Ripple Effect

When you throw a stone into a still pond, it creates a 'ripple effect'. Some creates small ripple, and some creates big ripple. But each stone, no matter how big or small, creates a ripple.

Each one of us is like that stone. Whether we like it or not, we influence people around us: our family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and even strangers. It's not really a choice, it just happens. It's like cause and effect, it's like momentum, it's like gravity law, it just happens, and we don't really have a say. In other words... we are walking ripple-makers, we are born to INFLUENCE.

Do you notice that you and your closest friend or partner share some similarities? The more you spend time with each other, the more you become alike in some ways. When hubby and I first began our new life under the same roof, I had a few bad habits: like not closing the toothpaste cap, not returning things to where they belong, not washing my drinking glass (thinking I'm going to use it again later) and many more. Surprisingly, V can be a very tidy person and my habits use to drive him mad all the time. Through years of hard work, I finally change some of those habits and we become more alike in our cleanliness standard (although sometimes I still revert back to my old self and still drive him nuts when he cant find the nail clipper for example :p).

As much as V has influenced me, I have also influenced him: he is now addicted to Facebook, he knows how to chat online, he knows how to use google search, and he eats sweets! (well, ... a little bit). Growing from somone who doesn't know how to text on a mobile phone to someone who knows how to upload photos from his iphone to Facebook? Yeah... I'll take credit for that :)

On a more positive note, I have a close friend, whose positive attitude never fail to amaze, comfort and encourage me. No matter what she goes through in life, she always says "Yaudah... It's ok", meaning "That's alright, let it be, everything's going to be alright". Everytime she tells me about her life, good or bad, she always says "But I'm not complaining, I choose to just be grateful for everything". She probably does not realise that she has brainwashed me with her positivity, but she really has. Although we no longer live in the same country, her positive influence still lives within me and is part of who I am today.

That makes me wander sometimes... what kind of influence am I to those around me? What kind of influence are you to those around you?

Proverbs 18:21 says "The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences."

Proverbs 10:11 "The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked."

Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

What comes out of your mouth most of the time? Are they words of encouragement? Do they help your friends and loved ones in the midst of their difficulties? Do they build up faith? Bring some laughters? Make them smile?

Apart from influencing others with our words, we also influence others with our attitude. Some of my closest friends now are friends I met in highschool. We grew up together, went through years of University together, shared our dreams, our problems, encouraged each other, and allowed everyone to be themselves, no judgement made. Everyone always has good attitude and the glass is always half full. Hanging out with them brings smiles to my face, always. We never fail to make each other laugh, and most of us are alike in our beliefs, our attitude, and our outlook on life. We influence each other, and I am grateful for their influence.

What kind of attitude do you choose to display today?

My five year old daughter, Naomi, knows how to gets what she wants from mom and dad. She's learnt it, and she's learnt it well. Ever since she understands the concept of 'wanting' and 'getting', she's been doing all sorts of 'trial-error' experiements on us. V and I had to make sure we are aware of what she's trying to obtain and HOW she's doing it. Everytime she displays good attitude, she gets what she wants. We make sure we praise her and make a big deal about rewarding her behaviour.

One night just recently, I was at home alone with her while V was at work. Before we went to bed, she decided to tidy up the whole lounge room for daddy because she knows daddy likes a clean house. She put all her stuffs in the drawer, she wiped the coffee table, put all her shoes in the shoe rack, and I swear I was just watching her while watching TV (oh yeah... lucky me!). When daddy came home that night, she was already asleep but I made sure V knew what she did. The next morning, V was like "Thank you for tidying up the house baby! You are such a good girl!" He made a big deal out of it, gave her a piece of chocolate, and put the biggest smile on her face.

Naomi's good attitude drove her to do good, which brought smiles to our faces, which in turns, brings goodness back to herself. I believe this is true for all of us... good attitude drives good behaviour, which in turns drive great results.

So, you, walking ripple-maker, what kinds of influence do you choose to be today?

What type of legacy would you like to leave behind?

If you had to go back to the Father's house tomorrow, what would you like your friends to say about you? How would you like them to describe you?

You are born to influence.... with all power, comes responsibility. Use it wisely :)

Stop Asking!

Sometimes you might be able to predict your future and able to see where you will be in the next 6 months, a year or even 5 years. Other times you will find that you have no idea where you will be in the near future. The future is not always predictable, it is more often unpredictable and uncertain.

 

I am the type of person who likes to plan. Whenever my family go for our holiday, I'd be the one planning the itinerary, looking for accommodation, flights, and places to go, to see and to eat (being Asian, we love to travel the distance just to 'eat' at good, recommended places :p).  For some reason, having a plan makes me feel 'safe' and 'secure'. In a sense I know what's going to happen and I can 'predict' the trip. If better things come up, I can happily discard my plan for something better, but if nothing else comes up, at least we're not wasting our precious time wandering around in places we do not know just because we don't plan.

 

Not everybody is like me though. Not everybody is a planner. My mum for example, is so completely the opposite. She's the most spontaneous, most random person in the world. She can wake up one morning and decide to take a 3 hours drive down South without any planning whatsoever. No particular destination, no booking for accommodation. She always says "Yah jalan ajah... ntar juga ketemu", meaning "Just go, just drive, we'll get somewhere somehow". I often choose not to participate in her random travelling, but the ones I experience were a mix between good experience and time wasters. Surprisingly, things just seem to 'work out' no matter how unplanned or how random she is.

 

Me and my husband are complete opposite as well. I like to plan, he doesn't. Well he does, but only to a very limited degree, like planning to wake up at 3 am in the morning to watch the soccer game for example. That's probably about the only planning he does.

 

Lately we've been having discussions about our lives, the ministry, our family, etc, you know, the usual family talk. This year in particular, V feels a really strong calling to step out into fulltime ministry, and although I don't particularly feel that fulltime ministry is my calling, I certainly feel the calling to be more involved and to spend more of my time, energy and talent for the sake of His Kingdom. So I said I will fully support his decision if that's what he feels is his calling. However, the one thing that I find difficult is the concept of not knowing what to do or where to begin.

 

If V quits his fulltime job tomorrow for ministry, it's not exactly like he's signed a contract to work somewhere else, where he knows what date he starts, what hours he will be working, what he's going to do and how much he's going to earn. If he quits tomorrow, we both will be stepping out blindly and the thought of it feels like we're leaving this nice bright and comfortable home to travel into the dark forrest where you cant even see more than 1 meter ahead. Well, that's just me being faith-less I guess. 

 

Me being a 'planner' always wants to know what's going to happen. Time and time again I pray to God, simply asking (or telling) God of my future and how it should be or how I want it to be, and it is difficult to learn that sometimes God just wants you to step out blindly! 

 

When Jesus asked Peter to step out of the boat, Peter didnt ask Jesus "will I walk on water? will you hold my hand? what's gonna happen?" He just did! He walked on water until he began to feel scared when he saw the wind, and immediately he began to sink. 

 

In Acts 8:26-40 Phillip was asked by the angel of the Lord to go to the 'desert road'. Phillip didnt ask "What for? What do you want me to do there? Tell me the plan and I'll see if I agree to it". He just went. When he got there, he saw this man sitting on his chariot, reading the book of Isiaiah. Again, the angel of the Lord told him to go near him, and again, Phillip simply went, he simply obeyed. No question asked. In the end, the man gave his life to the Lord and asked to be baptised, and the story has an amazing end, all of a sudden Phillip dissapeared! Vanished! Like a ninja. The Spirit of the Lord took him somewhere else to begin another work.

 

I know it would be cool if the Spirit of the Lord could just take me from one place to another like what happened to Phillip, or if I could be invisible, or if I could read people's minds, or just have some super power. However, that's not the point. The point is that sometimes we have to just simply obey. No question asked. It is something I am teaching myself to do at the moment. To be sensitive to His calling, and to simply obey. It's ok to plan and to organise your life, but I cant plan absolutely everything, and it is ok to just let your life flow and be surprised with what God brings into your life tomorrow.

 

All I need to do is remind myself that God has been good for all these years. We have been blessed tremendously with everything we ever need and want, and blessed with things that money cant buy. Things like health, the love of our family, good company of friends, peaceful home, and many more. If our earthly employers can pay our salary and give us benefits, imagine how much more God can do for His 'employee', for those who devote their lives for Him. Afterall, He is the Creator of this Universe and every complicated being that is in it (including me), and there is no limit to what He can do for you and me.

 

Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

 

One challenge for me... Stop Asking!

 

 

 

 

You Are Beautiful...

Growing up in a girls-only boarding school in Perth was one of the best experiences of my life, but like any other things in life, it comes with its own challenges. Any sixteen/seventeen years old girl want to look pretty, but when your parents spend $14,000 per year just so that you can have a better life and a better education in another country better than your own, you would probably hesitate to ask for another $50-$100 per week just so that you can buy more clothes like your other girlfriends.

 

As boarders, Saturday was the highlight of our week. Because that's the only day we were allowed to leave the boarding house to roam the 'real' world, to be out and about, to do some shopping, to feel 'normal'. So we used to catch the train down to this posh shopping area in the Western suburbs and the only clothing stores they had back in those days were Esprit and Sportsgirl, which are not exactly 'budget'. Some of my girlfriends used to easily spend hundreds of dollars in one transaction while I could only wish for the same, so I spend many days journalling about how I wish I could have the same. 

 

One Sunday at church, I came across this passage in the Bible that talks about how God looks after every part of your life and provides everything you need. Being a sixteen years old, these two verses caught my attention:

 

Matthew 6

²⁸ "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, ²⁹ yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ³⁰ And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you."

 

As I ponder upon these verses, my negative thoughts and worries disappear. It gives me strenghts, it gives me joy, it brings a smile on my face, and it builds a healthy confidence in me. As a sixteen years old growing up, I learnt that beauty doesn't come from the price tag of your clothes, that it doesnt come from what you wear, or how you look. Because God's created you with your own uniqueness, your own inner beauty and it all comes from within. 

 

Looking at all of my girlfriends now, nearly every one of us is blessed with a good, loving husband. I was one of the first ones to get married to such a lovely and handsome young man, and that's not because I was the prettiest one in the group (well...  I wish I was), but because I have always believed in God to choose for the best spouse for me and to make everything happen according to His beautiful timing.

 

I hope I am not being misunderstood. I have absolutely nothing against shopping for clothes or dressing up or making yourself look pretty and presentable. I guess I'm writing this just because nowadays I see young teenage girls trying so hard to be noticed by what they wear or how they look. The trend seems to be to 'expose' as much as you can. Little do they realise that the boys who are attracted to them are probably more attracted to the exposed body parts than their inner beauty and personality. She'd hook up with him in desperation for love and attention, just to be disappointed, broken hearted and some scarred to life when found out that he's only interested in her body parts and pleasing his own sexual appetite.

 

My hope for all of my young friends, God's children, His daughters and princesses, is that you come to understand that God has made you absolutely beautiful and wonderful. With your skinny or chubby cheek, size 6 or size 16, pear shaped or ruler shaped, wearing $5 or $60 top, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL...  and He loves you, even when nobody else does... 

 

Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart"  

 

 

[Read Matthew 6:25-34 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:25-34&version=NLT)]