If there is one thing I gained from working at ZF for the past 3 months, it is knowing how difficult it is to raise up a family.

I have never fully understand my parent’s burdens until I hear it directly from my colleagues who went through the same thing as my parents.

I can only say, I am forever indebted to my parents.

They are the most perfect parents I can ever have, and they are also my very best friends.

Everything is always beautiful when you take it slow and easy.

When God says there is a time for everything, there is  a time for everything indeed.

A time to work smart in the office. And more often than not, I need lots of wisdom, for everything and everyone is always changing. Unpredictability rules in the office. And the new colleague is more a thorn in my flesh who couldn’t stop suaning people. Perhaps my nonchalent spirit will shut him off one day. Some guys really have a bad tongue.

A time to mug hard in the evening. I find it more and more relieving to just chill out in the evening at SMU basement revising, talking and crapping. Somemore, subjects can be quite interesting.

Come to think of it, the degree turns out to be such a blessing. I took up a degree as a no choice, must take in Singapore kind of thing. But now, at the 3rd term into it, I gain so much. I begin to know so many great people inside, who share their life and working experiences. Coming together to study is not just a to do anymore. It’s part of a lifestyle, process and exchange that we all have with one another. Suddenly, my perspective and viewpoints on many things change. For eg, how would I know what a salesperson really struggles with, unless my sales friend shares with me? And how would I know how tiring and frustrating to be working in the customer service line until I hear from them personally? These people with real life experiences have given me something that money can’t buy – a sharing of their lifes and simply their friendship. As such, I really felt that I gained so much from this degree (with working adults) as compared to if I have went to get a campus degree, whereby I will have just literally play throughout 4 years with people who are younger. And these working adults are fun too!

However, at the end of the day, I must still remember to put God in the centre of these all. If God is not in the picture, I can easily become no different from an atheist. I can do everything based on my own effort and wisdom. An atheist refused to acknowledge the presence of an Almighty God. But I acknowledge that God is the one who gives man wisdom to do everything. God is not a last resort thing when natural disaster comes and people lose all hope. God is in the centre of man’s life and in control of the universe, and He wants man to have an abundant life. In my opinion, atheist are independent, self-willed and prideful people. Christians are not weak. They simply acknowledge God as the stronger one and submit to His Lordship.

Sometimes, when I go through one whole day of my life, simply just listening to people and enjoying a simple friendship, life can become beautifully simple.

When life is simple, life is beautiful. Really beautiful. Stress-free. Happy. Contented.

Cheers.

Contentment

I bought nothing into this world, and I can take nothing out of it.

Why then, do I always want to have everything? I think I need them? Or I want them? Or I like them? Or I think I deserve them? Or perhaps I should see it as, God gives them for me to use.

Why is this lesson easier to learn when we are poorer and harder to learn again when we are richer?

Again, another lesson to learn.

Surrender

And why do people always struggle with surrender over and over again? Because we always think this is my life. I should live it the way I like it.

But perhaps we should just see every breath as a gift from God.

Why is this lesson easier to learn when we are younger, and harder when we are older? Because we think we are an adult already?

Again, relearn lesson.

Hope

And what do we hope for in the future? Many times the people we put hope in always disappoint us. Because ultimately we still haven’t learn to put our hope in God.

Many hard lessons to learn.

Caught transformers the movie with the cg guys today, as well as an accidental buddy I got to know through work. I heard this movie is a good movie. Turns out……. well, it is a good one.

I have to give credit to the fascinating works of arts and fights betwwen the different transformers especially the very frightening and devilish act by the evil transformer lady. That was superb!

Besides that, the rest of the acts are a blur array of confusing action fights in which I believe no one can make out who is fighting who.

And as for the story plot, I like it. I would probably give the bf a punch if I were the girl. But things got sweet and nice ending. Who tells the Bf to be such a nice gentleman who still manages to capture the lady’s heart.

And one last thing – Megan Fox is hot!

And before I forget, the very words written outside the Dhoby Ghaut church wrote – “Be transformed, not terminated.”

How many times in our walk with God, we give up fighting because we do not get what we ask for? Don’t be terminated. Be transformed.

I don’t like it when man’s character goes awry.

This afternoon I tagged along with my colleagues to go makan at NTU. I got into his car and he began to share his life. Lo and behold, this 30 year old male colleague of mine is a father of a child aged 6. What’s more, he smokes everyday. When asked if his children ask him to stop smoking or not, guess what is his reply?

“You don’t care so much. I smoke non of your business. I earn money, you spend, that’s all.”

His reply shocked me through and through. The male colleague I’ve known for 2-3 months is such a person.

True colors shocked.

I have nothing but more negativity.

On the other hand, one brother-in-christ smsed to me today that there are a lot of wonderful and responsible brother in Christ in the kingdom of God. I can only say, I will just keep my fingers cross.

Most people don’t start out like this. I guess. This colleague is 30 years old. Perhaps stress and change of values get over him with time.

Back in school at the night classes, I bumped into the 3 friendly guys I was revising with last term. They are just in their 20s. Without a family, without a car, without a fantastic career, they are just simply living simply. There is such a peace and simple friendship present when I relate with them.

What a huge contrast between these 2 age groups. Is it that with age, and exposure to different people that caused people to change so much?

Perhaps not. Perhaps people need to define their own values. Then, no matter what comes our way, we will always stand firm on our values.

Saw this caption in the papers today – I don’t need a man. I need a Bachelors.

Ironically, it was Charlie Koh who pass the newspaper around. Trust a man to do just that. Tsk tsk.

Seriously, sometimes I wonder why are woman nowadays the one who does everything. What are the man doing? Why are the woman the ones doing all the sacrifices and giving. Why are woman the ones who have to carry the burden of loving and raising the families? Why are woman the ones who rise up to leadership? Why are woman the ones who are always caring for others first? I don’t get it.

Perhaps what my colleague told me is true – Shouldn’t be so soft on guys. Be hard on them.

Perhaps I may be wrong. Perhaps there are good guys around. Open my eyes then.

Meanwhile, I still prefer to remain an independent woman.

Perhaps this article will evoke negative emotions. But for now, I can’t deny the fact that sometimes (many times), it’s easier to do everything ourselves than to depend on man.

Unless I’m proven wrong.

Final analysis – unless man learn to be gentleman and worthy of respect, woman will still continue to do everything herself. Period.

Sometimes the company of girlfriends can be still better. God, I hope you prove me wrong.

After abandoning my wordpress blog to start a blog at multiply.com, I abandon that again to come back to wordpress. Somehow, I still prefer WordPress format. No reasons why. Sometimes people like a certain particular thing and there is no reason why. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I just find wordpress blog nice. Anyway…

It is a songful day.

This morning I hop onto bus 192 to get to work as usual and the news hit me straight in the face that Michael Jackson just got a heart attack and pass away. Somehow, it hits really close to heart. Not because he is close to me, but because I have grown up listening to his famous songs every now and then on air. His biography is ‘worthy’ of mentioned, and it’s amazing what one man can do and his impact and influence in just a few decades. Of course, however, his influence is not exactly very positive ones. It make me realised all the more that I should live to influence positively. We should not just live for our self-gratification (although God did say we are made to enjoy life and to find fulfillment in all our toll). We should live a life that is worthy of mention at the end.

Besides that, I spend a great evening with Sharonish singing and crooning and playing swings on the playground. One star shine down on us today. It was supposedly Sharon’s star, because mine lives in my heart – Jesus Christ.  =)

Every now and then, you get the feeling that your whole life just flashes past in a blinking of an eye.

Having bumped into my very first primary school friend (in 1991) in MDIS every now and then these days is one thing. Funny how some people’s face never change for 18 years. Funny how some people never seems to age.

And then it’s the catching up with church friends as we talked about life, coming-to-know-Christ conversion story, over-the-years-s’pore-exam-results, changes, etc etc. It’s crazy because life passes so fast.

Suddenly you realized you are faced with many many many insecurities and emotional challenges. You wonder what are they, until you come across this term called the ‘Quarter-life crisis’. Tada! You realized you are normal. You are facing a quarter-life crisis, that’s all.

OMG…. I’m facing quarter-life-crisis…. =S

“I know that we can all be friends, I know that this will never end. I know that we can all be friends.” This familiar M1 tone keeps ringing in my mind nowadays.

True, we all need friends for emotional support, to share the joy, to divide the pain. However, what kind of friends do we want to let into our life and what kind of friends would we want to just keep it just status quo and at a distance?

Many a times we tend to slant towards choosing friends based on our personality preferences, ability to click / connect and find common interests. However, these qualities are simply surface, and will never provide true, lasting friendship / relationship.

Recently having to come to grips with a few unpleasant situations that made me realize all the more, the importance of choosing the right kind of friends in my life.

Asking myself an important question – which is better -
a. A fun-loving, popular and exciting friend with values that simply goes opposite to my own.
b. A plain gal who simply blend into the wall, but has a great heart for the truth.

Both are opposites, but for a lasting friendship, I choose B.
If God looks at these 2 people, guess who is God more pleased with?

No doubt God looks at the heart, the inner being.

Lesson learnt: Choose friends based on their character.

One fine day last week, by chance, I got to know this guy Dxxxx and his cousin while working part-time as an exam invigilator with Jenny. They have conveniently seated themselves at our table to talk to us and made themselves comfortable. Dxxxx made quite a first impression I must say, but I have no intention or idea to carry on any serious conversation with him except to talk about general things, and probably have my lunch done asap. I was freaking hungry. Ops….

They left soon, followed by us shortly. But we were stopped again by him as he has turned back to introduce a book to both of us (probably a technique used by him, now that I think of it). Smart guy.
Absolutely nothing to lose, I took the book with intention to just explore this book and the Network Marketing thing he was talking about. I have absolutely no interest in this, but I might as well educate myself on this, I thought. And at least when if reject it, I can reject something I have at least explored. Sounds good.

The book was left on my table to collect dust for a week thereafter…. Ops…

I finally met up with him today. Before he arrived, I briefly go through the book, which is pretty straight-forward and has many analogies. Not convinced and not motivated to go into it, I was almost prepared to return him the book and make a quick exit asap. Well, interestingly, he was unlike any other salesperson who is very aggressive. He is pretty laid back and even wore see-toes saddles! Omg… so I chatted abit with this goodie friendly chap and wait to see what happens.

Alright, as expected, there was a short presentation. It was a good one. It started with the dreams I had, how I can accomplish it (with money of course), a education course on active and passive income, moving on to products they have, success stories of people who made it. And they are really successful in it. I am impressed. Along the way, I raised up quite a few arguments – the time and effort needed, would Singaporeans switch their lifestyle to these products, what if the network I build overnight collapse, etc. He gave good answers. Actually, one has very little reasons not go into it. Put it this way, this business is a passive one. One can choose to build it in one’s own time and target. Products are reasonable. So long as one has learned the techniques and skills to convince, the business can grow. Doesn’t sound difficult. The good thing is, I can still get to keep a full time job. I can run two things at the same time!

Ponders.

Think about it. What is the thing that will motivate me to run this business? Isn’t it all about money? Remembering, the love of money is the root of all evil. For the sake of money, I have to entertain and approach people with mixed motives. Let’s say I try to keep my motives pure, can I say I won’t be tempted by riches later on? Very hard to say… Another is to gain significance and recognition, and to help people achieve financial independence as well. This kind of significance and recognition, I want not. Not lasting. If God decides to rapture people tonight, there is no more significance to speak of!

In conclusion, seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. All these others things shall then be given unto me.