The Voice of David

O Wretched Man That I Am!

2006-12-02T16:18:00.000+08:00

Romans 7:14-25 (NASB):

14For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
15For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
16But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.
17So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Been pondering on this passage for a little while now... it may seem a little schizophrenic at first, but in reality it's a question that faces many people (both Christians and non-Christians who relate it to the Christians that they know). People often ask, "Why is it that as Christians we still sin?" Well the answer to that is basically found in that passage there. But what I've been thinking about is this: today we recognize that our actions are governed by our choices. Even science tells us that our brain sends signals through motor neurones to our muscles, which causes those muscles to contract and results in what we call "motion". Except for certain rare occasions (which we normally term "spasms", although more severe forms such as epilepsy and schizophrenia also exist), we are almost fully in control of our actions - not counting, of course, the vital functions such as breathing and heartbeat which are controlled automatically by the body. Having said that, I remind all of you, my dear readers, that sin is not merely in the physical, material, "action" realm, i.e. it's not just by "doing" sin that we sin - but rather, thoughts and beliefs can also be sin.

If, then, Paul (and I believe that it applies to all Believers who have repented, too) says that with his mind he serves the law of God, but with his flesh he serves the law of sin, and we recognize that actions come as a result of choice, can it be then that Paul, even Paul, chose to sin? Or was he just schizophrenic? (For argument's sake, I'll assume that he wasn't for the rest of this discussion) If he chose to sin, then our conscious, decision-making selves (i.e our mind, brain and body) are part of what what is termed "flesh" which serves the law of sin. If so, then what is this "inner man" which serves the law of God? I used to think that this "inner man" was any part of us which is not physical (which meant that our thoughts and choices were part of this inner man too). But if that is so, then by Paul's statement we would never sin, would we? So this "inner man" must exclude our thoughts and physical choices (choices to act, that is), and it is this inner man that is redeemed from sin while our flesh serves the law of sin. (By the way, I'm not condoning sin here - I'm merely assuming that we as humans can never fully rid ourselves of sin). Think about it. Even judicial systems recognize that if you had no control over your actions, you cannot be penalised for having committed a crime (I think?).

So, here's some questions I'd like to leave with you and if you've got any answers to them, please feel free to discuss them with me or with other people that you know would benefit from such a discussion. Firstly, this "inner man" that has been redeemed - can he still sin? If yes, how does he sin? And how does he stay out of sin? Or if no, then does that mean we are saved forever? And if that were true, then what is the meaning of
"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" (Heb 10:26, NASB)?

The Dash

2006-12-01T17:45:00.000+08:00

I first heard this poem when my class teacher in Primary 6 read it to the class near to the end of the year - I guess she was trying to inspire us to make something useful of our lives.

It came to mind again recently when a relative passed away. (Those of you who remember my MSN nick at that point in time, this is where it came from). Uncannily, the widow of this late relative received it in her email and sent it on to a few of us in the family, saying it reminded her of the eulogy for her late husband.

Here's the link to what's been circulating via email:
http://www.the-dash-movie-poem.com

but for those of you with time constraints, here's the text version (go visit the link lah..got music some more..nicer!)...

The Dash
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between the years.

For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own: the cars, the house, the cash...
What matters is how we live and love, and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard: are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left, that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real
And always try to understand the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives, like we've never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile
Remembering that this little dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read, with your life's actions to rehash,
Would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?

Of Monks and Slingshots...

2006-11-01T02:10:00.000+08:00

Hmm..I was about to name this entry something about Benedictine monks, then I thought about Benedictine Dom. And then I remembered that I've got a friend (former colleague, actually) whose name is Dominic (short form: Dom). And he's got a twin brother whose name is...... did you guess Benedict? So there you have it: Benedictine Dom. OK sorry, not funny to be making fun of people's names. Ben and/or Dom, if you're reading this, my apologies. Now back to the real topic....

If you've read the very first entry in this blog, you would have read something about the Benedictine monks. Just to save you the trouble of turning to that entry, I was explaining about how this blog got its name, and part of that story was how the abbotts of the Benedictine era would, when there was a decision to be made, ask the opinions of each of the monks, beginning with the youngest.

When I just read that entry again, I realised the wisdom in doing that. You see, when you ask the youngest first, you benefit from the fresh, new perspective that he brings because he may look at an old situation from a new angle or bring fresh insight into something. However, as you go further down the line and seek the opinion of progressively older people, each one (I assume) would have heard the opinions of those who have spoken before, and would inject their own experience and opinions into their view. The resultant final solution would therefore be one that is on the one hand novel, shedding new light on the situation, yet on the other is built upon using the wisdom and experience of elders to give rise to a solution to which everybody has contributed. Cool...just some food for thought. Yum yum....*slurp*

Thanks!

2006-10-22T12:01:00.000+08:00

I noticed that when I indicated on my MSN nick I've updated my blog, I actually get a number of different people visiting it. Cool. Thanks guys! But err...next time leave note/comment also can? Then I know who u are.. :-)

It's the little things...

2006-10-21T19:38:00.000+08:00

I realised I have 2 other posts in the making, waiting to be published but I haven't finished them yet. The first I started, then put it aside to start on a second since I had the inspiration. Then I put that one aside and now I'm starting on this one. Sigh.

Went for a mini hike (err...ok, nature walk) at MacRitchie Reservoir Park this morning. To be more specific, it was the HSBC Treetop Walk - you know, that long (yeah, right!) wooden suspension bridge stretching across a valley at the height of the forest canopy so you can see the flora and fauna from up high? Ok that's immaterial with regard to my point so I won't go into too much detail about the walk itself.

What I did want to highlight was that there were a few younger kids with us, ages ranging from..oh I dunno..4 or 5 to about 12? Anyway..what really amazed me about this bunch was their determination to go on despite the circumstances and the difficulties. One of them had an injured foot and spent pretty much the whole journey limping instead of walking normally. Yet, he was still determined to keep up with the rest of the adults and, in fact, he spent much of the journey ahead of most of us.

Then, towards the later half of the walk, another young boy had difficulty keeping up and wanted to be carried, but for certain reasons (I won't go into details), people generally preferred that he kept going on foot instead of being carried. A few of his friends then surrounded him and gave him constant encouragement, supporting him (morally and physically!), singing with him familiar songs like "You Raise Me Up" and the Hokkien "Hold my hand" to keep his spirits up and sometimes even somewhat dragging him just so he would continue on his own.

Seeing that, I flashed back to some memories I had of the not too distant past, when I was in school. Being a bit..erm...big, I was always the slowest on the track, not to mention the fact that in those days I (usually) couldn't run even a relatively short distance like 2.4km without stopping. It's at those times that I did stop running (i.e. I just gave up and walked on the track) that my friends who were running with (or usually overtaking) me would basically take me by the hand (!) and drag me along, forcing me to keep up with them at least for a brief period of time.

Back to the present: said boy stops again, squats down and refuses to move. Friends again encourage and spur him on.
Flashback again to even more recent past: images of BMT recruits doing a route march or face down on a hot surface doing pushups. It's tough, but each person does his part, carries his load and that of his buddies if necessary, encouraging each other, sticking with each other no matter what happens (well..mostly).

It's hard (or perhaps when it comes to these kids, it's not so hard) to think that in 10-15 years' time, these young kids will be doing the same thing again, this time wearing green, with dirt on their faces and mud on their hands, carrying much heavier loads and with much more responsibility on their shoulders than just a little water bottle and their friend's comfort. They'll have their own lives and the lives of each other, their commanders, their colleagues and their men to take care of. They've gotten a good start, I think. And I think they'll do well later on, if they keep this up.

Uncles and aunties, parents of these children, I applaud and salute you. Perhaps someday when I think the going's getting tough, and I hear "You Raise Me Up", I'll think back to this day and I'll remember the encouragement of your children, and that will be enough to keep me going. Perhaps.

Revival...

2006-10-02T20:30:00.000+08:00

...of my blog lah! Yes, it's been a really long time since I last posted anything in this space. In fact, I was reasonably confident that my blog had already seen its last entry - after all, who actually reads it or bothers about it, right? But for a number of months already, I've been pondering about this comment that a reader had left, and in this comment she explained in not too much detail that one of the entries in this blog had encouraged her - I can't even remember offhand which entry it was now, but from what I do remember it wasn't one of my "pet" entries, i.e it was a "blast and forget about it" kind of entry, not one that I had spent an unusually long time on or that I had devoted too much thought to.(afternote: after checking, I realised it was one of my "pet entries", although it didn't take too long to come up with, it still did hold some significant meaning for me) Anyway, as I read that comment that she had left, I remember thinking "now isn't that why I created a blog in the first place? Not to describe in vivid detail my daily, quotidian (and, very often, boring) routine, but rather to share thoughts and reflections on things that matter to me, whether they be songs, situations, Bible passages or whatever, and in the process hopefully someone somewhere who comes across my blog would see some sense or be encouraged by what I have to write.

Well that was a lost vision for a number of months, though somewhere in the back of my head I still remembered my blog and what it could have been.... until just - yeah, like maybe half an hour ago as of 022040H (or 8.40pm GMT +8 on the 2nd of October to you civilians out there) - when I read the newly started blog of a friend, and learnt of how his views about blogging were at least somewhat similar, if not identical, to mine. OK, I will admit I have, in the not-so-distant past, been known to require one or several slaps in the face (NOT literally so please don't start getting ideas...) to wake me up to reality. But this was one major WAKE UP CALL, and so it didn't take me too long to decide to respond by doing the only thing that seemed appropriate at the moment - to revive this blog and get it moving again. So here we are, at the end of this very long winded entry, probably not much wiser than we were at the beginning. But it has been said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - I guess my journey of a thousand kliks (kilometres, for those unfamiliar with the slang) just began with a few clicks, hmm?

How Beautiful...

2006-05-19T18:36:00.000+08:00

Speaks for itself, I think. Yet, it speaks insufficiently for itself, because no amount of words can truly describe just how beautiful the body of Christ is, nor can any human in his finite self comprehend the infinite beauty, majesty and perfection of Christ - not just as He came in the flesh as we read in the Gospels, but also as He is now, in His glory.

How Beautiful
by Twila Paris

How beautiful the hands that served
The wine and the bread and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long, dusty roads and the hill to the cross.

How beautiful,
How beautiful,
How beautiful
Is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the heart that bled,
That took all my sin and bore it instead.
How beautiful the tender eyes
That choose to forgive and never despise.

How beautiful,
How beautiful,
How beautiful
Is the body of Christ.

And as He laid down His life,
We offer this sacrifice:
That we will live
Just as He died,
Willing to pay the price,
Willing to pay the price.

How beautiful the radiant Bride
Who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes.
How beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure lives so that others may live.

How beautiful,
How beautiful,
How beautiful
Is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the feet that bring
The sound of good news and the love of the King.
How beautiful the hands that serve
The wine and the bread and the sons of the earth.

How beautiful,
How beautiful,
How beautiful
Is the body of Christ.

Commune With Me

2006-05-15T22:42:00.000+08:00

It's been a long while since I last blogged, I know. (Ok not counting the one abt updating the post) Actually I've had a lot to share. And honestly, a lot of time I could have used to type blog entries. But, on purpose, I decided not to type them out so soon because I don't feel I've had enough time to let the ideas germinate and gestate - if you get what I mean - basically, to let them be implanted and develop. But I decided to share the words of this song because they really impacted me as I read through them in a songbook that I have.
Normally when I go through a songbook I skip the songs that I've never heard before.
However, I came across this song and decided to give a shot at playing through it on the piano, and as I was reading through the lyrics I began to realise what it really means to be in Christ, and that is everything.

"Commune with me" - that's our communion/fellowship/one-ness with God
"I worship You" - our worship of Him
"I'll meet You there" - again, speaking of fellowship, but also speaks of our eternal
reward and inheritance in Christ

the term "between the wings of the Cherubim" is taken from God's promise in the Old Testament that He would meet and talk with the high priest (or was it Moses? I can't remember..) between the wings of the cherubim (that's where the blood of the sacrifice was put) in the Holy of Holies, behind the veil, into which the high priest could only enter once a year on the day of atonement. Now we have Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, the end of the Law of commandments in ordinances, whose blood was shed for us so that now, it is only in Christ that we have communion with God, it is only in Christ that we can worship Him, and it is only in Christ that we can finally meet God face to face. Yet the wonder of all this is that no matter how much I try to explain this in words, my words will never be fully sufficient all that this means - all that it means to be in Christ, to commune with God, worship Him and to meet Him there between the wings of the cherubim. I dare say I am
not fully able to comprehend this wonderful idea yet, either. It takes the Holy Spirit who indwells each person who believes in Christ to first implant the Word, then develop it until the Word becomes unto each one of us true revelation.

Commune With Me

Commune with me
Commune with me
Between the wings of the cherubim
Commune with me
(repeat)

I worship You
I worship You
Between the wings of the cherubim
I worship You
(repeat)

I'll meet You there
I'll meet You there
Between the wings of the cherubim
I'll meet You there
(repeat)

Post Update

2006-05-15T22:16:00.000+08:00

I'd like to update this particular bit of one of my first few entries. In it I mentioned there's a quote somewhere in my camp that reads "A piece of paper makes you an officer, a radio makes you a leader" or something like that. That was quoted from a particular American Army General (whose name I can't remember at this point in time). A variation of this quote that I have recently come across reads "The army can make you an officer, but only Signals can make you a commander" -LG(RET) Winston Choo, former Chief Signal, Chief of Staff and Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces. THIS to me makes more sense. If anyone out there would like to know why I feel that way, well...feel free to ask. =)

The Anchor Holds

2006-04-08T22:22:00.000+08:00

In reading and hearing the lyrics of this song, it always comforts me to know that our Anchor always holds, no matter how high the waves of trouble or how strong the winds of life may blow. It especially helped me recently when an analogy was given in a particular message I heard, that our lives are like a sailing boat - faith is like the wind and hope is like the mast or sail. No amount of faith is going to do you any good if you don't first raise the sail of hope to catch the wind of faith that may blow. But "the anchor holds though the ship is battered/ The anchor holds though the sails are torn..." In other words, no matter how strong or weak our faith is, or how high or low our hopes are raised or let down, or how badly we are battered by the storms we encounter in life, Christ is the governing factor that determines our stability, and in Christ we have an anchor that cannot fail and cannot succumb.

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Hebrews 6:19-20 (KJV)

I prefer the KJV for this verse because it is from this version that we in the Boys' Brigade take the spelling of our motto "Sure and Stedfast", and it is also from this verse we take our emblem of the anchor. However, if you prefer something less colourful in language...

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:19-20 (NASB)

The Anchor Holds - Ray Boltz

I have journeyed through the long dark night
Out on the open sea
By faith alone, sight unknown
And yet His eyes watching me

The anchor holds though the ship is battered
The anchor holds though the sails are torn
I have fallen on my knees as I faced the raging seas
The anchor holds in spite of the storm

I’ve had visions, I’ve had dreams
I’ve even held them in my hand
But I never knew they would slip right through
Like they were only grains of sand

The anchor holds though the ship is battered
The anchor holds though the sails are torn
I have fallen on my knees as I faced the raging seas
The anchor holds in spite of the storm

I have been young but I am older now
And there has been beauty these eyes have seen
But it was in the night, through the storms of my life
Oh, that’s where God proved His love to me

The anchor holds though the ship is battered
The anchor holds though the sails are torn
I have fallen on my knees as I faced the raging seas
The anchor holds in spite of the storm

Edit

2006-03-29T23:19:00.000+08:00

Ok I'm changing point no. 11 of the Resolution entry to read as follows:

11. I will influence and impact their lives, using myself as a steward of whichever of God's attributes He chooses to demonstrate through me.

Beginnings

2006-03-29T20:21:00.000+08:00

I'm beginning to be of the opinion that the success of an organization or group (or perhaps even a person) depends on the circumstances out of which it was birthed. Ones formed out of love for particular groups of people seem to me to be doing pretty well. Examples? The ACS family of schools is one...started by an American missionary to educate a small group of 13 students. The Boys' Brigade is another, formed to keep young men off the streets and in the church. Today, it has grown to be a worldwide organization, not to mention the other uniformed youth organizations that are said to have sprung from it.

On the other hand, organisations formed out of distress or dispute with another party don't quite seem to be doing as well, even though it may have seemed the right decision at the time. I won't go into concrete examples, even though I have some in mind, coz it's not very nice. But this is just my theory. And it's not absolute, simply because success is not dependent absolutely on circumstances. It's largely dependent on our human reaction to those circumstances. We can choose to come out from trials with our own selfish ideas and implement them, or we can choose to learn from our errors,with humility have faith in God, trust Him, His wisdom and His Word, and we then have every potential for this trial to turn into a successful situation.

Find Us Faithful

2006-03-10T23:34:00.000+08:00

It occured to me today as I was taking a run outside camp, that the Christian race is unlike any other race we know. It is a race not against time, or each other - for what does it profit a man that he should arrive at any point ahead of another, except to encourage those coming behind to persevere?

"...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." (Heb 12:1-4)

No, the race is not against time, nor each other, but it is a race for distance. Yet, it is also a race unlike any other, because it is not a competition. It is a race in which the sole purpose of being ahead of the man beside you is to encourage him to keep the faith, to "press on toward the goal to win the prize (the prize to which we who are sons of God are all entitled for we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ) for which God has called me (us) heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phi 3:14). We have not yet resisted to the point of shedding our blood, but Christ has gone the distance. John 15:13 says "No greater love has a man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Jesus Christ laid down His life for us, whom He calls His friends if we obey His command. And this is His command, that we love each other.

Jesus Christ was the first to run that race - in fact, in Heb 6:20, He is called the Forerunner - the prodromos or the one who runs ahead. He is the ultimate leader - He knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. Heck, in John 14:6 He even says "...I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..." He has finished that race, and He is there at the finish line and at every step of the way, reminding us of His love for us, and we love both God and our brothers because He first loved us.

It would be ideal if this race were smooth-sailling. But we know that as men, we are inherently prone to failure. It is then, when we stumble and fall, that God intervenes - sometimes through man, sometimes by His own works alone - to lift us back on our feet, put back the fallen-off pieces of the armour of God and have us continue on our journey. Let us not be angered when we see others stumble - especially so if he is one who had earlier picked us up when we stumbled. Instead, let us be filled with God's love for every one of us, and in that we can find strength to carry on in our encouragement of each other.

Find Us Faithful
We're pilgrims on a journey of a narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful
Encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace.

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us,
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

(chorus)
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful

Siaming is crucial....

2006-01-25T21:48:00.000+08:00

Is it humility? Or just plain stupidity? Why do I let myself get pushed around by people? Yes, they talk about servant leadership - and I believe wholeheartedly in the concept - but what happens when you reach a point where your "leaders" treat you as nothing more than a slave? Do they think that just because they hold an officer's rank, they have the authority to lead? Is it not your men who give you the authority to lead them? But then what about respecting those in authority over you? Does that not imply that their authority is given by a greater body? But if that really was the case, and men really had no choice but to listen to their "leaders", then who is to say if the "leader" is doing the right thing? Do we leave it to him to discern right from wrong? But what if he has neither the wisdom to realize his folly nor the humility to admit it? Are his men to be left suffering for his mistakes?

On the other hand, should I not have faith that in submitting to authority a greater reward awaits? By the way, someone please show me where in the Bible it speaks of submitting to authority...I really can't think of it offhand. Sigh...

If the person who typed a particular quote that at one point in time hung on the board in the ops room is reading this (you know who you are!), you're right... dreaming is indeed wonderful (hey..it's what I'm doing now ain't it?), siaming is definitely crucial (it's what has saved me from more than just a little sai gang which would have driven me nuts if I had done), but arrowing is supreme (I'm not too sure about this though - I'd really hate to be the guy at the receiving end of all the arrows, though, in my opinion, I'm more than a little experienced in that department).

Hitler was actually quite smart....

2006-01-15T21:49:00.000+08:00

I've been longing to put in a new post, but couldn't really find the time to until now. And even then I don't have a heck of a lot of it.

Anyway, I think I'd better explain the title of this entry before someone out there arrests me for neo-Nazi activism or whatever it is people get arrested for nowadays. The reason I say Hitler was smart is that he recognised the fact that he could not fight a war on two different fronts. Those of you who are familiar with the history, please correct me if any of my facts are wrong, because it's really been quite some time since I last bothered about them, or if you have a different view that I'm missing.

Germany at the time of World War II, was bordered on the east by Russia and the eastern European countries, and on the west by France, Switzerland and the rest of Western Europe. If Hitler was going to fight a war against all these countries, he knew he would surely lose, which was why he decided to ally with the folks to his right, so he could concentrate on fighting the folks to his left.

Unfortunately, I'm not so smart. I'm fighting wars (or at least small battles) on waaaay too many fronts for my own good - wars with my superiors, colleagues, family both with and of, with myself, my body, my mind...the list goes on. And it's not as if I can really ally with any of the parties - can I?

Star Light, Star Bright...

2006-01-08T16:59:00.000+08:00

Operational Readiness? Or a bunch of propaganda rubbish? Not that I'm complaining about having next to nothing to do, but......

How is one supposed to feel if he has not been given the authority he needs to properly and efficiently perform his role?

How is one supposed to feel if he is so often tasked with work that is the responsibility of another?

How is one supposed to feel like an important member of a team (and therefore valued, and therefore take pride in his work) if he is kept out of the loop, in the dark ("you're not cleared..."), existing only to do the most menial of chores (and even then only at others' convenience)?

How is one supposed to feel if he has been trained to perform a role, only to have that role performed by someone else?

How is one supposed to feel if he has been trained to set up and operate a system, only to have part of that system daily within his grasp, yet unused because of politics and carelessness?

How is one supposed to feel if machines are treated better? What do you do with a machine not in use? Keep it in a cupboard, in a state of dormancy, to be retrieved for use when the appropriate time has come? Or keep it in the middle of your office, in everyone's way, yet brushed aside until a task comes along - a task so menial it warrants no more than 2 seconds of your time (although somehow the fact that it takes up much more of the time of the person you sent to do that task for you seems justified)?

How is one supposed to feel?
Is one supposed to feel?
One supposed to feel?
Supposed to feel?
To feel?
Feel?

Feel what?

Chicken or egg? Or round and round the Mulberry bush?

2006-01-04T17:44:00.000+08:00

Bah...4th day of the year and I'm already un-motivated to fulfill those fantastic, Utopic resolutions you see down there.

I was reading a book on motivating people today, and read something about "leadership is but a small part of management". My first thoughts were "HUH?!?!?!?! I thought management is a small part of leadership?" Then I realised - all too often, people use those two words and those 2 concepts interchangably, when in actual fact they are two separate but related ideas (hey hey hey, don't kill me - this is MY blog. Nonetheless, your comments are welcome). Managers aren't necessarily leaders, and leaders aren't necessarily managers (what's the definition of a leader, anyway? And who says it is?). Leadership deals with motivating and influencing a group of people to work towards a certain goal - be it long or short term. But then again, isn't that what a manager does too?

What, then, is the difference between a manager and a leader? Could it be that a "leader" is a position, a "manager" is a title? Is management actually "leadership" in an organizational setting? Or could it possibly be that a manager sits behind a desk shuffling papers, pushing pencils, anal(-)yzing stuff, talking and talking and doing absolutely nothing while a leader leads from the front, showing the way, asking his "men" to go no place that he himself has not been?

Which then brings me to another point - there's this little piece of paper stuck on a door somewhere in my camp that says "A piece of paper makes you an officer. A radio makes you a leader". Is that really true? Is "officer" really automatically a synonym for "leader" or vice versa (in this case, as long as he has the means to communicate)? Don't get me wrong here - I'm not saying all officers aren't leaders, or all leaders can't be officers. But what about the officer who gets in the way of his men to fulfill his own personal agenda? Or the one who allows his men to claim a certain privilege, thinking he is doing them a favor when in actual fact they have work to finish and cannot do so while he, having "cleared" his conscience, walks off scot-free? It all boils down to the fact that any word can be just a title - a rank invested on you by the powers that be - unless one shows by example and by his own actions that he deserves the right to lead.

Disclaimer: This article expresses the long-supressed views of the author, the only author and no one but the author. It is not to be used as justification for insubordination (although we all know how tempting that is). A small part of it has, however, already been used as ammunition for a -little- irreverent outburst directed at one particular officer whose identity shall remain confidential. The author wishes to state for the records that he is NOT sorry for having done so, because said officer was really getting on his nerves.

Resolution 0.1024 x 0.0864

2006-01-02T01:34:00.000+08:00

I shall accomplish the following by the end of 2006 (Lord, only by Your grace - I need you...) :

1. I will grow in wisdom and favor with God and man (over this I have no control, but God said it, I believe it, that settles it!).

2. I will seek first His Kingdom (which is His righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit - Rom 14:17) and His righteousness.

3. I will find enjoyment and accomplishment in all the works of my hands.

4. I will ORD! :P

5. I will find the right job, one that's fulfilling and enjoyable.

6. I will get my driving license (and maybe more!)

7. I will decide on the right uni course to do, and I will get that course.

8. I will have a clearer picture of where I'm headed in life.

9. I will lose weight.

10. I will live my life as an example to my peers, Boys, all those put under my charge and even to my superiors.

11. I will influence and impact their lives, using my own life as a testimony of God's love, grace and goodness.

12. I will be a beacon for the Lord; a beacon of truth and light unto men.

13. I will lead by example, inspiring respect from my peers, Boys, all under my charge and superiors, influence them, their lives and their actions, then exercise the requisite degree of control and management over the situation.

14. I will learn what rank really is - an outward sign of the authority vested in you by those in authority above you - and that this, a lot of the time, is utter rubbish.

15. I will learn that your right to lead really is given by those whom you lead, not by those in authority nor by those who have led you.

Stagnation

2005-12-31T17:31:00.000+08:00

That's it...I think it's starting. I haven't blogged for 5 days, and I'm dry. It's the beginning of the end of my blog. Haha... :P

Chronicles

2005-12-26T20:42:00.000+08:00

Ok, so there's this recent hype about the Chronicles of Narnia. Went to watch it a few days ago as a Company outing, and I gotta admit I don't recall ever watching any movie so critically. I probably don't recall as much of it now as I did when i first exited the cinema, but I do remember it's a pretty good movie - though I think it took me something like three quarters of the movie to begin to see the Christian themes and parallels that the author of the book has tried to insert.

One particular scene I remember, though, was one where the wolf-dog-thing was about to be killed by the white witch for betrayal, but before she could, he addressed "Your Majesty.....(I can't remember what the rest of the sentence was)" and when the witch began to reply, he said "I mean you no disrespect, but I wasn't talking to you" (he was actually talking to Edmund, coz in that fantasy world they called the 4 humans who would save their land "Your Majesty"). When I saw that scene, the only thing I remember thinking was "Wow. I want to be that sure of who my God is, where my priorities lie, and who my bosses are", and that He and they in return will know that He and they has/have my undivided loyalty. I want to be able to walk into the office, say "Sir" and immediately my boss will be the first to look up from his computer screen, even before any other colleague, specialist or warrant officer can futile-ly attempt to pile work on me (attempt, because they know I can't or at least won't say no; futile because my boss will deflect all the flak for me [not like that's really happening now - that's why I said "I want"]). Alas, this is but mere fantasy, is it not?

David and Goliath

2005-12-26T12:13:00.000+08:00

There, I promised another entry didn't I? :P

I was reading the story of David and Goliath and it amazed me how many parallels I could draw to my own life, and how many lessons we can all learn from it.

David was but a shepherd boy when his 3 eldest brothers followed King Saul out to battle against the Philistines. David stayed behind to tend to his father's flock of sheep (parallel number 1: while other people go out and have all the fun, I stay behind and basically do nothing - or, if anything, rubbish). One day, David was sent by his father, Jesse, to bring some food for his brothers and their commander. At the same time, he was tasked to bring back assurance (or some token or pledge) from them (parallel number 2: David was sent to bring food and news for various people i.e he was a messenger and fatigue worker. I am a signaller and frequently end up doing fatigue work, known in colloquial local lingo as "sai gang").

So, David went out and did as he was told. While he was speaking with his brothers, Goliath once again came out and challenged the Israelites. When the Israelites saw him, they ran in great fear. However, David asked the people who were around him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (Lesson no.1: Be confident in your identity. David knew that as a part of God's people, they had a right to God's help in securing their victory. Lesson no.2: Know your enemy. David knew that one of the differences between his folks and the Philistines was that the Philistines were uncircumcised. What's the big deal, you may ask? Well circumcision is a sign of submission to God, because once a part of one's manhood is removed, is signifies that one operates not by his own effort but that he must trust in God for everything. Moral of story: know what sets you apart from those who come against you, and use that against them.)

Back to the story...when Eliab, David's eldest brother, had heard him ask that particular question, he responded with anger and asked David "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." (parallel no.3: do work for other people then get scolded for it...) David replied, saying "Now what have I done? Can't I even speak?" (parallel no.4: nobody really wanted to listen to him, just coz he was junior). Finally, what David said was overheard and reported to Saul, who sent for him immediately. David encouraged Saul (parallel no.5 - those who know will know, those who don't it's alright) by saying "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." Saul initially doubted David's ability to fight, but after some persuation finally relented (Lesson No.3: don't discount what the guy says or what he can do just because he is young - we've been here in a previous entry, I believe...). Saul eventually sent David out with his own armour, which David politely refused because he simply couldn't handle the huge, heavy thing.

So, David went out with nothing more than his shepherd's bag, sling and 5 smooth stones. At the same time, Goliath approached, looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he said "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" He cursed David by his gods, and said "Come here, and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field." To cut a long story short, David charged forward, released a single stone from his sling and took Goliath down with a shot straight to the forehead (talk about your ancient-day sniper!) and that marked the victory for the Israelites.

Ok...one more entry to go, I think...and that'll last you the week till I can post again.

The Voice of David

2005-12-25T16:21:00.000+08:00

I'm challenging myself to see how long I can maintain this before it, like my previous Online Diary (for those of you who knew about it), falls into disuse. And like its predecessor, this one is likely to contain bags and bags of hot air (or, at the very least, entry after entry of subjective philosophical theories) so for those of you who somehow (or somewhy) ended up reading this, please pardon my entry (or entries) if it seems like I'm rambling endlessly, because I probably am.

What's that, you ask? Why "The Voice of David"? Well let me explain (of course you'll let me explain)..... King David was known as a man after God's own heart. He is also credited with having written an I-don't-know-what-percentage of the Psalms. But before King David was known as "King David", he was known as - yup, you guessed it - "David".

Now, the story is told - you can read it in 1 Samuel 17 (I think I'll cover it more in another entry; there's so much to learn from the story of David and Goliath) - that when David was a young boy (some say he was 12, but I don't know for sure) there was a confrontation between the Israelites, of which David was one, and the Philistines, where Goliath came from. To cut a long (but interesting) story short, David's older brothers, along with the rest of the Israelite men, were terrified of Goliath (c'mon, if your enemy stood 3 meters tall, wouldn't you be terrified too?) even though they had all kinds of weapons to use against Goliath. When David came to visit them, they called him wicked and conceited because he had confidence that God would lead them to victory against the Philistines. Finally, Saul, who was King at the time, (and in those days the King would lead the army into battle from the front, not some air-conditioned control room like they do nowadays - but that's another lesson for another time) listened to what David had to say, allowed him to go out and challenge Goliath, and David finally emerged victorious by killing Goliath with a single stone from his sling.

What we learn from this is that as leaders, we should take note not just of the opinions of those who are senior and more experienced, but also those who are young. Dean of the University of Pennsylvania's Business School says of his younger alumni leaders "When you seek out junior voices, two things surprise you: how much these young alumni have to say and how important it is." Even the Benedictine monks recognise this principle - when there is a decision to be made, the abbot asks the opinion of each of the monks, beginning with the youngest. Through this, we also learn to practice humility (an article was once written, though where it was published escapes my memory now - that we don't learn to be humble so much as we learn to practice humility), not only by taking into account what those younger than us say, but also by doing certain things that they do, like getting your own water/coffee/insert-beverage-of-your-choice-here instead of ordering (ok, I'll say it nicely - asking) someone to do it for you. (content adapted from Leadership Wired, the online newsletter of John C. Maxwell, available at www.MaximumImpact.com)

Anyway, I think that's enough food for thought for now - still got a lot of stuff waiting to burst forth from my itchy typing fingers though, but I guess I'll leave that for another time.