Saturday, March 23, 2024

What Do You See?

What is the picture you have in the eye of your imagination? Having said that, I will be sprinkling some Lego stuffs to stir your imagination.

Did you see Superman leaving the telephone booth?

Maybe you wanna to be rich and successful in life but is unable to articulate it or paint a clear drawing of what that would look like. Fret not, it is never too late to start having a goal to work towards by writing it down in details and placing it on your fridge door, mirror, mobile phone, diary or desk where you can see it everyday. You would then have something to focus on instead of being distracted by social media and fall prey to the syndrome of the grass-is-greener in other people's life.


Then, work towards your goal regularly until it becomes second nature to you. Let's say you would like to save up for a dream trek to Antarctica. Y
ou could then, in the parlance of investment gurus, pay yourself first each month by setting aside a sum of money before you spend the rest of the money on other things. Gradually, you would attain the required sum for you to embark on your quest.

All these would not be possible if you do not take care of the 'hygiene-factors' in your life such as staying healthy for you to keep working and earn your money to attain your dream. So, take care of your body by, inter alia, getting enough sleep, stay hydrated by drinking water (instead of sugary drinks), exercise regularly, eat in moderation, have a balanced diet and choose to eat the healthier stuffs. 

Take care of your relationships, too, as friction and unpleasantries could sap you of energy to focus and work on moving forward with your goal. And, if you unable to forgive others who trespass you, you would be set back even further.

Next, embrace new thought patterns that will build you up. You might find the following refreshing:

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 KJV 

1. Rejoice evermore. Would you rather be happy which depends on happenings or would you rather be joyful which is independent of circumstances? You might as well choose to be happy as certain circumstances are beyond your control, and be thankful as the situation could have been worser.

2. Pray without ceasing. God is real as He is our creator and the source of life. Without God, we would not exist. Thus, get to know Him and you can pray (converse with Him as our God and friend) and let Him teach and refine both you and your goal because He already knows what is best for you.

3. In everything give thanks. This is God's will for us. When you know who is Jesus Christ and what He has done for you, you have even more reasons to be thankful and fill your life with thanksgiving. Good Friday is coming and if you do not yet know Jesus Christ, ask a friend to bring you to church or attend an online Good Friday service.

Click here for the upcoming Good Friday services at City Harvest Church. 

Finally, your desired goal is closer today then it was yesterday. Be persistent and never give up on your dream. Your cumulative hours spent working on your objective will not be vain if you are willing to soldier on even when the battle is at the toughest, maintain self-discipline like an athlete, and keep sowing your seeds for a harvest in due season.  

May you live your best life yet. Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.


Up Close With Ora Good Cat

Electric cars are no longer a dream but a current and ubiquitous reality. 

With skillful marketing, excellent engineering and a name-and-design that gets lodged in people's mind, Ora Good Cat stands a good chance of attaining cult status like the Morris Mini and Beetle.

Visit a KIA showroom and meet Ora Good Cat today.




 



On The Fast Lane With Lego

The creative minds at Lego is hard at work to churn out an ever expanding array of products to grab your attention and fuel your imagination.

Yes, adults are welcome to get their hands on their products, too.

The following sample would shift some gears and make your adrenaline pump faster:- 




















Your imagination will drive you forward to create what you desire and completing a Lego construction project is a good starting point for you to focus and work out the life of your dream.

For your refreshing:

"Everything you can imagine is real." -- Pablo Picasso 

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagine will take you everywhere." -- Albert Einstein


Saturday, February 3, 2024

Your Life Is Precious But Not Exempted From Troubles

Asking the right questions could unravel how valuable life is. As gleaned from the internet:

"Would you rather have USD1 million now or being able to wake up tomorrow?" 

"Would you rather have USD100 million now or being able to wake up tomorrow?

If life is so precious then seize the day, and stop moaning and complaining. When death beckons at the appointed time, all the money in the world cannot save the day for you and me. (If you need a saviour, I know that Jesus can save us from eternal death and gives eternal life to all who believe in Him and follow Him, and you can come to know Him, too, if you do not know Him yet.)

I heard a story through Bishop Daq Heward-Mills' preaching of a man who was happy to lose his thumb in the course of his work because he got insurance indemnity of GBP80,000. But, we know that losing any member of our body or any of our physical and mental abilities would be devastating and monetary compensation is cold comfort.

So, let us appreciate what we have notwithstanding our shortcomings and make the most of what we have.

Even if you are a Christian, you will still face trying situations such as: "Losing, Suffering, Sacrificing and Dying", which is the title of a book written by Bishop Dag Heward-Mills.

Click here for Losing, Suffering, Sacrificing and Dying

Click here for Losing Suffering Sacrificing and Dying| City Harvest Singapore| Dag Heward-Mills| February 3, 2024 |

Life is tough, but that is precisely how resilience and fortitude are built in us. We have all heard of people who faced extreme poverty or other life's challenges, but overcame these setbacks and emerge stronger than before (ya, what doesn't kill you make you stronger). 

Like a tree which has been well-tested by the storms of life, we can then develop inner strength and yield to situations beyond our control without cracking or breaking.

Don't give up the fight to be an overcomer. We are in this together in the sea of humanity.

Photo by Ian Keefe on Unsplash

The winter seasons will come (and go). Katherine May has written a book on "Wintering" and you can find some warm comfort from what she has to share. 

Click here for Meet the Author: Katherine May, author of WINTERING.

Click here for 'It's normal to drop out': Katherine May on the power of 'Wintering' in grief

Click here for Wintering by Katherine May Book Summary 


May you emerge stronger after your season of winter and gain a better understanding of life from what you have suffered, survived and been through.


Friday, January 19, 2024

The Bridge of Words

Think for a moment on how you can communicate with someone else without using words.

Some alternative avenues would be: sign language using hands, body language (facial expressions, mouth gestures, etc.) and sounds (incoherent words, whistling, music, etc.).

Thankfully, every tribe on Earth has developed its own language as expressed in spoken and/or written words.

Words are like a bridge which brings people together on the same page so that they can understand each other's thoughts and viewpoints.

Photo by Joel Vodell on Unsplash

Whether you are chatty or word-dense, let your words come forth to build more bridges of human connections that are pleasant and uplifting.

"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, 
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." -- Proverbs 16:24 (NKJV)

Feel free to take a walk through the following bridges of words and catch some refreshing breezes to give you a second wind to take hold of your life with courage, vision and dreams.

Leisure
By W. H. Davies

"What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows."

Prompts: Take time off to be alone and enjoy being with your true self.


Wild Geese
By Mary Oliver

“Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.”

Prompts: You have something to offer to this world that is unique; you matter, so don't give in to despair. Find the thing which makes you tick; you were made for this one thing, above all.


Life
By Charlotte Brontë

"Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall?"

Prompts: What is life without challenges to refine, forge and sharpen you? No grit, no glory. Roll with the punches and maintain your fighting spirit with a good attitude.


One
By Shawnee Kellie

“One word can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream;
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald Spring.”

Prompts: The power of one is often underestimated. Get started and do not despise the days of small beginnings.


Each Life Converges to some Centre
By Emily Dickinson 

"Each Life Converges to some Centre –
Expressed – or still –
Exists in every Human Nature
A Goal –"

Prompts: Most people do not have a goal in life. Join the exceptional few and take some time to envision your highest goal until it becomes second nature for you to align your life to achieve it.

Life Is
By Mother Teresa

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it."

Prompts: With the right perspectives, you will find that life has so much to offer you that you leap out of bed each morning. Taking a leaf from Alicia Key's song "This girl is on fire", you are full of strength, resilience, enthusiasm and zeal because life awaits you.


Trust that you have enjoyed your walk along these bridges of words.

Thank you for reading Daily Refreshing.


Sunday, December 31, 2023

Agility and Intentional Progress for the New Year 2024

As you look back at 2023 and take stock, you can review your shortfalls and position yourself to do better in 2024. You can't manage what you are not keeping track of. The fact that you are keeping an eye on your progress in targeted areas put you in good stead of moving forward in the direction of your goals.

Stay agile in the new year; be adaptable as your environment keeps changing rapidly and relentlessly. Go with the flow along the path of least resistance and pivot with eagerness to keep learning new things. New knowledge and skills will prepare you for opportunities ahead.

Stay intentional to make further progress in 2024 beyond what you have attained in 2023. Keep up your good work with diligence to keep going in the direction of your dream goal.

Photo by Jay-Pee Peña 🇵🇭 on Unsplash

"I returned and saw under the sun that—

The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and chance happen to them all." -- Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NKJV)

While there is no guarantee of success as "time and chance happen", by staying agile with intentional progress you have a higher probability of being in the right place at the right time with the right people to reap some good returns.

May 2024 be your best year yet.

Thank you for reading and sharing Daily Refreshing blog.


Blue Sky and White Clouds (29 December 2023)

The weather in Singapore has been overcast with gloomy grey sky and clouds plus regular showers of rain during this Christmas season.

As such, it was a welcoming sight when the sunshine broke through with blue sky and white clouds, in this instance, on 29 December 2023.

Here are some photographs of St. Andrew's Cathedral and its vicinity on that day for your refreshing.