Giving things that matter priority

Feeling a bit emo of late, probably cause the "I'm leaving soon" feeling is really kicking in! But I've been very drawn to a particular piece of literature from Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith. I felt my heartstrings tug when I read it.

Here is what it read.. pg93, Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom

From a Sermon by the Reb, 1975

"A man seeks employment on a farm. He hands his letter of recommendation to his new employer. It reads simply, 'He sleeps in a storm.'

"The owner is desperate for help, so he hires the man

"Several weeks pass, and suddenly, in middle of the night, a powerful storm rips through the valley.

"Awakened by the swirling rain and howling wind, the owner leaps out of bed. He calls for his new hired hand, but the man is sleeping soundly.

"So he dashes off to the barn. He sees, to his amazement, that the animals are secure with plenty of feed.

"He runs out to the field. He sees the bales of wheat have been bound and are wrapped in tarpaulins.

"He races to the silo. The doors are latched, and the grain is dry.

"And then he understands. 'He sleeps in a storm.'

"My friends, if we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business. Our worlds will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. We will never wallow in the agony of 'I could have, I should have.' We can sleep in a storm.

"And when it's time, our good-byes will be complete."

This isn't just simply about living your life to the fullest, it is about giving things that matter in life priority, it is about seeing the bigger picture in life and letting the small things that bug you go. It is about consistency, about discipline and about hard work, reaping what you sow. I think this message can be applied to many aspects of a person's life, especially at this point in my life, where I'm going to pursue something I desire so dearly and feel so passionate for.

This serves as a reminder to me, to keep my focus and to understand that no matter how emo or how "I don't want to go" I feel, I have to. Simply because God has called me for my duties and I have to give Him my very best because He deserves nothing less than that in His service. I feel a lot more at ease now that I've got my focus right. I will not focus on the emotional emptiness that I may feel when I'm there, but the overwhelming grace that I AM there. I will not see it as if I'm leaving, but I'm returning in a few months time.

With this new perspective on things, giving things that matter priority so that life will be without regrets, I am sure I'd be able to conquer any mountain that is before me. No matter how long the journey, I will carry on and persevere because I know, HE overcomes!

Beauty and the Geek

Don't judge a book by its cover. Easy to say but often hard to do.

Every single day, consciously or subconsciously, we judge. We judge people we meet, strangers along the streets and even those seated around us. We judge the way they speak, what they wear and the depth of their conversations. We judge their sincerity of speech, by listening to their tone and pitches and we judge their hypocrisy, or not, by their actions. I am guilty as charged for judging. As much as I make it a conscious effort not to, I still, in some way, sum a person up.

This is probably one of the reasons why I'm so particular about first impressions, because you don't get a second chance at that. People will remember the first time they met you and the impression you gave them, no matter how brief the acquaintance, they WILL remember.

But my question is, what's the benchmark for all the judging? Do we categorize the people we meet according to the social categories of "Geek", "Nerd", "Hot Chick", "Bimbo" and what ever else there is? Here's my take on this.. Yes. I do categorize people by the first impressions they give me but trust me, they're not based on physical benchmarks. I don't particularly fancy judging people by appearances basically cause I don't have a baseline for beauty and it's true! (my friends can testify! They have since discounted my views for hot hunks).

So you may ask me, how then do I "judge" or categorise people? Well.. Basically, I trust my gut instincts. Whether it is telling me to flee from the person or whether it tells me to get to know the person better. For now, my instincts have yet to fail me. =) I'm glad.

Above all that, I believe we shouldn't judge a person just based on looks. What's making me blog about this? Well.. I caught re-runs of Beauty and the Geek and I felt so bad for one of the contestants. The "Geeks" had a make over and were put up for auction. So there was this one particular guy, well.. let's just say he's on the heavier side, but he is a fantastically funny shy guy, with the nicest and most adorable personality and.. no surprises, he got the lowest bid!

So here's the point of this blog. Do we judge people just at face value. How thin/slim/skinny, pretty/beautiful/hot, hunky/muscular/fit, handsome/charming/good looking and well.. it goes on. Am I guilty of this? In all honesty, I think at times, I do, but that said, I do make it a conscious effort to see beyond physical appearances and attractiveness. I believe everyone was made to be beautiful and special, especially if we see it through God's eyes. If God could love us for our many imperfections, why can't we try to love others too?! Right?

Oh well.. Beauty and the Geek served as a good reminder, to see beyond the looks and stereotypes and to appreciate the person beneath all that skin deep beauty.

Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom

I'm halfway through Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith. As always, it is an awesome read. Halfway through it and I'm actually thinking and asking myself questions.

When someone says, your god and my god.. Is it the start of a subtle distinction and segregation? If a Christian tells a Jew, "May your god and my God bless you", are we actually talking about a different God here? There are some questions that I don't have an answer for, or rather, I don't have enough knowledge and experience to answer them. Why is there segregation within the Christian faith itself? Do we not read the same word and sing praises to the same God? It doesn't matter if you're Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian or Charismatic, bottom line is, we have the same values and we have the same faith, it's just that we worship in a different manner. Shouldn't we start celebrating the fact that WE are one in HIM, rather than saying, your church and my church? We are after all, all children of God.

There is one part in the book that I absolutely love.. the part where he talked about love and commitment. Where commitment was once a positive word and yet, now, it's one that people avoid, in faith and in marriage. Yet when one fails to commit, they just simply miss what's on the other side.. - A happiness you cannot find alone. How true.

Another part of the book that I really liked was his sharing with the Reb about happiness.. the secret of happiness. "Be satisfied. Be grateful. For what you have. For the love you receive. And for what God has given you." It's something that seems like common sense, something that all of us have heard for a million times and know by heart.. Contentment. Yes. We know it by heart but do we put that to practice? I can't say that I do all the time, or at least, I try my best to remember and thank God for all that He has blessed me with.

This book is about a person's last days, a Rebbi's last days and his interactions with the author in preparation for his eulogy. We may not have that many life experiences and I do believe that we can always learn from another person's life. Their views, their perspectives and their wisdom. This is one book I'm contemplating buying for all my friends. This is seriously one good read!

2010 for me

Awesome! 2010!

To think my first days of this new year were spent in a foreign land, sadly- yet aptly- since I'm going to spend the bulk of my days in a foreign land I have to call my second home. Yes. I am excited and I can't wait for class to start. I am yearning to learn everything I have to to be an outstanding dentist, to take in every bit of knowledge from people who are willing to impart. I can't wait to live my life differently, I can't wait for my dreams to come true.

Taiwan was a good ten day break for me, for me to sort my thoughts. I know my focus and I hear the calling within my heart, stronger than ever. There were a couple of things that I took home from Taiwan, first, the culture shock, second, how awesome our government has been and still is, third, the reality that in a month, I'd be doing what I've always wanted to do and lastly, how much I yearned the company of a companion.

Yes.. It's not the premature biological clock that was ticking, it is the li'l thing that beats inside of me that's craving for love. I miss having company, having a person I can call to share my deepest thoughts. I miss having someone hold my hands and rub them when I'm feeling cold, lying in his arms and feel completely safe. I miss having someone to think of and yearn for, I miss the attention and the care, I miss having him complete my sentences and read my thoughts before I can say them. Damn it. That's what Taiwan has done to me.

That aside, I just caught Invictus. I LOVED the show, I loved the message behind it, I loved the Mandela quotes and most of all, I love the way it made me feel. Everything is possible, with God. To want more than excellence, to strive for more than your best. I have been thinking of my 2010 resolutions, and I think I just found it. To give more than my best and to not just meet expectations, but exceed them, in every aspect of my life.

This movie meant a lot to me and somehow, somethings in me are settled. Things that bugged me now seem so clear. That's it. Enough is enough. I have my life to lead and better things to do. This is a new start, a new beginning for me, this is my future and my dreams that I am going to fight my darnest for. This is it, all or nothing. With God's strength, I'm going to give it my best. In faith I claim!