Work your Abs

This is for Weiwen who wants to know the secret... Check it out dude...

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Singapore is a Service-Base Industry

Today, a tele-marketer from C****** Fitness Gym called.

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Guy: Hi Sir, we want to invite you to our gym with one free session and we are having a promotion.

Me: It ok thanks. I already have a gym.

Guy: But it is different.

Me: Right... How different.

Guy: We have personal trainer and classes.

Me: Ok

(Silence...)

Guy: Arr... We have a promotion now..

Me: What is your promotion?

Guy: Err.... Give me a minute let me check huh... Because we have a promotion, let me check the promotion for you...

Me: (eyes rolling)

Guy: Ok Sir, if you sign up now we will waive off the enrollment fee, and you can pay the subscription and add on a err.. a personal trainer? Ya, personal trainer why not?

Me: (eyes rolling) Ok?...!...?....

Guy: Ya

(Silence....)

Guy: Would you like to sign up for our gym?

Me: No I am not interested thank you...

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Singapore is a Service-Base Industry. You are asking me to sign up your promotion and you say "wait I don't know what is it I am checking it for you." And your promotion is free enrollment?

How can Singapore compete with the rising of the neighbouring countries in terms of service if thnigs do not improve?

The other day I went to a boutique and I approached the sales girl. "I bought 2 shirts the other day, one of them the button came off and the other has a hole. Can I change them?"

To my surprise, the sales girl answered: "I don't know. Can you wait for the cashier to come back?"

Even the government sector is talking about Service Excellence...

Service Industry please... For the love of God... Buck up...

How To Wet Shave

I have been look for a shaving brush for a few months. I went from Tampines to Khatib to Chong Pang to Ang Mo Kio to Tiong Bahru to Redhill to People's Park to Chinatown to Bugis. Been half way round the island to look for a shaving brush and I can't find any. Today, I finally found it when I wasn't looking for it. Sometimes, in fact all the time, God only gives me things when I stop looking for them...

Today, I bought a shaving brush, extra shaving cream to stock up, and Adidas aftershave. I finally found it.

Anyway, here is some tips for you...

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How To Wet Shave. A comprehensive guide taking you through simple steps to get the best wet shave possible. Led by an expert, and including professional tips, this is all you need to know when it comes to shaving.

You Will Need

• A sharp razor.
• A good quality shaving cream OR if you have a goatee or sideburns, a shaving gel or oil
• A shaving brush
• A bowl
• A towel
• Aftershave balm
• Moisturiser
• Exfoliator
• Mirror

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Step 2: Prepare your skin
Before you start make sure your skin is prepped. Work a good quality exfoliator into you skin and then rinse. This will remove all the dead skin cells and leave you with a smoother base.

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Step 3: Warm your face
Splash warm water onto your face, or even better place a warm damp face cloth on you skin. This will relax the pores and soften the hair, making it easier to shave off.

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Step 4: Apply the shaving cream
Tuck a towel into your top to protect your clothes before you begin.

Shaving cream moisturises and lubricates the skin and hair. It also prevents the chafing that might otherwise be caused by dragging a razor over your skin.

If you are using a brush and bowl, give the cream a good stir to coat the brush

Apply the cream to your skin using a small circular motion. It's best to use a shaving brush like this as it helps to lift the hairs, making them easier to remove. If you have a goatee or long side burns use a clear gel or oil which will allow you to see exactly where you are shaving. Whatever you choose to use make sure you spend at least a minute working the product into your skin, and that you end up with an even lather.

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Step 5: Razor at the ready
The razor should be a sharp as possible. A blunt edge will drag against skin leaving you with a painful rash.

Start with your cheek area and move down towards your chin, following the direction of the hairs growth.

Hold the skin taut in the opposite direction of the razor and use short, firm strokes.
Wash the razor off every few strokes.

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Step 6: Take care
Next, shave under your chin. Leaving this coarser hair until later allows it more time to soften under the cream.

Again follow the direction of the growth, going against the grain can lead to in growing hairs and rashes

Take your time, this is not a job that can be rushed

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Step 7: Around the lips
For the top lip curl your lip down over your teeth to make the skin taut, use a short down ward motion action, like this. Finish of by shaving under your bottom lip.

Top Tip
Try shaving in the shower, using a fog free mirror. The steam from the water will help soften the hair and open the pores, leading to a smoother shave.

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Step 8: Check and Rinse
Rinse off any excess cream and make sure you haven't missed any stray hairs, in particular check the jaw line, around ears, nostrils and lips. Go back with the cream and razor to shave any that you have missed.

For a really close shave repeat the process again, from the beginning.

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Step 9: Dry off
When done, rinse your face in cold water to close the pores. Then pat dry with a towel

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Step 10: Put the moisture back
Immediately after shaving apply a healing aftershave balm or cream to cool and calm your skin. A good product will reduce redness, razor burn and stinging.

Shaving strips the skin of essential oils, so after the balm, smooth on a good quality moisturizer. This will replenish the moisture and keep your skin supple and youthful.

Good Work Handsome!

Should I get a car?

It was just the beginning of the month that the price of a barrel of oil has passed the US$122 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7385061.stm) mark for the first time. I was reading the papers last week and it was US$127. Today, it hit US$133 (http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/commodities/energyprices.html).

Analysts at Goldman Sachs predicted oil could reach between $150 to $200 over the next six months to two years in a report at the beginning of the month. Looking at the alarming rate oil is going. Who knows how soon will oil hit the $150 mark.

Household and consumers around the world are already feeling the pinch of higher energy prices, although Singapore consumers have been partly cushioned by a strong local currency. However, higher oil prices have seeped into electricity bills, transport costs and operating costs for businesses in Singapore.

With commodities inflating, oil price rising, will Singapore consumer feel the pinch? Will we have to tighten our belts? The next question every Singaporean will be asking, will there be a salary revision?

With flour price increasing, rice inflating, oil price rising. Petrol at $2.186 (prices taken from Shell).

Should I get a car?

What a Day...

I am glad I went for prayer meeting today. It was amazing...

I was supposed to go for an interview this afternoon. But I have not been feeling the peace at heart to go for it. I have been thinking and wondering and pondering and finally. I say "What the heck? I am not going for it..." So I stayed after service for the prayer meeting in expo, and I did not regret it.

Yes, I am glad I stayed for prayer meeting. It is not the usual prayer meeting we usually have. It is not the kind that leave you power charged up, ready to go take over the world kind of prayer meeting.

Pastor Ming was leading the prayer meeting. He was hilarious. He is one pastor that carries a different spirit. He carries a spirit of gentleness. He is the very pastoral type.

Pastor Ming started the prayer meeting asking us to pray in tongues. Half way through, he sensed that there are a group of people in the congregation that doesn't speak in tongues and he called out for an altar-call to pray for the Holy Spirit to come. To his surprise, there were a lot of people who went down. He prayed for them and continued the prayer meeting with us praying through the prayer list in 2's and 3's.

Before the prayer meeting ends, Pastor ask everyone of us to lay hands on ourselves. And he did a very hilarious demonstration on, "How to lay hands on yourself".

So we did as he told us, focus on God, and he said the first thing that comes into your mind, write it down, and lay hands on yourself and pray in tongues. So we did as we are told. The Holy Spirit came swept us all. All the congregation fell under the power of God. Many burst out into laughter. Others broke down in tears. I was one of those who was humbled by the Glory of God. I weeped like a baby.

I do not know how to tell you how I feel, but you got to exprience yourself. The touch of God and the sense of heaven. Remember Pastor ask us to write down the first thing that came into my mind when God speaks.

I wrote down 3 words:

"I love you!"

I'm Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

I have climbed highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you
I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing fingertips
It burned like a fire
This burning desire

I have spoke with the tongues of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I believe in the Kingdom Come
When all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well, yes I'm still running

You broke the bonds
And you loosened the chains
Carried the cross
Of all my shame
all my shame
You know I believe it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

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David Cook

U2

Good Times & Bad

This is my favourite picture for this season. I think it is the nicest picture I have taken so far. Because I look good in it. HA!

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Many thoughts are going through my head right now. We all go through good times and bad times. Good times are the rewards of joy for putting up with and overcoming the bad times. Bad times are the opportunities to create more good hours.

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." ~ Romans 5 : 3-5

That is right. I am feeling really lousy today. It is one of the days again. A state of dysphoria probably.

Why am I in this mood swings? Because my needs are not met, and it is near impossible to learn to be contented with unmet needs. True enough, Paul once said:

"Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." ~ Philippians 4 : 11-12 (NLT)

Yet how many can really live in perfect contentment? Some people say: "Blessed are those who aims for nothing, for they shall not be disappointed."

Yet disappointment is just a way we feel when we don't get what we want or need.

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you. " ~ Philippians 4 : 4-9 (NLT)

It becomes a struggle with the flesh.

"Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman," says the Lord. " ~ Isaiah 54 : 1

屋顶 - 吴宗宪 & 温岚

屋顶
歌手:吴宗宪 &温岚
专辑:《无尽的爱》

(男)半夜睡不著觉把心情哼成歌
只好到屋顶找另一个梦境
(女)睡梦中被敲醒我还是不确定
怎曾有动人弦律在对面的屋顶
我悄悄关上门带著希望上去
原来是我梦里常出现的那个人

(男)那个人不就是我梦里那模糊的人
我们有同样的默契
(男)用天线(女)用天线(合)排成爱你的形状ho ho

(女)在屋顶唱著你的歌
(男)在屋顶和我爱的人
(女)让星星点缀成(合)最浪漫的夜晚
拥抱这时刻这一分一秒全都停止

(男)爱开始纠结
(女)在屋顶唱著你的歌
(男)在屋顶和我爱的人
(女)将泛黄的的夜献给(合)最孤独的月
拥抱这时刻这一分一秒全都停止
(男)爱开始纠结(合)梦有你而美

(女)让我爱你是谁(男)是我
(女)让你爱我是谁(男)是你
(女)怎会有(合)动人弦律环绕在我俩的身边
(女)让我爱你是谁(男)是我
(女)让你爱我是谁(男)是你
(女)原来是(合)这屋顶有美丽的邂逅

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Am I sowing on good grounds? (Part 1)

Today, as I was on my way to work, I began to recall what I posted a few months back:

"The condition of the soil determines the destiny of the seed."

"A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plants sprang up quickly, but they soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil. Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades. But some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted." ~ Matthew 13 : 3 - 8 (NLT)

Let's see, 25% of the seeds were stolen by the devil, 25% of the seed produced a hundred folds return. Yet there were 50% of the seeds falling on bad ground.

So I began to ask myself this: "How much of my seeds actually falls onto good ground?"

How much of my time and energy and fiances have I been investing on unfruitful things or relationships that will never bear fruits?

You can keep sowing on harden grounds and thorny grounds, in the end, you are just wasting your seeds. I like what Dr. Edwin Louis Cole says:

"A farmer spreads good seeds, but once the seed is sown, it is not up to the seed to produce. It is up to the soil to make the seed produce."

If you are asking yourself: "I have been sowing a lot yet I do not see a harvest. Am I sowing in the right places?" The answer is probably "NO!"

What should I do? How do I know which grounds to sow on?

To Be Continued....

Why People Don't Listen?

The one thing that really makes me very angry, that drives me crazy, is People DON'T Listen!

For some reasons, people just don't listen!

Have you ever talk to someone about your how you feel about something and they cut you off and tell you what happen during their day. Have you ever talk about your day and someone cut you off and talk about what they read in the news?

It tells me one thing. It is very significant! People DON'T bloody Listen. So why people don't listen?

Some very good reasons I can think of, people Don't listen because:

1. you are not important.

It is very simple, if you are important to me. I am interested in what you want to say. If you are important to me, I want to hear your views.

2. they don't respect you.

If I respect someone, I would not cut them off to talk about myself. All my life, I grew up having only one thing in mind. People comes first before self. It is all about people. How can you say you care about someone and you don't respect the person?

And this 2 reasons cause me to be very upset when I am talking and someone cuts in and change the topic. Or when I ask a question, they answer me anything and everything except my question.

I have met so many people that don't listen I think it is easier to count those that do listen. I can count them with one hand.

It's frustrating when people won't listen. While you can't control how they receive what you say, you can control how you send it. Here are a few tips on why people don't listen and what you can do to change it.

1. Short Attention Spans
When asked to guess the average adult attention span, most people say around thirty minutes. According to statistics, however, the average adult attention span is actually only seven seconds. That's right! Every seven seconds you go away somewhere. You think about something else. In fact, you could actually be taking a mental break right now! It is a normal part of how the brain integrates external stimuli like when your computer starts defragging for a moment while you type. It helps to pause from time to time when you speak. This allows people to integrate your information or ask a clarifying question. Also, include examples to anchor your concepts. For example (see--I'm doing it now!), a concept without an example is like tree without roots, a house without a foundation, or Sonny without Cher. It just doesn't have as much staying power.

2. Too Many Distractions
I was in a meeting the other day and five people coughed, four people side talked, three cell phones rang, two people went to the restroom, and a partridge did email on his PDA. Distractions are a big part of modern life. Your best bet is to acknowledge the distractions in a playful way such as a manager who recently led a meeting I attended. When a cell phone rang, he grabbed for it and said, “Oh, that's for me….my mother likes to check in on me from time to time”. That prompted everyone to turn off their phones.

3. Lack of Training
Few of us were formally taught how to listen. While you probably took Reading 8, Writing 11, did you ever take Listening 10? It's little wonder listening is challenging. Quite accidentally, I learned how to listen by practicing meditation. After a five-day retreat, I felt very light-hearted and so went to visit my aging father who was hard of hearing. My habit was to sit vacantly for hours while he complained about his arthritis, the error on his bank statement, and how hard it is to find good slippers. After this retreat, I surprised myself by totally paying attention to him with patience and compassion. After about ten minutes of complaining he suddenly changed tracks and started telling me fascinating and funny stories about his childhood. Then he cranked up his hearing aid and asked about me! Learn how to be present with people, give them your full, undivided attention and be ready for some pleasant surprises.

4. Language Barriers
It is no secret that the world of business is fast becoming a multicultural world. Although English is the default language of commerce, many people in your audience may speak English as a second language. Last month I was addressing a large insurance company where most attendees turned out to be new immigrants from China. I used the expression “getting jiggy with it”, and I saw people rifling through their dictionaries. This prompted me to say “I'm sorry, that went way over your head”, and a number of people looked up at the ceiling! If your listeners are ESL or have a more basic educational background, you need to simplify your language. Use much more literal descriptions rather than cultural expressions. Use facial and body language to express humor, and fewer words.

5. Unchecked Assumptions
Back in the 70s, Gilda Radner a comedienne who regularly performed on Saturday Night Live was well known for her popular character Emily Litella, a social activist with a hearing problem. Her causes included such important issues as violins on television, soviet jewelry and endangered feces. Believe it or not, those Emily Litella types can be found in your audiences. For example, I once told a story about my mother who was a secretary for the British Civil Service in WWII. She spent most of her time daydreaming that her boss would burst into the room and ask her to spy against the Germans. She could leave the nasty paperwork behind, don a disguise and become the next Mata Hari. Needless to say, one day her boss did burst into the room but instead he fired her for daydreaming all the time. A woman approached me after this story and told me that she used to be a Hari Krishna, too. One way to clear up false assumptions is to state your point in many different ways.

6. No Reason to Listen
Finally, the main reason people don't listen is because you haven't answered their favorite question: “What's in it for me?” Before you start a long-winded monologue, tell your listener why you need their attention and make sure they understand how it will be benefit them. For example, “I'd like to tell you about this free software that will block all the spam before it gets to your Inbox …interested?” That will give you much better results than “When I was a youngster and I sat down in front of my first computer, I asked myself how can I make this machine work for me…” In general, put yourself in your listener's shoes before you talk and their ears tend to perk up.

And just remember the greatest of all wisdom--no one ever listened himself out of a new friendship.

Eat Right - Recipe

Chicken Salad and Plum Pickle Granary Sandwich
by Carol Mwaniki

(http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/recipes/low_calorie/sandwiches/chicken_plum.htm)

Preparation Time: 10 Mins
Recipe makes 1 serving: 308.1 calories per serving

Ingredients

2 Slice/50g Bread, Granary
30.0 g Chicken, Breast, Roast, Average
30.0 g Chicken, Thigh, Roast, Average
1 Med/85g Tomatoes, Fresh, Raw, Average
1 Serving/5g Butter, Spreadable, Lighter, Lurpack*
10g Lettuce Round Average
2 Tsp/20g Chutney, Ploughman's Plum, EPC*

Method

1. I use chicken from a roast chicken I have cooked earlier in the day, I use a mixture of thigh and breast. You will need to slice this chicken to add to the sandwich.
2. Butter 2 slices of bread with a very thin layer of Lurpak spreadable.
3. Slice up the tomato and lettuce.
4. Add the chicken to the sandwich, then place the lettuce and tomato on top.
5. On the remaining slice of bread spread the pickle, add pepper to taste.

Nutrition Data per serving

Calories (kcal): 308.1
Carbohydrate (g): 34.1
Protein (g): 20.3
Fat (g): 10.8
Fibre (g): 3.6
Alcohol (g): 0.0
Fruit & Veg: 1.3

Eat Healthy, Burn Fats

This is the only thing I have been eating for the past 2 months. Around 500 Calories per bowl, depending on how you cook it.

A male my age and size needs around 2500 Calories per day. A female needs 2000 Calories. I try to keep my Calories intake to 1300 Calories perday. Deficiting 1200 Calories a day. For every 7700 Calories lost, I will lose 1kg. Likewise for every 7700 Calories gain, I will gain 1kg. So every week I will lose around 1 kg by keeping to a strict diet keeping at 1300 Calories. On top of that, I excercise. The next post will be on my excercise.

Enjoy your Jook...

Cantonese Lean Pork Congee

"Pork is simmered with rice, served with salted egg and hundred-year egg then garnished with ginger and green onion. This is a favorite brunch item served in dim sum restaurants."

PREP TIME : 25 Min
COOK TIME : 45 Min
READY IN : 1 Hr 10 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING : Original recipe yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
185 g long grain white rice
3 g salt
5 ml vegetable oil
1185 ml water
225 g boneless pork loin roast
2 g oyster sauce
1 salted (hard-cooked) duck egg, chopped
1 hundred-year egg, minced
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
50 g chopped green onion
ground black pepper to taste
soy sauce to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse and drain the rice, and place in a large pot. Stir in the salt and oil, and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Add the pork to the rice, and stir in the water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through. Remove the pork from the pot with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Continue to simmer the rice for 20 minutes. Chop the pork into small cubes, and mix with the salted egg and hundred-year egg.
3. After the 20 minutes are up, stir the pork and egg mixture back into the congee along with the oyster sauce. Serve in bowls, and garnish with ginger and green onion. Have soy sauce and pepper on the side for seasoning.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving

Calories: 358

Total Fat: 12.9g
Cholesterol: 343mg
Sodium: 469mg
Total Carbs: 38.9g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Protein: 19.6g

Click - Adam Sandler

I love to watch this show whenever I feel crappy.

What is the moral of the story? I don't know.

Maybe something along cherish your loved ones, make the right decisions, get the right priority. Family first. Something along that line.

How does this make me feel better after watching this?

Actually it doesn't make me feel better. It just reminds me that I can't do anything to change my circumstances. I just have to live with it. As much as I would like to skip it, I can't. Take it as it comes...

Enjoy the show...

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Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" " ~ Matthew 27:46 (NKJV)

Ever been disappointed with God?

I know I have. Oh come on... Are you really that spiritual? Even Jesus let out in His dying breathe, "Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?"

"To the Chief Musician. Set to 'The Deer of the Dawn.' A Psalm of David. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. " ~ Psalms 22:1-2 (NKJV)

In his bitter cry of dereliction Jesus made those words His own. But not only did Jesus cry out for himself, he cried out for us too. He gave expression to all of humanity’s—all of creation’s (Romans 8:22)—groaning cries of disappointment with God. On the cross, our cries are both anticipated and caught up in his.

"For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now." ~ Romans 8:22 (NKJV)

Why has God forsaken me?

In November 2006, God spoke to me, He told me it is a season for me to reap what I have faithfully sown over the past years. I was excited. I was trilled. I was waiting to see my rewards. In April 2007 onwards, things starts to go downhill. Challenges started coming. A series of unfortunate events, bad things kept happening. In my humble opinion, my two cents worth, I don't deserve it. Yet Sh*t happens! There are more. Just not recorded.

Now its May 2008. Where are my blessings? I do not see. Yet bad things keep on happening. They never stop. Is God a God that never fulfils His promise? Certainly Not! Am I made of steel? Certainly Not! Flesh and blood I am. Ever read Job chapter 6?

"Then Job spoke again: "If my sadness could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, they would be heavier than all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke so rashly. For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows. He has sent his poisoned arrows deep within my spirit. All God's terrors are arrayed against me. Don't I have a right to complain? Wild donkeys bray when they find no green grass, and oxen low when they have no food. People complain when there is no salt in their food. And how tasteless is the uncooked white of an egg! My appetite disappears when I look at it; I gag at the thought of eating it!

"Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant my hope. I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me. At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One. But I do not have the strength to endure. I do not have a goal that encourages me to carry on. Do I have strength as hard as stone? Is my body made of bronze? No, I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success." ~ Job 6

I was praying the other day. Crying out to God. It happened again. The Holy Spirit came and He took me out and went back in time again. At the Garden of Gethsemane, what was in 2-3 verses was the longest moment probably in history.

"Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." " ~ Matthew 26 : 38-39

Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch." He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." ~ Mark 14 : 34-36

I was there. Standing beside the Holy Spirit, looking at Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane. Yes, I know it is werid. The next moment I was feeling the intensity of the pain, the reluctance of going through what is going on in Jesus. The torture in the spirit, mind and body. It was too much to bear.

I don't know what my vision meant. But I know what I saw and what I felt. And my soul indeed is exceedingly sorrowful. I don't need no blessings. I just wish if it is possible, let all this "trials" stop. It is just too much.

Now there is only one thing that I have left. Although I don't comprehend, it is the only thing I have left.

"a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." ~ 2 Corinthians 12 : 7-10 (NKJV)

It is all I have left...

Reference:

• http://www.goodnewsmag.org/magazine/mayjune/mj03seamands.htm
• http://www.helium.com/items/732778-there-times-lives-turns

Love Isn't Blind

How to form an enduring bond. Healthy relationships are built on love and trust, commitment and intimacy. ( By: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20050517-000001.html )

Of all the decisions you make in your life, few are as important as who you choose to marry or live with. Make a bad choice and you can spend your days and nights mired in unhappiness or consumed by anxiety or depression, conditions that not only rob your mental health but undermine your physical health as well. You might be consigned to economic instability or subjected to physical or verbal abuse. Or you might find yourself struggling as a single parent. The consequences of a poor choice, and of marital dissatisfaction or even disruption, are far-reaching, extending even to the next generation.

So do yourself a big favor and make sure you choose a mate wisely. Yes, you need some basic relationship skills like communication, problem solving and conflict resolution. But you also need a partner who's willing to engage in all of them with you and create what most of us want more than anything—a sense of closeness to someone else. There is, ladies and gentlemen, a science of mate selection, as it's known in the psych biz. Relationships are not mysterious entities that enter your life through a magical flash of lightning sometimes called "chemistry." That, folks, has nothing to do with the ability to form an enduring bond.

Love isn't blind at all. Healthy relationships are in fact built on love, trust, commitment, intimacy and attachment.

Step One: You meet someone you like—and, importantly, someone who demonstrates unquestionably that feelings are mutual. Then what you need to do, contends psychologist John Van Epp, is to pace the growing closeness so that you have the opportunity to explore the attitudes and behaviors that foretell the future. Time is an important factor in this.

As you grow to know someone, says Van Epp, you determine what you can and can't trust. You also rely on him/her to meet certain needs. As time goes by, you develop some level of commitment. And finally, in a romantic relationship, there is sexual chemistry which prompts touch.

These are the five bonding forces that form the glue of your relationship, he stresses. And here's the catch—they must grow together in a balanced way. You must keep your heart and your head in harmony. So you never let one of the five forces too far ahead of your progress in any of the others.

• Know
• Trust
• Rely
• Commit
• Touch

In other words, says Van Epp, there's a safe zone you need to stay within as your relationship grows. And the basic rule for staying in the safe zone is, never let the level of one bonding dynamic exceed the level of the previous one.

Therefore, never go farther in sexual touch than the level of your commitment, and do not form a commitment beyond the way the other person has proven reliable. And do not look to your partner to meet your needs beyond your tested trust in him/her. And do not trust someone more than what you know about them.

If you step out of the safe zone, Van Epp finds, you will overlook and minimize problems in the person for the sake of love. Did you get that? If you confer trust before you know someone, or get sexually involved before you fully know someone or before the level of commitment warrants it, then you're going to be minimizing problems with your partner, compromising your judgment and setting the stage for perpetual disappointment. Too late will you find out that your partner is a jerk.

A relationship begins with knowing someone, and the state of what you know controls the other dynamics. Your knowledge of someone grows with mutual self-disclosure and diverse experiences together, shared together over time. It's important to see the way your partner functions in a variety of settings—with friends, with family, with bosses and coworkers, with strangers, with children.

There are five crucial areas to deeply explore and come to know during the dating process:

• Family background and childhood dynamics
• Attitudes and actions of the conscience and maturity
• The scope of your compatibility potential
• The examples of other relationship patterns
• Strength of relationship skills.

These are the areas that best predict what a person will be like as a spouse and parent. Using this approach, Van Epp insists, you can follow your heart without losing your mind.

Arguing Style Test

Answer the questions truthfully, my results are below. How is yours?

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Arguing Style Test
43 questions, 20 min

This test is designed to evaluate the arguing style you use when you fight with the people you care about. Arguing is an indication of wanting to communicate something, usually something close to one's heart. While many issues can be resolved through peaceful discussion, other conflicts can provoke anger, defensiveness, resentment and other strong emotions. Thankfully, everyone can learn how to communicate and solve conflicts efficiently in order to achieve mutual understanding, fulfillment and deep intimacy. Please examine the following statements and indicate how well they describe you, how often you feel that way, or to what degree you agree with the statement.

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Arguing is an indication of wanting to communicate something, usually something close to one’s heart. While many issues can be resolved through peaceful discussion, other conflicts can provoke anger, defensiveness, resentment and other strong emotions. In a long-term relationship, it is nearly impossible to avoid hurt feelings, misunderstanding and conflict. A couple can slip into old inefficient patterns every time they start arguing about an important issue. Thankfully, everyone can learn how to communicate and solve conflicts efficiently in order to achieve mutual understanding, fulfillment and deep intimacy.

Snapshot Report

Positive fighting tactics: 70

You often engage in arguing behaviors that can help end a fight quickly and satisfactorily for both parties. This might keep fights from being drawn out longer than necessary because you can generally avoid misunderstandings. By listening carefully, looking for solutions and apologizing, you are able to communicate effectively with your partner. These tactics serve to reassure your partner that you’re working together towards a common goal. Couples who rely on positive tactics when fighting improve their overall satisfaction with their relationship and are more likely to stay together.