Daily Refreshing

The Pain Is All Gone!

2011-04-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Having watched quite a number of videos on Pastor Benny Hinn’s healing crusade in the past, I am all too accustomed with the phrase, “The pain is all gone!” It was great to see the sick healed and listened to their testimonies. But, the experience was at best that of an armchair-bound observer who wasn’t experiencing any pain from sickness or some ailments.

Recently though, I had this pain on my left knee which was particularly excruciating when walking down stairs. It was likely caused by a jog over the weekend. I don’t know for sure, but what I do know with immediacy was that it is no fun to sustain a pain in the leg. It hampered me in many ways and became a source of irritation for not being able to move about with ease.

While I empathize with the many leg-related problems that I witness amongst fellow train passengers on a daily basis, it was a totally different ball game to be on their side of the field. I felt the disadvantage of missing out on the benefits of a normal functioning pair of legs which I had taken for granted.

Humbled, I silently yearned for my knee to be healed and for the pain to go away. In my heart of hearts, I know that only God can do it miraculously. (Medical doctors don’t heal people; they administer medicine or surgical procedure to facilitate healing. God can heal us because He is the One who made us and breathe life into us.) I didn’t know and when He would do it. I came to terms with the handicap and was unusually at peace about it as I got on with daily activities.

Just two days or so ago in the afternoon while having my lunch break, it suddenly dawned on me that the pain on my left knee had left. “The pain is all gone!” has been resounding in my mind since that day. Hallelujah! (Praise the LORD!)

Now, I know with greater appreciation what it means to be free of pain. I can also now say with some authority that “The pain is all gone!” is definitely not a cliché. Thus, I am compelled by the love of God to share this testimony. All glory be to God!

For your further reading with underlines for emphasis:-

Source: Acts 17:25-29 (New King James Version)

25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.

In Pursuit of Our Dreams

2011-04-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

One of the celebration of life is when our dreams are achieved. A dream is more than a thought. It’s a yearning that adds sparkle to our life – something that engages and energizes us through the season and times of our life. At times it may lay hidden for a long while due to externalities before surfacing again. It is something that has a grip on the core of our soul –mind, emotion and will.

We can unearth our dream, if not already done so, by listing out all the things that thrill us so. Then, shorten the list until the most important few remain. Next, we need to pursue them by allocating the necessary resources of time, effort and money (where applicable). If a so-called dream drops out of our priority list, then maybe it is not a true dream after all. No worries. If it is still true, the dream will find its way back up there in our list by the by.

In pursuing our dreams, one of the critical ingredients for success would be the perseverance to keep at it – what some would label as ‘paying the price’ or ‘no pain, no gain’. Success is reached by those who never give up. According to the universal law of attraction, we attract and become what we think.

Therefore, once we have started on our journey, we will begin to see stepping stones, guideposts, useful tools as well as helping hands. (Yes, adventurers, for example, have received sponsorships for their expeditions.)

Another useful thing for us to do is to read, study, learn and be encouraged by those who have pursued their dreams –just for leisure and re-charge our batteries. Just for today, I read an article by Magdalen Ng in The Straits Times of how Bi Feiyu had won The Man Asian Literary Prize 2010 even though his parents did not support his quest to be an author and his wife doesn’t think that he writes well.

While we are strongly encouraged to think big, we will not all end up as big as, say, artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall or Fernand Leger. However, we can be all that we can be and keep on improving regardless of the size of our stage. Consider, for instance, the artistry and works (via hyperlink) of Jenny Elkins alias Artemis Wilde.

So, where are you now in the pursuit of your dreams? Feel free to post your comments below.

I Need a Better Brain!

2011-04-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

It is okay to ask for what you need for you might just get it! I mean the good stuffs, of course – not those things which might harm you or run afoul morally and legally.

In my case, I found myself uttering some weeks ago, “I need a better brain!” It actually sounded like a plea rather than a mere wishful thought. I think this came about as I have been discovering more than ever that how we respond to life’s situation is vital if we want to live life with vitality. While two different persons may be facing the same situation, the way they go about resolving it makes all the difference to their world!

Thus, I have started using my brain a lot more so as to sort out my life better and achieve (hopefully!) a better quality of life. Nothing earth-shaking, just the rudiment of making better daily decisions (what, when, who, where, and/or how) and choosing the best path or decision. And, to me, a better brain simply gives sterling results. Now I know, without a shadow of doubt, why some people are good, better and great. Yes, we do well to excel in life; to develop and bring out the potential and in-built ability that God our Creator has already deposited in us.

Well, in answer to my humbling prayer, two notable things have happened. First up, my fellow cell group friends gave me a bottle of activated Ginkgo biloba extract tablets for my recent birthday. It is an “advanced health care supplement” which purports to improve blood circulation (to the brain). Secondly, I was piqued to try out Lumosity after chancing upon it when reading a complimentary copy of The Asian Wall Street Journal. At its website, Lumosity offers brain games (“Every brain needs a gym”) as part of its mission to improve brain health and performance in areas such as speed, attention, memory, problem-solving and flexibility.

Both the aforesaid products seem to be working out for me just fine. I am hopeful as I continue to live my life in the power of the Holy Spirit of God and embrace all the good that He brings to me. God has answered my prayer in an unexpected manner. All glory be to God!

The End of The Road

2011-04-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

With advancement in health care and medicine, we can look forward to living a longer life. However, over a span of two weeks, I was shocked to glance from the obituary pages of The Straits Times that two acquaintances had passed on. One was in her mid-forties leaving behind a husband and three children while the other was in her mid-fifties leaving behind a flat and some plants.

This got me thinking that when we reach the end of the road, so to speak, many things do not matter at all. Actually, many things in this world need not matter at all in the first place if we think critically enough, cut the crap and live in a down-to-earth manner.

So, instead of striving and striving for even more of the things of this world such as what the Holy Bible describes as: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, we can choose to be contented with a reasonable standard of living, curb our lusts, seek not for self-glory, and accord higher value and priority to both our health and relationships with family and friends.

Good health and relationships surfaces pretty quickly whenever people know that they are nearing the end. While there is still time, we can redeem our time by adopting a healthy lifestyle and cultivating synergistic relationships.

And, I would like to add further an observation made by wise King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13 (Amplified Bible), “All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man.”

We need to make room for God in our lives, humble ourselves before Him, and relate to other people with humility and magnanimous love. I surmise that our whole duty as a living person is to fear God and keep His commandments, such as to love God wholeheartedly and to love people fervently.

Life is too short for us to soak in hang-ups and major in trivialness.

Connect, Don't Just Communicate

2011-04-16T00:25:00.000-07:00

We can communicate with each other at different levels ranging from: small talk (weather talk and talking about other ho-hums of the moment), talking about other people (gossips), sharing of ideas or thoughts and conveying how we feel about a matter or situation, to total truthful communication.

While we may have gotten our act together to communicate, we often come away low and dry. Why? I think this is because we have not reached the end goal of communicating -- which is to connect with the other person. It would seem to me that one of the greatest needs of a person is to be understood. Yes, while we may not be that interested to understand another person, the other person would definitely be much better off when he perceives that we have understood him. We can be the change that we want to see in our circle of influence.

Where did we fall short, then? I think we fell short in the area of pro-active listening. For example, we may have heard and understood that the other person would really like a red BMX bicycle. Then, we promptly tell the other person that what we would really like is a yellow skateboard. Imagine the far-reaching impact if we had suspended our self-gratification and probed by asking the person why he really wanted a bicycle – and a red BMX, at that!

Had we chosen to show our interest for the other person’s preference or desire for a red BMX bicycle, I am sure he would have really opened up and let us into a deeper layer of himself -- his psyche, clinically-speaking. This is where a heart-to-heart connection is made. And, we’ll come away with a virtual slice of the other person’s soul which had hitherto been kept under wrap.

It’s so crucial for us to sense such a pivotal moment where good communication can potentially swing over towards great communication. So, let’s listen up the next time! And, we will be in for communication with our heart and soul.

The Resurrection and the Life

2011-04-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

“Jesus said to her, I am [Myself] the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Me, although he may die, yet he shall live;” John 11:25 (Amp.)

Jesus Christ said the above verse way before He was crucified on a cross at Calvary and several days after a dear friend, Lazarus, had died. He proceeded to raise Lazarus from the dead, and He Himself was resurrected from the grave on the very first Easter Sunday by the power of the Holy Spirit upon Him.

He is also the One who proclaimed the oft-quoted verse in John 3:16 (Amp.), “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He (even) gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.” This is the glorious hope for all mankind, to all who believe.

In knowing that even death had lost it sting to the Son of God, we are assured that we, too, who have the Holy Spirit can experience the same resurrection power as Jesus Christ. Even in the here and now, the deadness of certain situations in our life can be brought to life.

Thus, we can take courage and begin to restore our broken dreams, hope and aspirations by trusting in, clinging to and relying on Him. He will make a way (divine providence), if we will let Him. Let’s keep on keeping on by installing the word of God as the operating system of our life so as to experience our resurrection and live the Life --- God’s best for us.

3 Keys to Success

2011-04-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

“Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened.” Matthew 7:7 (Amp.)

I was inspired recently by the above verse from the Holy Bible. The fresh revelation which came to me revolves around the three words: Ask; Seek; and Find. Simple and familiar enough, but very useful steps propounded by none other than Jesus Christ Himself.

When we face an unfamiliar situation or challenge we need to humble ourselves and ask for directions, advice or help. We start the ball rolling by asking. If we sit on the problem or difficulty, it would dog us and deplete our energy. Thinking (asking ourselves), praying (asking God), using a search engine (e.g. Google) and calling a friend are just some of the ways that we can ask.

Having asked and received one or more answers, we then need to narrow down our choices by seeking for more details. So, we explore more in-depth on the alternatives before us by researching publications, consulting the experts and learning from the practitioners.

Finally, when we are ready to make our decision on how to tackle the situation, we approach our chosen door and start knocking. Having done our homework, we are now prepared and focused enough to proceed with confidence to lay hold of the desired outcome beyond the door.

Now, as in NOW, is a good time for us to ask, seek and knock to overcome the challenges that we face every day. Hope this helps.

Something to Die for

2010-06-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

“There are clearly many different ways of looking at success and it is only the poverty of the English language which provides us with but a single word for them. Perhaps, the simplest definition is ‘to set out to do something and to succeed in doing it’.” –Edward de Bono

Francesca Schiavone is a successful tennis player as she set out to win the French Open final and succeeded in doing it on 5th of June 2010 by beating Samantha Stosur 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).

Moreover, she became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam tennis title.

As reported by the Associated Press: “On winning, Schiavone fell onto her back, then rolled over and kissed the clay. She rose covered with dirt, hugged Stosur and broke into a winner’s grin, then trotted over to the wall behind the baseline and climbed it for a group hug with her supporters.” She loves the very terre battue (French for “beaten earth”) on which she played her game, and played it so resoundingly well.

And, in the same report, the following comment by 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova struck me: “She wanted it. She wanted it badly. She was going to die on the court if she had to.”

Tis’ so true that to be successful, we have to have a purpose that is bigger than the sum of our parts. Something noble, something so big that it would take sacrifices such as unrelenting hard work, focus, determination, dedication, and discipline to achieve. It’s the same whether one is an unheralded homemaker, aspiring Olympian, struggling artiste, dejected businessman or a visionary leader-in-the-making.

Yes, something, for which, we are willing to die for. When we find it, life will take on a whole new level of meaning and drive.

Love of Bread

2010-06-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

“There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” – Mother Teresa

LOVE and appreciation are in short supplies. You could just hear the silent cry of slogging stay-at-home spouses, overworked employees, or constantly-harassed civil servants, with teachers being the prime example.

Thankfully, in part, the merchandisers have sniffed out a golden opportunity to cajole shoppers to dole out gifts on people-centric days such as Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, Teachers’ Day, Secretaries’ Week, Bosses’ Day, and the whole gamut of it all.

People or rather the love for people is what makes the world go around. You can hear the refrain of ‘We are the world’ in the background or recall the following opening monologue from William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” where ‘All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts,’.

So, at first inning, it’s all up to us to step up and stretch forth with love and appreciation.

However, as a gifted baker you may take a witty slant that the hungry hadn’t tasted your morsels of bread yet. Had they tasted it, you await eagerly to see whether they would swoon or break into a celebratory dance.

For example, BreadTalk (http://www.breadtalk.com) was, in my opinion, a first-mover which succeeded famously to raise the dough (pun intended) and changed the landscape of bread in Singapore, forever. Then, there is Barcook Bakery (http://barcookbakery.com) with its fresh-and-hot from the oven servings of exquisite buns filled with mashed-potatoes-cum-oozing-Cheddar-cheese or melting-cream-cheese-cum-tantalizing- raisins for its queue of hungry-looking customers, of which I am one.

Moving even further on the breadline, I hear the cry of Isaiah the prophet of Christendom,

1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David. “(Isaiah 55:1-3a; NKJV)

Isaiah spoke of the One who would give us bread that truly satisfies our inner man. So, for our last inning, I pray that you would obtain a revelation of the Bread of Life from the word of God as contained in the Holy Bible.

“ 1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” (Hebrews 1:1-4; NKJV)

And, who is this Son that God spoke of? The answer my friend is not unattainable. He is Jesus Christ - the One “who was and is and is to come!” (See Revelation 4:8; NKJV)

“33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:33-35; NKJV)

Let’s live it up with love and appreciation, enjoy our bread and find the Bread of Life!

Be Ready for Change

2010-04-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

Change, they say, is one of the constant in life. Usually, nobody likes to face change as it would entail us having to leave our comfort zone.

While we may overcome the intial apprehension of getting into a new swim of things and actually get into the mood for the thrill of what's in the offing, we will quite likely 'suffer' as we actually undergo the painful process of change and transformation proper. For examples: shifting to a new office, going for an overseas military posting or deepening relationship with new counterparts.

But, change, we must. In his Life's Little Instruction Book, H. Jackson Brown said, "You pay a price for getting stronger. You pay a price for getting faster. You pay a price for jumping higher. [But also] you pay a price for staying just the same."

Now is the time for us to shake off the dust of change, and step up to a more challenging, enriching and fulfilling life. Life is not meant to be a bore; it's a series of events to make us a better and greater person!

Don't Sit On a Problem

2010-03-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Sitting on a problem will not make it go away. It is like sweeping the problem under a carpet or locking up some skeletons in a closet.

Unlike worrying -- which by majority count is virtual or imaginary, problems are real. Once a problem is identified -- which in and by itself contributes half of the full solution, we can choose either a ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ response.

Taking a screen-view from many a computer game -- where we keep getting up and fight, again and again, albeit with the help of the reset button, we ought to choose to fight a good fight of faith and not throw in the towel, so to speak.

If our mind is not thinking straight and we could sense an impending headache on account of the problem, then do ourselves a big favour by getting some sleep. More often than not, we will find that by the morrow our mind would have worked out something.

Another solution to our problem, if it concerns other interest parties, would be to convey the problem to them. Quite often by speaking out, our inner ear will hear what we have been thinking and gives an added dimension to our perception of the problem and brings us closer to a solution even if our ‘interested’ persons are switched off.

If it’s an e-mail, then just forward it to the relevant parties with due discretion without any adverse implication to our person. Like they say, a problem shared is a problem halved.

And, if we are fortunate enough to have some of these a-friend-who-loves-at-all-times, then wait no longer but get our problem to them via telephone, e-mail, et cetera. They will be pleased to assist us! It is one of their life purposes!!

So, while we may sleep over our problem, let’s not be caught sitting on it.

P/S: Btw, i've got just these two little problems: Does anyone has any idea on how we can recycle the short end of pencils as well as keys which are no longer in use?

Why do birds fly?

2010-02-25T09:14:00.000-08:00

My answer would be that "Birds are designed to fly."

However, the offspring of a bird does not start out flying. It has to let its wings develop fully and get the hang of them with much flapping exercises while watching on the sideline as its parents take their daily flights, before launching-off on its own maiden flight.

Likewise, we need to know what we are designed for. The book of Isaiah in the Holy Bible says to the effect that they that wait on the LORD (their Creator), shall mount up with wings like the eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint. It's not waiting for something to happen, but waiting upon our Maker to commune with us. The answer for both our general and specific designs rest with the Immortal One who made us all.

Thus, we need to draw near and get to know Him (so that we can know what He already knows about us!). No wonder in the book of Psalm (chapter 46 verse 10 - New International Version), we are urged by the word of God to: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

That said, a bird cannot fly if its wings are broken. Likewise for us we are to: "Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams die, Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly, Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams go, Life is a barren field, Frozen with snow." -- Langston Hughes

We must learn to fly by the by. It's already built-in. Even if our wings are broken, they can mend and be healed so that we can soar to the sky, again. Heads up, we aren't grounded chickens!

Life is sad, but not all sad

2010-02-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

Recently, where I live (sunny Singapore), a prominent property tycoon, a relatively young Managing Director, and an elderly friend of mine, passed away, amongst others. Everything stops for us when, like a swan, we complete our song.

All the days of our life till death is a gift for us to cherish while it lasts. Yes, even before death, there is much sadness that we can see around us: poverty, hunger, crime, injustice, and so on and so forth. So much so that any glimmer of goodness is both a bonus and a cause for us to break into laughters, or invoke some merriment.

Life may be sad but, for our own well-being, we must press on with our plans for a better tomorrow and do what we can to make this world a better place to live in. With sadness comes happiness on the better side of the same coin of life.

Let's keep our dancing shoes on and dance to the music of life!

Happiness is a choice!

2010-02-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

Choose to be happy; happiness is a choice!

If we allow our happiness to depend on happenings then we are at the mercy of, oh, so many things that are beyond our control.

So, the wise thing for us to do is to choose to be happy in spite of and despite our circumstances.

It's up to us to fight off every possible robbers of our happiness by making a personal choice. And, spread some cheers (in a subdued manner so as not to get on the nerves of killjoys).

Try it and experience a world of difference. Remember, "You can choose to be happy!"