Choices

The month of April is coming to an end & just like that - a quarter of a year has passed. Time is precious.
Life is short.
Yesterday's gone,
& tomorrow may never be mine.

That is why it is so important not to delay any longer!
As read in an article shared by my close friend Dianne, when we go out to the world, we are inevitably exposed to the ways of the world & its temptations. Many are lukewarm, trying to unite the love of God & the love of the world, to unite religion & the practices of the world.

Naturally, we want to stay in our comfort zone. Don't we always want the easy way out?

However, deep down, I believe we know it doesn't work that way. Because in our efforts of being lukewarm, we will eventually encounter a situation where we have to decide to go one way or another. At the crossroads, there would be a wide road & a narrow road.

The choice is ours.

"More will depend upon the state of the heart — than the situation in which you are placed"

The whole article can be found in the link below:

http://gracegems.org/Smith4/daniel.htm

Believe me, it may be a long article but every line is worth your time reading it! :)

God bless :)

*****

Just Bananas...

As I was running late this morning I had no time to have breakast. I managed, though, to grab 2 bananas, one for me to eat & another for my colleague who just texted me, informing me that she may be late too lol!

Flagged for a cab & was settling down on the seat, styled my hair (yes, in the cab! lol) & finally took a bite off my banana... (p/s: the cab driver seemed a little cranky too but still he allowed me to eat inside his car, so all's fine...)
but.....the banana was far from ripe...just plain awful...the bitter powdery taste was stuck on my throat for a while...urgh...

Not to waste the other banana, I gave it to the cab driver. To my surprise he suddenly brightened up & accepted it very gratefully, thanking me a few times. Even after explaining to him that it wasn't ripe yet he couldn't care less about it.

Small things may surprisingly do wonders huh? Well, in this case the cab driver was perhaps just crazy over bananas haha =D

******

Journey

by Corrinne May

It's a long long journey
Till I know where I'm supposed to be
It's a long long journey
And I don't know if I can believe
When shadows fall and block my eyes
I am lost and know that I must hide
It's a long long journey
Till I find my way home to you

Many days I've spent
Drifting on through empty shores
Wondering what's my purpose
Wondering how to make me strong

I know I will falter
I know I will cry
I know you'll be standing by my side
It's a long long journey
And I need to be close to you

Sometimes it feels no one understands
I don't even know why
I do the things I do
When pride builds me up till I can't see my soul
Will you break down these walls and pull me through

Cause It's a long long journey
Till I feel that I am worth the price
You paid for me on calvary
Beneath those stormy skies

When Satan mocks and friends turn to foes
It feels like everything is out to make me lose control
It's a long long journey
Till I find my way home to you
To you

*****

Love...

touches the heart


heals the broken heart


lifts the spirit


makes one feel secure


is selfless


"is kind


it does not envy


it does not boast"


it does not harm


it takes no notice of imperfections;


sometimes you love someone too much to give them what they want


instead you want to give them what they really need.


God's love came to perfection in His son Jesus:


"There is no greater love than for one to die for another especially when the latter is undeserving"


In His eyes we are His loved ones, as imperfect as we are


He considered us His children


So rejoice & be glad!


*****


Dedicated to my dearest family & friends from the bottom of my heart


*****

A Close Call

Today I was feeling very down. I got to see a side of my job which I did not expect & I did not like it. Indeed...with commitment comes sacrifice.

I am not allowed to take leave in June & November to Dec.

Well, that wouldn't be a problem if my sister's wedding which happens to be taking place in Sabah, is not in June...and...if my family's only most important time of the year is not Christmas...

A new rule to say we are not to have our mobile phones with us in our pockets seemed unpractical too. I can understand if we are not allowed to use our mobile at the counter, by all means! Honestly I am not comfortable with the idea of placing my mobile just in the the counter drawers especially when an incident of a missing item has happened not too long ago.

Also, incidents of superiors not keeping their words not once or twice, just plain dissappointing. "Small" matters or not I find a person untrustworthy if they do not honour their promises.

As work ended I felt even worse. I was very moody. Everyone around me at the train seem to irritate me. (Haha...ok now it seems funny...)

But well,

Perspective changes everything.

I could continue feeling bad about how my circumstances are, & worry about how I make progress from here.

Just before I reached home, it was around 11.30pm when I got a call from one of my ex-colleague. We had a long talk. One of the things that she talked about was how things are at her workplace. Cutting the story short, things were as bad as they were when I was still there if not worse.

Was it a coincidence for that phone call to come at such a late hour?

Now, I think it meant something more than just a chat with a good friend.

Once I cooled down a little, I decided to blog n blab (haha...) & saw Mad's recent post - a peek at some cancer patients lives & circumstances.

Perspective changes everything, really.

It's easy to fall into self-pity argh...but thank God for my wonderful friends! :)
Amazing how He speaks to us in so many different ways.
There are really so much more things to be happy about & it would be a waste to forget them all just because of some "small stuff"! Everything seemed like a "big thing" till we take a step back & look at the bigger picture. As long as we are confined in our own world, it will be difficult.

Yes, perspective changes everything.

Mad mentioned that one of the patient said that he has grown closer to his family since the diagnosis.

My circumstances, both past & present cannot even compare with any one of these individuals. When we put it that way, it is humbling.

Lesson learned - want what I have & be content. Like the saying, "there can never be enough for a person's greed".

Need to focus on doing my very best! :)

Too much is not too good afterall...

The past few days has been tiring & stressful, in fact, I did not realize it only till the day before yesterday. Thank God for revealling this blind spot of mine! When I looked back, I realized I was unconciously trying to destress - I've started to eat a whole lot more again & have also been craving for lotsa food - chocolates, japanese food, fried food, you name it...(Stress is proven to induce cravings, especially for high calorie food).

Just recently I have also been playing an online game & was immediately addicted to it! Everytime I started I wouldn't stop till I've played for hours & hours. Once I even played from right after dinner till 2am... Honestly I realized that it wasn't right but then I convinced myself that I should "pamper myself since I have been working so hard".

Of course it is alright to pamper myself but it was simply overdone. Immediately I can feel the impact on no one else but myself. Satisfying the cravings did not make me happier, because to keep myself "happy" that way, I had to keep on "feeding on" the cravings. Even so, the "happiness" lasted for only a moment.

As written in the book "Approval Addiction" by Joyce Meyer ( a very interesting book, I'd say ), the only way to stop an addiction is to refuse to feed the addiction! True enough, when I continued to refuse to feed my impulsive cravings, the urge has been very much weakened & I feel more at ease now.

Is not this the sort of fast that pleases Me: to break unjust fetters, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break all yokes?
Is it not sharing your food with the hungry, & sheltering the homeless poor; if you see someone lacking clothes, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own kin?
Then your light will blaze out like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed over. Saving justice will go ahead of you and Yahweh's glory come behind you
Then you will cry for help and Yahweh will answer; you will call and He will say, 'I am here.' Isaiah 58:6-9

It's not too late to start now :)
However as the title of this post implies, moderation & self-control is the point here, I will still eat my favourite foods & still play my games but all in moderation. I can go without them & not feel uncomfortable :)

I know by experience that for long time habits & addictions, it is even harder to quit! Of course! It only makes sense that a certain addiction which say has been rooted in for 10 years, may also take years to quit. It is not easy but it is not impossible. Nothing is greater than the love of God.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" Romans 8:35

"If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything." 1 John 3:20

My poor blog has been neglected due to my new interests haha...I'm back again! So much more to learn & share with all my dearest family & friends :)

Have a great day everyone! :)