Blessed Steps

I'm back from France after one full month of WIFI-free, monastery life! Once I'm back, I got questioned by so many people of "How was it?", "Tell me ALL about it!" Well, A LOT has happened and to tell All about it is quite hard really.  But here's a summary of what happened in my 4 weeks there: (If time allows, I shall update more interesting factors in details) Taize is a town in France, about 3 hours away from Paris. The Taize Community is an ecumenical monastery.  Brothers from the Catholic church, Protestants, and Orthodox live together in the Taize community.   They live and worship in very simple way where they prioritize the truth of the Bible and make their differences as secondary matters.  Now, the Taize community has become a campsite where people pay a small amount of money to go there and live for a week or so as part of their spiritual journey (to seek God). When I was there, there was about 2000-3000 people weekl...

Because forgiveness is never easy... Lord, Help me to forgive, Just as you have forgiven me. - KEVIN LEVAR - Beautiful Beautiful song:  A Heart That Forgives I want a heart that forgives When the ones that are closest, that I’ve known the longest, hurt me the most;  I still wanna love them just like You love me  Even though I’m hurting  I want a heart that forgives  When the pain is so deep, it’s so hard to speak, about it to anyone  Just like Your Son, I give up my right to hold it against them with hatred inside  'Cause the heart that forgives is the heart that will live  Totally free from the pain of the past  And the heart that lets go is the heart that will know so much freedom  - MATTHEW WEST - Forgiveness It’s the hardest thing to give away And the last thing on your mind today It always goes to those that don’t deserve It’s the opposite of how you feel When the pain they caus...

How do you get workers to do well in their job? How do you get students to do well in their studies? How do you get people to excel in what they do? 1. Focus on the Wildly Important Goals (WIG) Don't set too many goals than needed, narrow the focus Simplicity & Transparency e.g. do revision of one subject every week 2. Act on the Measurable data e.g. Biology, chapter 1 3. Keep a compelling scoreboard People play differently when they are keeping scores. A player scoreboard, not a boss scoreboard e.g. let the kid create a scoreboard to tick off when he has done his revision, let him check it and measure himself, instead of you checking on him constantly "The Number 1 driving factor is when people think that they are winning." Engagement happens when it's winnable WIG meeting: 1. Report on last week's commitment 2. review & update scoreboard 3. Make commitment for next week (let them make it themselves) It is not about dictating wha...

Language is the deck of cards we have been give to name our experience. There are hundreds of games we can play with it, but in the end there are only fifty-two cards. We cannot say anything with five aces in it, or win an argument that calls for three red queens. There are limits to our language, and while most of the time fifty-two cards seem entirely too few, the truth is that more would ruin the game. Because we are limited in what we can say, we know what it is to come to the end of speech- to come to the very edge of language- and to gaze slack-jawed at what still lies beyond. If you have ever stood on a high cliff over the sea and felt that strange, frightening pull toward the brink, then you know what I mean. There is a human fascination with limits that is both holy and chastening all at the same time.  Without limits, we would have no feel for the infinite. Without limits, we would be freed from out longing for what lies beyond. It is precisely our inabili...

Today, our Creation Care class went to visit Pulau Semakau. This has been one of the Most Educational Trip I've ever been to in a long time.  Basically, the Singapore government realized that they are lacking in land space for trash. So, they came out with a superb system to: Collect daily trash from the citizens Send it to incineration plant to burn the trash Transport the ashes to Tuas Marine Tranfer Station Then transfer the ashes to fill the sea in between these two islands (Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng) to make it one big plot of land Literally, from Trash to Land.  We gathered at Pasir Panjang jetty and took a boat over to Pulau Semakau. Arrived at Pulau Semakau's port  Went to the Information Center and learnt about this amazing project from scratch. The tour guide was amazing in filling us with all the details and answering all our questions.  A van drove us along the "Most expensive road built"- th...

Patrick Lencioni: 3 virtues of an ideal team player: 1. Humble more interested in others than themselves a person who downplay their own ability is not humility, that is low self confidence 2. Hungry strong work ethic, not slacker, do whatever is necessary to get it done 3. Smart (People smart, EQ) emotional intelligence, people smart, common sense around people A Humble + Hungry person who lack People Smartness = The Accidental Mess-Maker  (These people get things done but might get into a lot of interpersonal trouble and perhaps need the supervisor to clean up the mess for them. They need to train up their EQ) A Humble + People Smart person who lack Hunger = The Lovable Slacker  (These people tend to stay a long time in the team, nobody wants to fire them because they are lovable and they do just enough work for you not to shoo them away, but they just constantly lack that drive to move forward and charge ahead) A Hungry + People Smart person who lack...

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2 Cor 4:7 My will was strong My pride was thick My self was first I have my plans in my hands I know my desires in my heart I was crafting out my own life You wanted to love me You wanted to use me You wanted to lead me And because you care so much You stepped in, crushed my wall And because you can't bear to see You stepped in, put a stop And because you LOVE. Like soldier running in to battlefield Like fireman rushing in to rescue life You firmly, but lovingly, held on to that hammer and broke down all my walls I shattered into dusts and ashes But you picked up my pieces Not leaving any You put it back together Tighten and perfect it with that warmth  That warmth of yours- called GRACE Grace- Not that I deserve Not that I'm worthy Grace- instead of shame just amazing grace I look up and I see...