FavorFull - Week 1 - Monday

If you noticed, my MSN personal message is:

"prays that the next 4 weeks will be FAVOR-full"

I'm telling you, my prayer's answered even on the first day I start my 10th week of 3rd year 1st semester. I don't need to chant God's name a million times. I don't need to fast a year. It's the matter of confession. Claiming my blessings. Professing my wishes. Believing in things unseen. Hoping on the impossible. It's just *click* like that. Just writing a simple Personal Message such as that had caused the heavens' doors flung open.

I was awaken by my alarm clock at 6.15 AM today. I was about to sit down when I felt my head's spinning. I tried again. And still had the same headache. I suspected it's migraine. It was felt the night before, after I had a long day in front of the computer. I whined abit while my sister was getting ready for school. Good thing Mom's there. She took Panadol and gave it to me. I quickly drank it and went back to sleep. Mom suggested for me to go for the afternoon classes. Somehow, I felt that I shouldn't miss AMX lecture. So I set my alarm to 8 AM.

Left house at 8.30 AM. Took the route to Kovan because I was carrying a heavy load, thus walking to Hougang was too inconvenient. The bus came a minute after I arrived at the bus station. My first favor. Sat down in the bus and suddenly felt dizzy and nauseated at the same time. I suddenly remembered that I forgot to eat breakfast (I seldom do anyway. But this one's really painful!) I was contemplating to whether or not stop at Kovan and grab something to eat before boarding the train. Somehow, after reaching the bus stop, I turned left...to the train. I was thinking, "What am I doing?! What if I faint or barf on the way? No Dede. No one to help me if I do." These thoughts just rushed into my mind. Honestly, I am quite a dependent person in these kind of things. I couldn't do it on my own if I'm under pressure. Being sick IS pressure.
I can testify that my sister's been patient enough throughout these years. She usually gets annoyed if I'm sick. But thank God she's able to survive me. After all, I'm nicer when I'm not sick. So she has to "heal" me in a way so I can get back to my original state. The state of Angel, located somewhere in the North-east-west-south of the United States of America.

I was in a nauseated yet jolly mood while waiting for the train. I listened to some Gospel music throughout the journey, and it really set my attitude, especially on a Monday--when everyone's got Monday blues. Second FAVOR, I got seats from Dhoby to Outram and from Outram to Boon Lay. I did not even expect any of those, it was just there. The second part of the trip gave me a time to close my eyes and rest my eyes. By the time I reached Boon Lay, I was no longer feeling dizzy. I also had my third FAVOR...going to school with Wan Kay. I needed company at that point of time. I waited for her near the 199 Berth and remembered about my breakfast. Oh no! It's already 10 AM and I haven't gotten my breakfast. By the time I reach NIE, it'll be too late! Nooo!! Fourth FAVOR, God reminded me about my chocolate Pocky sticks that I bought last week. I did not get a chance to eat it because I was too full. And VOILA! It was in my bag! I had those for breakfast. I'm a happy person. I fed myself chocolates in the morning. Yum Yum.

The day's not over yet. During lunch time, I was telling Wan Kay how weak I was for the past few weeks. Physically. Mentally. And especially thinking about the workload that's piling up. I also remembered about Math project, this GSP project, on which I had to partner myself with Tiara to execute this task. To do this project, I need to have the software. I didn't buy it coz it's too costly. So, the only resolution is to book the computer lab, which I find very troublesome. Out of the blue, Wan Kay took out a CD from her bag. Fifth FAVOR. She handed me the GSP CD. I am telling you... this is like surreal! I almost shouted and screamed for joy at the canteen. God had just straightened my path and really blessing me with all these favor, without me asking for it. It's so true when a righteous man walks in truth and according to God's Word, favor is running after him. Not the other way round. I don't need to chase for favor because I have it chasing after me.

Not yet ... I still have my final favor. In class today, I was listening to the lecture and suddenly Tera wrote me a note:
"Are you free next Friday? Wanyee and I want to ask you and Jeanette out for 'mission gold strings'."
I thought that they had forgotten my birthday. I totally forgot about that and here they are, asking about it AGAIN. Without my desperation. Without my hinting.

Thank God for LIFE! Thank God for TRUTH! Thank God for FAVOR!
Just a confession of faith, everything you've ever wanted is being fulfilled, even beyond what you're expecting. That's the power of the living God. Totally in awe with His awesomeness. TOTALLY!

A Leader is a Reader

I've been stuck without a computer for a week! My laptop crashed. It was terrible being disconnected from the world of web. Yet, everything was never fated to happen. It was destined to make me realize that I still can survive without technology (except Nintendo DS and cellphone). But that didn't matter, I was never 24/7 on phone or playing DS, unlike the computer. What was I doing? MSN, Facebook, watch videos, listen to music, and everything else. It seemed that I had "something" to do online, though it was plain wasting time.

I thought I'd never survived the week; but days proved me wrong. I spent the whole week reading inspirational books. I've finished 2 books and started a new one last Tuesday..in just a matter of 6 days (coz I bought a new laptop on the 7th day). Productive eh? I was quite surprised myself. I never finish reading books before, except textbooks. ALthough I did remember that I finished one storybook series when I was 12. After that, no more reading for me.

I chose to read inspirational books because firstly, there's no other genre! (obviously I don't buy books, so feel free to give me books for presents. Haha!) Secondly, I believe that there's more that I can learn from books such as those. The books that I've read and reading are:

1. Your Knight in a Shining Armor: Discovering Your Lifelong Love
by P.B. Wilson
2. The Woman that I'm Becoming
by T. Suzanne Eller
3. Woman of Influence: Ten Traits of Those Who Want to Make a Difference
by Pam Farrel

Questioning why I read these?
I learn alot from these kind of books. How to become a better daughter, a better friend, a better sister, and it enlightens me to not only become an ordinary future wife/mother, but someone who is ready to help her husband goes through trials and tribulations. The first book talks alot about relationships. From the title itself, you can already predict that the book contains teachings about finding the right partner. Wilson brought us to ponder what LOVE is. Many times, we ladies are trapped in an emotional attachment. Because it feels good to have a man to feed our loneliness with sweet words or romantic dinners, we are too blinded to see what's around us. But most importantly, we're too captivated by infatuation to look what's ahead of us. It's not wrong to love. It's not wrong to feel that you want to be loved. We are created like that, that is why we're different from animals. What about animal instict you say? I heard that phrase alot of times. A girl falls for a guy, or vice versa, because of their animal instinct. Sigmund Freud based his theory of sexuality on instict as well. Yeah. Human beings have animal instinct. It's just that they don't call it an instinct. It's the yuppie-word called emotion.

If your emotions overwhelm you, you would do everything that you feel is right at that moment. Some "auntie" cuts in the queue line in Burger King, you snort and complain to your friend that she's a LOSER. Right under our nose, your sibling takes one of your things without permission. You blow up. Things like this are all run by our emotions. But these things are definitely not good. If you run your life with emotions, you are heading to the path of foolishness. How many times have you ever regretted by the decisions that we make? Making decisions require wise and sound reasoning. It is like going into the grocery store when you are hungry. You spend alot on the food you think you need to eat, but in the end, you've wasted money because you're too full to eat. Have you heard that saying? Don't do grocery shopping when you're hungry.; you'll tend to buy everything.

Similarly to our beautiful relationships. I myself sometimes question why do people get together when they've only known each other for less than a month? Worst, I've heard 2 weeks! Aren't they afraid that once you get together, all the hidden motives, habits, past experiences sprung out? Then most girls would feel cheated, "How come I never knew about this until now?" Disappointment. Heart-broken. Our lives are too precious to be broken into pieces by strangers. Don't you think that we ladies have so much more to offer? When everyone views men as the ultimate strongest living creature, it means that they are physically capable. They're tall. They're strong. On the other hand, we ladies are so much stronger spiritually. I believe that every women in this Earth, who may or may not know the Lord Jesus Christ, too have the potential to be mentally stronger than men. That's why they call men waffles, and women spaghetti. Men are always "in the box", while women are mostly flexible and far-sighted. The difference between a godly woman and a non-believer is that godly women are able to discern what is right and what is wrong, because our objective truth is based on the Bible. We are God's mouthpiece to speak to our husbands. We are very sensitive towards the spiritual realms. But this sensitivity can be a weakness for women. Again, we are fallible to men's conquests. Thus, I encourage all women out there, to be strong. Do not be the victims of unwanted brokenness and deceit. I know you can persevere this challenge. Don't worry about what man you'll get. As long as you keep focus on God, serving the community, and be selfless, God will bring you the right man at the right time. He has provided the man for you. All you need to do is to get ready. Don't rush it coz God knows when you're ready or not. Imagine a 10 year old boy asking his father for a motorcycle. If you're his father, what will you say? His father knows that if he gives his young son a motorcycle, it would endanger his life. What if his son crashes? What if the motorcycle tip-over his son when he's cleaning it? Just like our physical father, our Father in Heaven wants to keep you safe. He wants you to enjoy life and not get hurt by "strangers".

This entry isn't only for the ladies. Men too. If you're not ready, please oh please, do not play with women's feelings. If you practice doing so, you know what kind of husband you'll become. What you sow is what you reap. You can't reap mangoes if you plant potato seeds can you? Men out there, you all should also prepare yourself to become a great husband and father in the future. If during your single life you're exposed to alcoholic drinks, your marriage life wouldn't instantly change your habits. Researchers said that a habit is formed when you do the same thing over and over again in the period of 2 weeks (14 days). From 14 days onwards, you'll do the same thing. It's a habit. Change those bad habits, men and women. Ya'll are precious!

Thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in His name!

** These are basically what I've summed up from P.B. Wilson's book. Some are revelations. Not in the book **

The word for today is
Wisdom