sawdust *rubs eyes*

*sigh*

There used to be a reason why I didn't want to be Christian. This morning I was reminded again of how real the situation attacking or sieging Christians in this 21st century.

Sometimes I wonder how you would feel if someone decided to invade your privacy, start snooping about your past? Would it be a nice feeling for someone to kick up the dust when everything was settled and dealt with?

Honestly, you would hate it, wouldn't you?

It's so easy to be grateful to be saved, redeemed by God's grace. But sometimes, I wonder just how much of wooden planks we need to remove from our own eyes before we start sweeping up the sawdust in other people's lives? What gives you the right to judge or to draw conclusions of the things that are around an individual's life?

I'm not judging you but I find it amusing to point out and I believe this applies to everyone, that NOBODY never likes to be reminded of their past - the bad ones. So what if a fellow brother or sister is still struggling with things in their life that are not approved? Did you change overnight when you became a Jesus follower? Nope, not at all.

Look at all the biblical examples... Peter swore undying loyalty to Jesus... and yet he betrayed the Son of God by denying Him when asked if he had any relation to Christ. What about Paul? After he converted on the road to Damascus, he had to go back to his home town to train up and be changed of his hard stance before he could face the Jewish Christians again as a reformed man. King David, the "man after God's own heart", plotted to kill a good man so he could sleep with that man's wife, he numbered the army that God gave him in pride...

The point is... everyone fights their personal demons on a daily basis. It takes time to grow in faith and be more like Jesus. Maybe you take a shorter time to change compared to another Christian... good for you, mate! But pleeeeease... don't make those who are still on their way to become better feel condemned and judged!

If you want to be a pharisee... go to Jerusalem. Don't tell people that you are Christian. Our gospel is a message of redemption, acceptance and grace. Not condemnation and rejection. I know I sound harsh about you, but fact is... your kind is the very reason why in the past I didn't want to be Christian in the first place. Because Christians seemed to be all talk but actions-wise they were the opposite of the grace they were preaching about.

I apologise if this causes some people to feel insulted. Talk to me in person if you want to confront me. If we really are in the same spiritual family as we claim to be, lets talk it out face-to-face.

And FYI....

the you in this post refers to me, and all other individuals who have unknowingly fallen into the mistake of judging, and those who still don't realise that they've been judging others, and for those who still think they are righteous in doing so. Wow, looks like its almost the whole world. Guess we're all on the same boat.

As we judge others... I think others are judging us as well. Let's be careful about what we say or do. After all...

you reap what you sow.

what are we waiting for?

Was just reading John Mayer's hit Waiting On The World To Change. The question comes to mind... should we really stand and wait?

Me and all my friends we're all misunderstood

They say we stand for nothing and there's no way we ever could

Drugs, abuse, pornography, slavery, starvation, domination, hate, nuclear wars, bribery, piracy, stealing, murder, rape, abortion, torture, terrorism, gluttony, greed, prostitution, gambling, kidnaps, sexual mutilation, violence, civil wars, cheating, racism, vandalising property, information theft, creating computer viruses...

Now we see everything that's going wrong with the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means to rise above and beat it

No means to rise above a screwed up world.

So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

Yep, wait for the world that's lost its perspective to change. Let's just keep waiting...

It's hard to beat the system when we're standing at a distance
So we keep waiting, waiting on the world to change

Why are we standing at a distance? Because we're sidelined, pushed away?

Now if we had the power to bring our neighbours home from war
They would have never missed a Christmas no more ribbons on their door
And when you trust your television what you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information, oh they can bend it all they want

Looks like all the good things in life are being held back. Promises unkept. Love forgotten...

It's not that we don't care we just know that the fight ain't fair

So we keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change

(True. Why pick a fight when you know your enemy's gonna play dirty?)

One day our generation is gonna rule the population
So we keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change

When is that one day coming?

No offence, John Mayer... I like the song still for its melody and catchy tune. But to answer your song...

That one day DID come, but it isn't our generation that's gonna rule.

my JESUS will rule =)

And I beg to differ, Mr. Mayer. That I don't stand aside and wait for the world to change. I want to be a world-changer, mind you! If everyone stands at the side lines and waits... who's actually doing things to change the world? Since the leaders aren't perfect, the system is dysfunctional, we can't trust the media... are we to just sit and wait and say, "oh, not that we don't care. We aren't able to do anything."

Like I said, catchy tune. But let's not catch the cynical view of it and make it our view. Christians, rise up! Christians, be planet shakers, be world changers, impact your Jerusalem, your Samaria, your ends of the earth! If it means making a difference in one person's life, that's the greatest start. Because Jesus started with one person and it grew in magnitude. Now millions of Christians are living for God everyday, we can't afford to fold our arms and say we don't care. Impact your own world the best you can.

Jesus sang a song of pain and suffering... so that we can now sing a song of freedom to the world.
Have you been living like a free man or are you living like a prisoner of the world?

think about it.

I much prefer Switchfoot's song...

Welcome to the planet, welcome to existence
Everyone's here, everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now, everybody waits for you now
What happens next? What happens next?

I dare you to move, I dare you to move!
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move, I dare you to move!
Like today never happened, today never happened before

Welcome to the fallout, welcome to resistance
The tension is here, the tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

I dare you to move, I dare you to move!
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move, I dare you to move!
Like today never happened, today never happened

Maybe redemption has stories to tell? Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell?
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here

I dare you to move, I dare you to!
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move, I dare you to move!
Like today never happened
Today never happened! Today never happened!
Today never happened before...

think about it.
are you gonna get moving?
or are you gonna keep on waiting?

My everyday because that one day

Jesus Christ

Verse
My Jesus, let my life resound Your name
Forever, let my voice sing everyday
I look to all the promises You gave me

My Saviour, the one who let Himself be judged
So I could live in peace and righteousness
I look to the sacrifices that You made

Bridge
Let me clap, let me sing, let me shout out my praise
To the One, who gave up His one day

Chorus
For me, my God He lived and died
For me, He made that sacrifice
To tell the world that you and I
Have a best friend called Jesus Christ

i love my cool kiddies

To be honest... I've been pondering for these few days whether I should move on or not for the year 2009 and get ready to look for another job. Let me get some things straight, not that I'm not happy with teaching at GRC or I'm not satisfied with my job or anything. But I've been asking God whether I need to move to a different phase of my life.

And as I go through my memories, the lessons learnt and things I've taken upon myself to do for the past two years plus (this is my third year still working at GRC), I realise God still has something more for me at GRC. I actually have no idea what are those things He has in store for me but I know they'll be good =)

Since 2006, it's been a challenge to adjust myself to such a working environment. I've never handled so many children before, let alone help out in the music part of the school's chapel, our beloved Youth Rally 2007, worship retreats, Broga Camp and the unforgettable night of the supernatural blackout and ministering... the list goes on.

I've never seen my faith, and belief in God tested so much before in any work place before GRC. One of my main frustrations for 2007 was whether I should continue to be so all out for my work because somehow, I spent more time working on the kids than my ministry in church. Evangelism is at my heart during college intakes in my area but somehow, God has shown me another passion that only yesterday I remember that I prayed years ago...

...youth.

I remember asking God for open doors to guide and minister to youth. I never knew God had answered that prayer until I started talking about it in cell group this week Wednesday night. To be honest, I really don't know what it takes to help youth, but out of God's mercy and grace, He shows me and guides me during times when I am totally clueless on how to go about things in school.

So yes, Mr. Fan... I won't be going so soon for 2009. In fact, I have a feeling that for 2010 I'll be around as well, but that is not to certain yet. But at least, I'm gonna be around for 2009 to see my kiddies graduate and move on to college and to watch the other kiddies grow up to be even more mature and responsible =)

I mean... how could I leave when I have...

Warm smiles that greet me in the morning

Cool Kiddies who aren't afraid to be themselves and be cool about it

People who can be cute, responsible,
endearing and mature at the same time

Who don't mind being lame for their teacher

To my kids, you know who you are =) let's live our days to the best, to our maximum greatest for God! Let's conquer those mountains together and see more awesome things happen among us!

Love you =)

p.s. I learnt from my kids how to listen, teach and live my life as a teacher. Without them, I wouldn't be able to learn so much on my own. Thank you, kiddoes =)