Life without Limbs...

Nick Vujicic is back in Singapore.

Born limbless, Australian-born Nick faces far greater life struggles than most, but he breaches and overcomes these barriers with the power of God’s love. Today, Nick trots around the globe to bring his amazing testimony of hope, love and strength to millions worldwide. So get ready to be transformed by another of Nick’s inspiring message for us. (FCBC Website)

If you want to have a change of perspective of life, come and be inspired!

Sunday (9th Nov) 1:30pm @ Expo Max Pavilion

Discipline

Discipline - it's a dirty word to most people, especially youths. The general perception of it is usually negative.

For those on the receiving end, discipline often includes things like withdrawals of privileges, scoldings & even beatings.

I'll like to paint a perspective from the other end. As a teacher & cell leader in church myself, I have disciplined many young people before. When I see somebody doing something wrong (like latecoming), if I don't correct him, I'm encouraging him to continue doing this wrong thing & I'm not helping him build his character.

Take for example. A child of 5 years dashes across the road without his parents. The father can perhaps smack him on the hand and remind him not to do it again. The child may not understand completely, but the father is teaching him that the little pain he feels is nothing compared to when a car knocks him down. That's discipline.

There is a price to pay when you discipline someone. You risk rejections from that person. You risk relationships. But honestly, you only discipline someone whom you care. If you don't care about that person, you wouldn't bother correcting him. .

Of course, there're people who have abused their authority and disciplined out of anger and selfishness. I myself have being like that before - perhaps being too harsh and use hurtful words. I would like to apologise to those whom I have done that to, especially my students and my cell members. I am sorry.


Don't always view discipline as something negative. You only discipline those whom you care.

I Love Singapore!!

Happy 43rd Birthday, Singapore!!!



This year, we celebrate our nation's 43rd birthday. I'm proud to be a Singaporean.

For such a small nation, our global influence and achievements are simply amazing. We have the world's best airport, the world's top airline, the world's busiest port, etc. We are also one of the best places in the world to do business.

However, all of the above will not last if we have a whole generation of Singaporeans constantly looking outwards and emigrating to other nations at every opportunity. They have forgotten how much blessings they or their forefathers have received from this land.

We have to raise up Singaporeans who are loyal to Singapore and are willing to stay in times of crisis. In this time and age, crisis may strike any time - be it in the form of natural or man-made disasters, or even economic recessions.

Love Singapore.

Singapore, my homeland, my inheritance

History of Harvard

A few days ago, I came across this article about American history. I found this particular portion interesting and decided to share it here. It's about the history of Harvard University - a place where the brightest gather.

When it was first founded, Harvard enforced 8 rules which included high moral and academic standards:

1. Before attending Harvard, the student must able to write and speak Latin and Greek.
   


2. The main goal of the student's life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. Since only the Lord gives wisdom, every one should ask Him for wisdom in secret prayer.
   


3. Every one must read the scriptures twice a day, and be ready to show his knowledge of them.
   


4. Cursing is not allowed, and the student is to keep God and the love of His truth in his mind.
   


5. A student must attend all classes and must not disturb by words or movements.
   


6. No one is to leave the college without his teachers, and no one may go to another town without his parents or guardian.
   


7. Every student must be present in his teacher's room at 7 in the morning for reading of scripture and prayer. At 5 in the evening, he must appear before his teacher to give account of his own private reading of the Bible.
   


8. If any student breaks any of the laws of God or the school, he may be punished at the monthly public meeting.
   

Ordinary People doing Extraordinary Things

Today in school, we had our Sec 1 level meeting with the parents. One thing that impressed upon me was what our Year Head shared at the end of the briefing.

It's that all teachers should believe that our students - no matter how ordinary they seemed - are capable of doing extraordinary things. Just like what the video below shows.




Do you believe it?

Sze Kiang, PSLE

Today, someone just shared something that inspired me. Hope that this will also inspire you.

Often, we go through life pursuing degrees, qualifications, etc. For instance, it certainly will look good if you have this to your name: Sze Kiang, MBA (Master of Business Administration).

I'm not saying that all this is not important. It's just that perhaps we can go for something even better, something long-lasting.


PSLE


Person that Shows Love and Encouragement

I'll be really glad to have that at the back of my name. I'm not there yet, but I'm definitely working on it.

7-Up and 100 Plus

Recently, someone shared with me that he particularly likes two kinds of drinks: 7-up and 100 plus.

The reason is very simple. Both drinks symbolizes positiveness.
100 plus = 100+ = 100 positive. 7-up means everything is good, and always pointing up.

Sadly, there's this nature in most of us - myself included - that sometimes just like to criticize and tend to look at the faults of others. We are like 100 minus and 7-down

Just remember this: in every relationship, either with friends or family, you always CAN.


Connect with others.

Accept others.

Nurture others.


You CAN!

Do You THINK Before You Talk?

One of the most difficult thing to control is the tongue. Most of us tend to talk without thinking. At least, that's true for me personally. I tend to talk too much and at the wrong time sometimes.

I shared this with my form class a few days ago.

"Do You THINK Before You Talk?"

Is it ...

True?

Helpful?

Inspiring?

Necessary?

Kind?


Hence, do try to THINK before you shoot your mouth off next time.

Do You Have Enough Rest?

Today I just came back from a church camp. I managed to catch a cab home. But this cab was no ordinary cab. It was a new Eco-Cab.

During the church camp, Pastor Yeang Cherng actually talked about this new Eco-Cab. The thing about the Eco-Cab is this: it runs on gas, not diesel. Gas costs half of what diesel costs.

The catch is this, you can only refuel the Eco-Cab in Jurong Island (which is all the way in the west). When the gas runs dry and you cannot refuel in time, the Eco-Cab will need to run on its batteries. And it's very expensive to do it.

It's kind of analogous to life. For instance, when we work normally, we're using the gas in us. When we rest sufficiently, we can replenish our energy.

However, when we work very hard, and begin to work so hard that we have not time to rest, we will end up using our batteries. If our batteries are used extensively, it will cost us dearly to replenish our energy. This 'cost' may come in the form of burn-outs, sicknesses, losing relationships with our loved ones, etc.

Hebrews 4:11 (NIV)
"Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. "

Year 2008 = Year of Sabbath in FCBC!

Amazing Life!!

EXTRAORDINARY is what others see in Nick Vujicic. Born limbless, Nick faces far greater life struggles than most. Yet, today, he has blessed over 1,000,000 hearts worldwide with his remarkable life story. Come and be inspired by this 25-year-old Australian-born motivational speaker who has been a tremendous source of hope and strength to others. - FCBC Website

Evan Almighty

Last Sat, I watched Evan Almighty on the big screen. Here's a short description of the comedy movie.

"A newly elected congressman, Evan, was tasked by God to make an ark. He risked his career, his family and basically, his life to get the ark done. And because of what he has done, he was able to save the lives of his family, colleagues and neighbours from a broken dam."

The whole movie is full of funny jokes. I can't stop laughing throughout almost the whole show. But beyond the laughter, I do feel that this show does have some lessons that we can learn from.

1. Courage
When Evan received the calling from God to build the ark, he devoted his life to it. Despite people (including his colleagues) laughing at him, he continued. At one point, even his beloved family left him. Yet he persevered on.

Courage - to do the right thing even if the people around you do not understand.


2. Love
Evan's family drew together to do this apparently 'silly' act of building the ark after God enlightened Evan's wife.

"When you prayed to God for greater intimacy within the family, do you think God will just give you the intimacy? Or do you think that God will give you an opportunity for this to happen?"

Evan's wife realised that this whole thing about building the ark can help bring the family closer together than even before. She brought the children back to Evan, and the 5 of them went on to build the ark together as a family. That is love.


3. Kindness
In the show, it was repeated a few times. How can we change the world? We can change the world by doing acts of kindness one at a time. Always be a blessing to those around you. Don't be calculative.

And when you do that, the atmosphere around you in the workplace, school or classroom will change positively. People will be smiling more and be more cheerful. Don't wait for someone to give on to you. Be that somebody who gives.

Happy 42nd Birthday, Singapore!

Yesterday marks the 42nd birthday of our beloved nation. I'm really proud & thankful of how the nation has come so far in a short span of 1 generation.

Someone shared this with me on National Day's eve.

1. We must honour the older generation of Singaporeans. They've worked so hard to build our nation up. Their insights are very valuable & important for us.

2. We must thank the present generation of Singaporeans. They've right now giving the best times of their lives to the nation. Their influence is essential in our continual prosperity.

3. We must be committed to nuture & love the next generation of Singaporeans. They may be young, but they hold the keys to our future success. Their imagination is what that will define tomorrow.

To sum it all,
We must honour those before us.

We must strengthen those around us.

We must empower those under us.

We must mentor those after us.

小孩不笨

Last Sat night, I was watching 小孩不笨 for the first time on Channel 8. It was really quite a meaningful show, besides all the laughter. The 3 stars - Terry, Guobing & Wenfu acted really well. They brought so much life to the movie.



The movie brought about 2 things that I really felt deeply.

1. The Chinese language is no longer valued nowadays.
In the movie, Jack Neo's boss was so proud of himself that he couldn't speak a single word in Mandarin, and yet he could succeed in the advertising world.

I'm a Chinese. To me, it is very important to be able to converse in Mandarin. It is our roots and our heritage. But sad to say, many young people today dislike speaking in Mandarin. They have problems putting Chinese words together to form complete sentences. We really don't need to talk about 成语 (idioms) or 谚语 (proverbs).

I really hope that the MOE would put more emphasis on the Chinese language. They must really help promote the language. It is a scary thought to envision Chinese in Singapore unable to utter any words in Mandarin.

Let me be frank. I can't write Chinese characters well. But I'm quite confident of speaking in Mandarin.


2. Many students in S'pore have been 'marked' for failure at a very young age.
During my time, until even recently, in Primary 5, all S'pore students have to go through streaming - EM1, EM2 and EM3. Well, if you're in EM1 or EM2, you probably feel it's okay.

However, what about those streamed into EM3? In the movie, Terry and his friends were all in EM3. And sometimes, they were been laughed at by their friends. Sometimes, they just felt lousy about themselves. Even their parents also sometimes felt that they were useless.

Then, after PSLE, students at a young age of 12 are again streamed into Special, Express, Normal Academic (NA) and Normal Technical (NT). The perception is - if you're in NT, that's it. You won't have a bright future.

My personal belief is that every child has potential. Every child has his giftings. However, our S'pore education system is one such that it only emphasizes on Math, Science & Language subjects. But thankfully, we're already trying to change. That's why there's the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at NUS.

As a teacher, I'm quite convinced my role is to bring out the potential of my students, even if their potential doesn't lie in academic subjects.

You can find out more about your strengths by doing a simple online test at this website.

There's no substiute - Jackie Pullinger

Last weekend, my church had the privilege of having Dr. Jackie Pullinger sharing with us her experiences in serving the poor and needy.

Jackie Pullinger - a name that probaly Singaporeans don't really know. But in Hong Kong, she must be pretty famous. Her story? Truly an amzing one.

At the age of 22, a young English woman decided to give up everything she had, and become a missionary in Hong Kong. She felt God's calling for her in that place. And she went, despite having only enough money for a one-way boat ticket.

Yes. One-way ticket. She can't turn back to England even if she wanted to. When she finally reached Hong Kong, she only had HK$100 in her wallet.

She finally came to settle down in this place in Hong Kong. It was a place where both the Mainland China and British governments ignored. It was a place where there were no laws. It was known as the "Walled City".

Kowloon Walled City

Here's a description of what the Walled City was like:
"For years the Kowloon Walled City became a no go area. In the control of Triads and drug dealers, with an estimated population in excess of 30,000. Many residents were illegal immigrants; exempt from extradition, encased within its walls. A lone European venturing into its midst would most probably never be seen again, no Chinese went in without appropriate reason. " - Tofu Magazine (click here to read more)

Jackie Pullinger - a lone European, stayed in the Walled City and served the poor and needy. The poor and needy that she served included - drug addicts, prostitutes, old people, young people, triad members, etc. And because of her, their lives were changed and they believed in Jesus.

During the conference, she shared with us how a traid boss (commanding tens of thousands members) helped her buy back a typewriter and even sent his members to protect her. Eventually, the boss also came to believe in Jesus because of her.


40 years. She had stayed in Hong Kong for the past 40 years. She given her life to serve the poor and needy.

"There's no substitue. If you want to help someone, you have to go do it yourself. Don't ever see someone in need and yet do nothing about it. The lest you can do is to pray for the person." - Jackie Pullinger

She does things without expecting anything in return.
I do things often expecting something in return.

I guess that's the difference between the heart of a saint and mine. I ought to examine myself more and learn to be more like her.

Da WaiMun COde : - + - = More -

Recently, I read my mentor's blog and found a very interesting entry about using the Internet.

I realised that there's really a lot of wisdom and humor in his blog entries. Every time I read his blog, I'm really blessed by it. =)

I have put a WidgetBox on my sidebar so that I can constantly be updated by what my mentor is sharing on his blog. It's really a cool tool!


Negative + Negative = More Negative!

Negative + Positive = Less Negative or 0 or More Positive

Positive + Positive = More Positive


(Click here to find out what this code is all about!)

Always be Thankful

I realised that one of the ways to keep a positive outlook in life is to constantly be thankful about things around us. If we can learn to see positive things out of negative situations, we will be so much happier. Hence, I decided to start a list of "Thanksgivings" on the left-hand side of my blog.

Afterall, unpleasant things in life that happened could be blessings in disguise. =)

I want to give thanks for my D-link Internet Router.

Recently, my router's power adaptor has been giving me problems. Every other day, the router cannot work because of its power adaptor. I was quite fed up with it. Finally, I decided to go Sim Lim to get a new one (costs $62).

When I went there, one shop-owner told me that D-link routers have lifetime warranties. I decide not to buy anything at that point because maybe I can get my old router fixed.

A few days later, I went all the way down to the D-link office at International Business Park at Jurong East. The customer service lady said that my power adaptor is faulty, and hence need a new one. But I would have to pay $35 for it.

However, when I checked my wallet, I only had $10 in cash. The lady said that they only accept cash. And the nearest ATM machine is really quite far. I was like "Arghhh..." because I came all the way down and don't have cash to pay for a new power adaptor. I left the place without getting my router fixed.

Yesterday, I went down to the D-link office yet again. This time, I was prepared to pay $35 cash. However, to my pleasant surprise, the customer service person told me to just take a power adaptor from him, for free! Maybe it's an extra adaptor or something. But it doesn't matter, because I got my router problem fixed for free! =)

Hence, it's a blessing to me that I went down to the D-link office twice.

Getting the Better of Your Emotions

Here are 3 suggestion as to how we can help manage our emotions (esp. anger & depression) better. If you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment or tag.


Idea 1: Find a healthy community of friends.

No man is an island, especially during our teenage years. We always look for companionship and friendship.

Somehow, we just like to form cliques. There's always this certain group of friends that you particularly like to hang out with. And these are people we can share our feelings & emotions with.

The key here is that this community of friends that we're closed to, should be healthy. If this group always gets into trouble in school and outside of school, and sarcastic remarks are the norm, I really don't think it's a healthy group.

Look for a group where you can find
1) Kind & encouraging words are always there.

2) Trouble-free from the school authorities and parents



Idea 2: Learn to forgive.

Most often than not, when we are angry, we're angry at people. In every relationship between friends, family or even married couples, there's bound to be conflicts. When these conflicts are not handled properly, there will be a lot of anger.

Well, you can be passive and keep the anger within yourself. Everyday, you can wake up hating the person, and very soon, you will miss out on the joy of life. Haven't you seen people who are always angry? They're angry at everyone they meet. How can they be happy?

Or I suggest you can make the first move when you're angry with someone. Take the step to forgive and be reconciled with the person. Nevermind if the other person is still angry. At least, you have done your part. Trust me, you will feel so much lighter.



Idea 3: Find a mentor.

A mentor is someone who can guide you in your life.

Often, young people lacked wisdom and maturity in handling their emotions. Seriously, think about it, an angry 15 years-old sharing his anger or depression issues with another 15 years-old, what advice can the other person give? After all, they are of similar maturity and age.

Well, the truth is, most of the time, older people are really wiser, because they have more experiences in life.

I really hope that young people will find good mentors whom they can trust and share their problems with.

Who's Controlling Who? Your Emotions or You?

When you are angry, what is it that you wish to do do?


1. Stuff yourself with as much food as possible.


2. Go watch a comedy in the cinema to make yourself happier.


3. Be alone and don't talk to anyone.


4. Go exercise and sweat it out.


5. Find some friends and chill out with them.


6. Go read a book.


7. Go and sleep, pretend that nothing has happened.


8. Blog or write down it your diary about what happened.


9. Play computer/PS/Xbox games (maybe online ones like Mapel, Dota or WoW).


10. Take a gun and go shoot all those people that made you angry.


I hope none of you chose the 10th option. Just last week, the world witnessed the worst campus shooting in the United States. Cho Seung-hui, a student in Virginia Tech, killed 32 people, before killing himself.

I have no idea what exactly Cho Seng-hui was going through. But I believe that when he committed the act, he was extremely angry and depressed. He wasn't in control of his emotions. His emotions were in control of him.


Sometimes, when I look at the students in my school, I realised that some of them seems to be always angry. They would always show angry faces. Vulgarities come out freely from their mouth. They speak rudely to peers and teachers.


I don't think this only happens in Springfield. Generally, many of our young people in Singapore nowadays have problems controlling their anger.


Anger seems to be controlling them.


It's perfectly normal for anyone to feel angry at times. However, the difference is how a person manage his anger. If, in his anger, he did something impulsive and hurt others or even himself, then it's bad. Or alternatively, if he keeps trying to contain the anger within himself, and doesn't share with anyone, it's like a built-up volcano. Once this person erupts in anger, the consequences can be very serious.


However, I believe that there are ways to help young people control their anger and emotions. I have 3 suggestsions that I would like to share :

1) Find a healthy community of friends.

2) Learn to forgive.

3) Find a mentor.


(To be continued...)

The Truth about Failure

Today, I came across this saying about "Failure". I would like to share this with everyone:


Failure doesn't mean you are a failure...
...it does mean you haven't succeeded yet.


Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing...
...it does mean you have learned something.


Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool...
...it does mean you had a lot of faith.


Failure doesn't mean you have been disgraced...
...it does mean you were willing to try.


Failure doesn't mean you don't have it...
...it does mean you have to do something in a different way.


Failure doesn't mean you are inferior...
...it does mean you are not perfect.


Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life...
...it does mean you've a reason to start afresh.


Failure doesn't mean you should give up...
...it does mean you should try harder.


Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it...
...it does mean it will take a little longer.


Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you...
...it does mean God has a better idea!



Author: Robert Schuller

Each Day is a Gift, that's why We Call it the Present

Just a few days ago, I heard that one of the students in Springfield had been admitted to the hospital. She was allegic to some medication that was given to her. I do not know the exact details, except for the fact that she's only Sec 1, 12+ years old. And she's fighting for her life in the hospital.

I had been going to the hospital almost everyday, for more than one and a half months. My grandpa stayed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at SGH for more than a month. Just like the Sec 1 girl, he was also fighting for his life.

Thank God that a miracle happened and he survive (despite him being 82 years old)! He's much better now, and is no longer in critical condition. I pray that the Sec 1 girl will also experience the same kind of miracle as my grandpa.

I really feel that life is precious. Every single second of it. We would never know when our life would suddenly end. But I guess, the key question that we all should answer would be: "If I am to suddenly leave this world, what are the things I have left behind?"

"Is it a lot of unresolved issues with my loved ones? And have I caused them so much pain and hurt?"

No. Everyday, I want to be able to be a blessing to the people around me.

Whatever accomplishments that I may have gotten, (like my degree, like my car, etc) they are of no value when I leave this world. People will forget them very quickly. But if I am able to touch lives and transform them while I'm alive, I believe that these are things that will last.

Treasure each day of your life. Don't waste it. Always be a blessing to others.