love Songs Love Stories, the charity musical we did YEARRRRSSS ago for Hope Centre.

This song is the theme music by Christella Loo and Words by myself

And guess what? I googled and found that the website is still up http://www.onlinerock.com/services/lovesongs/

This is for good memories sake.

It says

To Do Is To Be - Socrates
To Be Is To Do - Plato
Do Be Do Be Do - Sinatra

Yes gang…. be all you can be, do all you can do but don’t take yourself too seriously.

I cut myself while shaving. I used the same shaver and hit the same spot (on my lower left lip). So the ‘kiddy’ bandage provided by May Ann goes back to the same area for the second time in the last 2 weeks.

I think Satan do the same thing. He love to hit where we were once wounded before. That’s because he’s boring and also knows that’s where he has greatest chance of victory. It is not like we are unaware of this, it just that we do not have a plan.

So where is it that the battle is the fierciest?

- Lying/Dishonesty/Incongruent?
- Insecurity/Timidity/Mousiness?
- Attention dependency/People pleasing?
- Arrogance/Pride/Jerkism?
- Lust/Pornography?
- Materialism/Corruption/Greed/Guitar addiction?
- Gluttony/Meat loving?
- TV/Internet/Coffee addiction?

These things don’t just go away.

You need solid truth, a plan, discipline, power! and regular victory. Here’s what works for me?

Step 1:  Learn why all this is the injury of the mind (The Truth)
Step 2:  Work out a plan to beat it (The Plan)
Step 3:  Ensure plan include going cold turkey for 21 days (The Discipline)
Step 4:  Pray and be accountable. (The Power)
Step 5:  Don’t ever go back there. (The Regular Victory)
Step 6:  Keep doing Step 1 to 5 for at least the rest of your life (The Life)

* But it gets easier and better… and more abundant and lovelier. It gets to wonderful and beautiful. Your relationships get better. Your life starts to work out. You’ll feel wonderful. You become beautiful and start living right.

This is the promise of life to the full. Write to me if you want a detailed plan.

We were having our planning retreat the last two days. Had some great conversations over some good food. With a big dinner last night and eating again today, I must admit that it is not wrong to say that eating is a national pastime in Singapore.

However it is still not me. I was telling a colleague over lunch that l will not die without good food but I’ll die without good music.

In my quest for good music, I discovered a new (at least to me) violinist, Lisa Batiashvilli. She released a wonderful album and I really like her style. I thought she looked graceful with her violin and naturally beautiful. I dislike heavy make up and chain pendants (maybe because of age)

I don’t know about you but I feel there’s something about violinist that doesn’t need much packaging (eg. Hillary Hahn, Sarah Chang, Nicola Bennedetti, Julia Fisher). The last time someone packaged a violinist she turned out to be Vanessa Mae. I don’t think it works.

And it doesn’t work to package Christ too. An email from Rich Mullin’s Quote of the Day highlighted a quote by John Fisher. It talks about people who try to excessively package the message of Jesus which is already so beautiful. The quote goes something like this: “Why be cute when you are beautiful?”

Now that’s wonderful. Why work so hard to be cute? Why not just be beautiful.

I was spending time with Ed Young at McDonald’s last week. Oh yes, he was in Singapore. Infact he can be anywhere you want him to be.

It was a great time and I was amazed that such a creative leader exist. I learn his creative processes. I learn to see double. I learn how to bring out creativity in people. I gain so many things at the price of just a book (or much less as I took it out of the church library).

I’ve heard testimonies from those to met Ed in person that he makes you feel like the most interesting person in conversations as he will ask so many questions about you.  Things are never boring to him regardless of who he talks to because he’s not a bored or boring person.

Creativity is not found in great ideas or inspiration, it is found in the person that God has created. It’s all in there and Ed Young and his team at Fellowship church is a proof of that.

This morning, I was with some other people. I was also with God. Yes, the holy king of Israel is right here with me in Singapore.