18 October, 2007

A good story about marriage

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand andsaid, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raisedthe topic calmly. She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the dinner and shouted at me, you are not a man!

That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardlygive her a satisfactory answer : I had lost my heart to a lovely girl calledDew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which statedthat she could own our house, 30% shares of my company and the car. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent tenyears of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wastedtime, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce whichhad obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now. The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep veryfast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't wantanything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a months timeand she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. Sherequested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going craz y. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.I told Dew about my wife s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully. My wife and I hadn't had any body contactsince my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. When I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset.

I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office. On the second day, both of us acted much moreeasily. She leaned on my chest.. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse.I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute Iwondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing.I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses butcould not find a suita ble one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me; she had buried somuch pain and bitterness in her heart.Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wifegestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, tothe hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I heldher tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dewopened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.She looked at me, astonished. Then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won'tdivorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I amsupposed to hold her until death does us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. Thesales girl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote: 'I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart'

The small details of our lives are what really matters in a relationship.It is not the mansion, the car, the property, the bank balance that matters. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and dothose little things for each other that build intimacy.

11 October, 2007

4 types of people in an office

There are commonly these 4 types of people in an office:

1) Capable and willing to do the work. They end up being dumped with most of the hard work but not necessarily have proportionate realistic recognition and be rewarded.

2) The lucky one. They are not necessarily the smartest but somehow they win the heart of the boss and go all the way up.

3) Capable but unwilling to do the work. They couldn't care less and no one can dispose of them.

4) Uncapable. Oh...well....

Do you have all of them in your office? Remember that most of the time you do not have a choice as to what type of people you want to be. You can just take it and live with it.

10 October, 2007

Joyce Meyer's 5 teaching

1. GO DEEPER - Take a step of faith
Spiritual babies are those who follow what they feel or think. But we have to leave the shallow of the flesh and go deeper with the Spirit. Luke 5, Jesus told Simon to " Go out where it is DEEPER and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish." Which also a symbol that we have to go deeper in faith to be able to get something in our life. When God is calling us to go deeper, we will start feeling unsatisfied with our life or where we are now. We want more. Many feels that, but only a few are willing to pay the price. Because in order to go somewhere with God, we have to LEAVE something behind. Personal obedience is the MOST important thing in our walk with God. BE GOD'S PLEASER AND NOT MEN'S!! Because by the end of ourlives, we'll be answering to God and not men. When we're ready to move , those who don't want to move will be angry and get jealous with us.But we need to obey God for ourselves!!

2. SELF ACCEPTANCE - Have peace with ourselves
God wants us to be bold enough to be OURSELVES!! Sometimes we focus too much with what's wrong with us rather than what God wants us to do. Which is exactly what the devil wants. Nobody have any autorithy over us like we have to ourselves. And the way we see ourselves is how it will cross to others. Matthew 22:37-39, " Love God with all your heart, soul and mind.....Love your neighbor as yourself." Is talking 3 relationships here. With God, others and ourself. And not untill we start loving ourself, accept who we are in Christ, can we ever start loving others. When we like ourselves and see it as God see it, we won't even bother what others will say or think about us. The devil will do everything he could to stop you from accepting just the way you are and have peace with yourself!


3. LIVE BOLDLY!! BE COURAGEOUS AND BRAVE.
People are challenged and motivated by bravery. We can be powerful or pitiful but we can't be both. We can be sad, low, down on the outside but still "standing" on the inside. PRESS ON! Are we gonna be the person who give up or be stronger in our difficulties? There's nothing He can do for us if we decide to give up. God works thru faith and part of faith is being bold-confident. Not on ourself but God. Galatians 6:8-9, We will harvest as long as we're not giving up. And stop waiting for someone to help us to bring miracles or bring us out from misery and self pity, but be brave and do it ourself. John 5:1-9, Jesus asked the lame man despite knowing how long he's been there for " Do you want to get well?" He answered " I can't sir, for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water stirred up." (He was waiting for someone to help him and being there for 38 years should make him more determined and find a way rather than just waited). And He added, "While I'm trying to get there, someone else always gets in ahead of me." (He was falling into self pity.Feeling sorry for himself). Jesus told him, " Stand up, pick up your sleeping mat ,and walk!" (Jesus didn't feel pity on him or doing something for him but ordered him TO DO something instead). Get up and get a life!! Live with the fiery spirit in us for God's spirit is not a spirit of giving up!! Luke 19:1-9, Zacheus was short but he was determined that he won't be left out and he did > something radical. He climbed the sycamore tree to see Jesus and the spirit of the Lord told Jesus to looked up and give attention to him. (Jesus didn't walk looking up all the time). Jesus was very proud with what Zacheus did. And he was the only one Jesus went and have dinner with.


4. LOVE - Is an action on purpose

Colossians 3:12-14, We must clothe ourselves with tenderhearted, mercy,kindness, humility, gentleness and patience........and the MOST important piece of clothing you must wear is Love. Love is what binds us together in perfect harmony. Which means, love is like a clothing that you CAN choose to wear or not to wear. It is an action on purpose and Jesus CHOOSE to wear IN love always. Revelations 16:15, I will come unexpectedly like a thief! Blessed are those who are watching for me, who keep their CLOTHES ready so they will not be seen naked and ashamed. The clothes mentioned here is not our earthly clothes but were actually talking about this "clothes" that was mentioned in Colossians. Without all of that Spiritual clothes, we're actually looked naked to God and the devil as well. And that's an easy target for Satan. ONLY love can defeats the enemy because the devil IS scared of love. So listen to others, have mercy, encourage, forgive, make someone smile or laugh, meet their needs, as an act of love. Showing what God has done to us. What He's doing in our lives. BE a vessel which God can flow and fill in so that we'll be fruitful.


God was actually asking Joyce to love her father, who was harassing her sexually for 15 years in her teenage years, by buying them a house in neighbourhood area, a car and taking care of her very old parents. Joyce already forgive him but she finds it difficult to love him or having him anywhere in her life. Specially that he pretended like nothing ever happen. Never sorry for what he did. But she obeyed God, did exactly what God told her to do and 3 years later, her father cried for a week and finally apologised for what he did to her, how sorry he was, and asked her to baptise him that Sunday. He was 80 years old, need a stick to help him walk and when he was coming out from the water, he started running around the church, shouting " God is good!!! God is good!!! Praise God!!" Bottom line is, everything that God asked us to do, will be for OUR benefit in the end. Take care of God's business and God will take care of our business!!

5. FEAR - Live a larger life!! Not a small life with fear

Fear is the the one thing the devil use to keep us from progressing.The minute we take a step of faith, the devil will also take a step to make us afraid, lying and bringing bad negative thinking to us. As long as we're not giving up, God will do EVERYTHING He promised.But there's nothing God can do if we choose to give up. It's one thing to fear fear, but it's another thing to let fear CONTROL us. We can't wish for fear to get away but we have to CONQUER it!! We may feel fear but we DON'T bow down to it. WeCONFRONT it!! Don't put too much attention to how we feel. As long as we know that God send us, tell us to do it and God IS beside us. It didn't matter what we feel but what we WILL do matter most. Just because we feel fear doesn't mean we can't KEEP going forward. Lot of people got afraid to not getting what they want in their life. Fear of failure. But sometimes we learn more in our failure than our sucsess. Besides, God's will be done in our life for He ALWAYS do and give the BEST for us. Mattew 14:28, Out of the 12 diciples, only Peter was brave enough to asked Jesus that he too want to walk on water. But he started to switch his attentionto the storm, FEEL fear and forgetting that Jesus IS there WITH him. Same as us. Once we start being afraid of "storms" in our lives, we start forgetting what God says, promised and that He IS with us. Verse 34, They CROSSED the lake.......So they finally ARRIVED on the other side of where they were before despite having a storm and heavy waves. Which also means, as long as we STAY on the boat, God will deliver us anyway. Just HANG ON!! Josua 1:6-9, BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS!! For the Lord your God is WITH you wherever you go. BE bold, BE strong, BE confident and BE courageous as God commanded us to. BE!! Is a choice. How we're gonna act. Peter might fall, but Jesus were probably proud, at least Peter's bold enough to asked and tried talkingon water. Brave person is someone who feel fear but KEEP ON doing what God says anyway. And people are challenge by bravery.God dare us to do bigger thing, to do something new, to get out from the boat and walk on water. God wants us to live with PASSION and PURPOSE! DON'T GIVE UP YOUR DREAMS!!! God LIKES bold people. Don't look at who dislikes us but those who DO. Be God's pleaser! Don't let the enemy steal our destiny. Believes in GOD rather than our feeling. God makes everything beautiful on its time. Believe and it will come true to you.