purpose

writing about purpose makes you re-examine your own

post-it

Today I am reminded

The reason I must remind others of Christ

Is that in reminding them of Christ

I remind myself of Him

In the business of smiles...

I’ve always got a knack for business. Daddy somehow ingrained it in me. Work hard, think hard, and come up with something that everyone would buy. You’ll be rich, Wazah!! I’ve explored the realm of automobiles; invent some magical fuel that could solve the world’s woe on global heating. I’ve discovered some miracle food that could solve human’s hunger for food; lays did that before me.

Somehow, it all didn’t come to pass.

Then I hit home with an idea. Maybe I could sell joy. Not happiness or momentary satisfaction, but everlasting joy. Jesus did that, and so can I.

How do I start?

Well… I’ll start with a smile.

Hi,

I’ve lost something? Could you find it for me?

I’ve lost my smile.

Oh, thanks. I found it on you again.

Thanks! Don't lose it!

Have a nice day!

Isn't he gorgeous?

Finding God in a bookstore

So I find myself at Times bookstore, a place where I have bittersweet memories. I love walking through the rows of books, browsing a page or two, and then finally making a purchase. I almost never borrow books. I almost always buy them. I love to take a book home, and own it. Write in it, digest it, and place it in my personal library. It’s a beautiful experience. It is expensive though, a book a month may cost two hundred dollars a year.

I walk through the rows of books, and I see many books that I want to read. However, today I’m on a purpose. I want to get a book that I can just munch on while on the train. Not a Christian book that I digest and assimilate into my being, but a normal book, just to chew on it. I’m attracted to the collection by Malcolm Gladwell, but I see Mitch Albom’s “have a little faith”. I’ve read “Tuesday’s with Morries” and it was inspiring. Why not give his latest book a try. Unfortunately, the only copy’s hardcover and cost $37. Perhaps, I’ll leave it to another day. I continue my exploration. To my delight, at the front of the store, there’s a stack of softcover “have a little faith”. I immediately purchase it.

Walking back to school, I browse the back cover, and notice that the summary says that this book is about life’s purposes. Perfect. Divine. In 2 weeks, I’ll be giving an individual presentation where I have to persuade the class to do something. Initially, I wanted to talk about my family, but a sudden gust of inspiration made me rethink my decision. I settled on “life’s purpose”. I had a rough idea on what I wanted to talk about, but never did I expect a “random” buy be so timely.

I haven’t read the book yet, so I don’t know how it’ll help. But, thank you Daddy God for finding me in the bookstore and leading me to this book. I pray that through this book and subsequently the presentation, my friends will find you.

Haiku.

These are my nephews.

Wanna suck each others' thumb.

Ngiam, ngiam, ngiam, ngiam, ngiam.

A Gift in Progress, a Time of Preparation.

Sometimes we ask God, why do we generate feelings for a person when we know that now is not the time for a relationship? Or why do certain urges start so early when we obviously cannot satisfy them until we get married? Isn’t it illogical? Wouldn’t it be more practical and easier if we started ‘liking’ someone when we’re say, 22? Or maybe our sex drive should only kick in around 24 when we’re less than a decade away from being able to fulfill them.

This really kept me thinking. Why God?

We can approach this scientifically, that a hundred years ago, people got married around 18 or younger, so God’s timing is perfect. It’s just that over the last century, cultural changes and evolving lifestyles meant that we got married later.

However, we can also look at it from another light.

The reason why we generate feelings so early is so that we have to fight to contain them or rather, we have to continually surrender them to God. So why do we have to fight them? So that when we finally get attached and then married, we can give our partner something that we have fought hard for. Take for example our virginity, it’s a gift of purity to our spouses (not partners, cause partners include BGR). However, if it’s not something that we fought hard to protect, then it won’t be worth much. Think back to when you were a kid, it was more probable that you would treasure a toy more if you have saved up for months to buy it, rather than if it was something that was given to you. It’s the same with your virginity.

Maybe it’s the same for getting into relationships as well, that God gave you a longing that can’t be fulfilled immediately so that you’ll have to surrender it completely to God until the right time. This delayed fulfillment may be a factor in sustaining a relationship.

Maybe it’s also why guys should chase persistently for a girl, and why a girl should not give in to a guy so easily. I believe at this point in time, every guy in the world wants to shoot me. Haha. But it’s true. Would you treasure a Ferrari more, or a cherry QQ more? Of course the Ferrari! You’ll have to work a hundred harder and longer to afford a Ferrari compared to a QQ! Let’s not even talk about maintain a Ferrari. As a guy, you want to get ‘your Ferrari’. As a girl, you want to be a Ferrari, sorry, you ARE a Ferrari cause God said so.

Okie, I’m getting carried away. I’ve a presentation tomorrow that requires a few more hours or rehearsal. Pfftt….

Well… I just want to say that before you get attached, it’s not a time of waiting, but rather a time of preparation. That God is preparing you and training you to become a better person, that He’s creating in you a passion and a longing required to sustain a relationship and then marriage until you meet Him.