This morning, i bring the wrong book…
So i was reading on Dobson advice for fathers,
Following few things which i thought is good (hopefully they’re true hehe):
1. Don’t tolerate her temper tantrums. Not now. Not when she’s 15. Your home will be more peaceful for this.
2. Teach her to count. First her fingers. Then Cheerios, M&Ms, dendelions and fireflies.
3. Be prepared to watch Walt Disney movies with her some 200 times. Each.
4. Be home for dinner on time. Very important.
This afternoon, a good colleague suggested to develop a program for me, preparation for fatherhood. I was flattered by it. Thank God for such thought and care. A few suggestions on what a good father will do:
1. Spending time with the mother – by N
2. Learn from the Heavenly father – by J
3. Ask other fathers around – by J
So when I asked back, how come I can’t find a record in Bible of Father – Daughter relationship? Nobody could answer me…
But J has very good point, “learn from Jesus.”
“But where did Jesus teach man about fathering a daughter?”
And i thought, there’s probably one incident…….when he welcomed, blessed little children…:)
I thought, one thing Jesus thought me about fathering a girl……….is to welcome her, put my hands on her, and pray for her.
Thank you Lord 🙂
Here my one simple prayer for my daughter: to know God, love God, obey God, and fear God
Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. ~ Hab 3:2
I guess things don’t look good horizontally.
Our housing ballot result was far below expectation. There’re about 360 units and our number is 395.
At workplace, the only change is negative ones…people are leaving, workload increasing, more demands to put in more efforts..
At ministry, when people are leaving and new ones refused to join, now only two of us running the show every week..
Last week, i told my wife i feel at lost. Everything seems not good.
But her word was the turning point.
She asked me a very simple question, “how’s relationship with God?”. Isn’t it getting better?” That’s all that matters actually.”
Those are very hard things to swallow for me. I just couldn’t lift my eyes up to see it. If relationship with God the only thing that matters, and the rest collapse, what’s so great about it?
Blessed is the person who remains steadfast under trial, for when he/she has stood the test he/she will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. ~ James 1:12
This morning, i saw a packet on my desk. And there’s writing on the envelope, addressed to me….but the sender name sounds like a puzzle to me. I can’t figure it out. So i asked my friend, and he told me it’s from J. Well, i thought it’s a work related, but i still couldn’t figure out anyone to give me something.
Then i opened the envelope, to be more puzzled as it’s a parenting book. I thought who’s this person whom i didn’t know and give me this book..:)
Finally, J came and told me the story…
Last Sat, there’s 1-1 book exchange from by National Library. She exchanged a lot of books, and then saw this book and thought to give it to me as a gift…:)
This common phrase: “Money is not everything, but everything needs money.” I don’t know who created it, but it seems to be quoted and lived out by many people. I probably one of them without I realized it…:)
Last night as someone told me this, of course i didn’t have immediate answer. But as i think about it further, i don’t think it’s right. At least for two reasons:
1. Not everything need money. This is good news! In fact, many things do NOT need money. I was reminded that the BEST things in life are FREE. It doesn’t need money for me to smile, to share empty space & give up seat to someone in need. It does not need money to see at the sunset, listen to the birds, taste the pure rain water, dance on large green field, shout out your lung from a mountain top, and the list go on….:)
It does not take money to bless your children, to bless your spouse, and to bless your parents. It does not take money to speak kind words to your bosses or your workers. It DOES NOT TAKE MONEY to talk to God!!
2. The sad reality about the world today shows that though people says money is not everything, but their lives say differently. From bossess who set dollars & cents as bottomline and measurement of employee performance, to society that fails to give credit to homemaker because they do not generate money…these all display that money is everything. When sole decision is money factor, isn’t the same with saying money is everything? For if money is not an issue, decision would be different…
What is money then? Is money everything or it is not?
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ~Col 3:23-24
One morning, as I opened and read these words, i thank the Lord. Though in past i thought this verse only teach how we should work and serve our bosses / masters. Yet that morning, the Lord opened my eyes to see, these words actually claiming every believer to be His servants.
The implication is very clear then. Even if i had to serve a terrible boss, a stingy boss, a demanding boss, even a wicked boss, never one second i’m their servant. 24/7, every single seconds, i’m always the servant of God. That’s how God sees every employee. And that title “Servant of God” probably the best ever title given to an employee / worker. To know that I’m serving God of the Universe.
It’s nothing much. It’s just something came into my mind.
Started last night, when i asked my wife to help me improve myself. The common logic is that as you improve, hopefully you can earn more as people will value you better. And my wife told me that i don’t need the thing. I just need to be more christlike. That’s a correct answer, but i said that i still need to improve. There are things to be improved. Again my wife told me the same thing.
And my “not yet born” daughter agreed with her too.
She kicked from inside the womb, as sign of agreement, two times after each my wife’s comments. We know that’s what the kick means because we tried with two other statements..:)
So this evening as I was walking home, i thought what we discussed, what a good friend told me, and how things evolve in my life started to make sense.
What best gift parents can give their children? It’s not toys or food, or even good education. Those doesn’t trully bless a person, though they’re good. They are not the best. Because they’re limited, temporary, and the value decreased by time.
There was heavy rain this afternoon. And couldn’t find something nice to eat…somehow i just walk, and thought to enjoy the long queue for a very nice lunch. It works effectively..:) After the lunch, the rain stopped, and weather is cooling, so i walked to the cathedral. I thank God that my workplace next to a cathedral 🙂 I passed through the green patches, and saw beautiful wet grass after the rain. I always like the green after rain color.
Without any agenda or anything specific, just inviting the Lord to speak anything to me. The first thing came to my mind is about forgiveness. I thought i’ve learnt a lot for the last few years. Knowing myself better and my mistakes….also what mistakes others made to me.
Once i stand before God, forgiving doesn’t seem difficult…I thought on the face of eternity…what wrong others did…just so small. People can cause me suffer…but most pain and injury just last for a lifetime. Compare that to injury and wrongs i caused to God…they’re eternal…for He is eternal, and i’m eternal too. Thanks be to Lord Jesus that paid all my sins…else there’s no real forgiveness.
I guess that’s what lifted up my spirit. To know no matter how big mistakes or injuries others might cause to me, in the light of eternity…..they’re nothing. I might suffer in this lifetime, but when i’m in eternity….it’ll be just pure joy there. All the past will be forgotten.
This afternoon, as I read on Proverbs 19, the following things surface:
How does it feel to be poor:
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(v.4b)
The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
how much more do their friends avoid them!
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.(v.7)
