Wow, my last post was 23 Jan 2009! Gee...
Anyway, 2009 has been a year of change for me, but I'll leave that subject to my next post in a week's time.
Right now, I would just like to post something about Christmas this year. Christmas this year came at the end of a very busy month, which started with my first mission trip to Thailand for 3 years, followed by a weekend camp, not to mention two weddings. Knowing I was going to be so busy, I was quite surprised when I realised I had been designated as the PA system operator for my church's Christmas combined service and Christmas eve service. Anyway, after many hiccups over the rehearsals, I thank God that the actual services went well. One of the songs the choir presented really touched me. It's "I have seen the light" by Robert Sterling and Chris Machen.
I Have Seen The Light
I was a seeker for light in a dark world,
I looked for truth but settled for lies.
I had been blinded, I couldn't see
Till the Star in Bethlehem's sky opened my eyes.
I have seen the Light shining in the darkness,
Bursting through the shadows, delivering the dawn.
I have seen the Light whose holy name is Jesus,
His kingdom is forever; He reigns on Heaven's throne!
There in a manger, an innocent baby;
Who could believe He was the One;
I can believe it, I know it's true;
He changed my life; He is the light; He is God's Son!
I have seen the Light shining in the darkness,
Bursting through the shadows, delivering the dawn.
I have seen the Light whose holy name is Jesus,
His kingdom is forever; He reigns on Heaven's throne!
We must tell the world what we`ve seen today in Bethlehem!
He`s the promised King; we bow down and worship Him!
Worship Christ The King!
I have seen the Light shining in the darkness,
Bursting through the shadows, delivering the dawn.
I have seen the Light whose holy name is Jesus,
His kingdom is forever; He reigns on Heaven's throne!
******
May everyone who God has called sing this song one day!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wow, it's 2009 already!
Finally, I sit down at the computer and decided to log in to Blogger.
I wonder why I didn't want to put my thoughts down in writing for so long. I guess I was busy? Hmm...
Anyway, time really flies. I have been really blessed. 2008 was a rather fruitful year, though I don't remember another year where I was so tired and worn out. All the same, I thank God for being with me, and with my dear Esther, as well as for bringing me through a year of work, for a wonderful time of ministry with BSF, the Santhiphap Thai church, and CG, and for the opportunities to travel and meet loved ones all over the world.
Speaking of BSF, it starts again soon. I suppose it will be good to see everyone again, though I hope the traffic on the drive to Novena won't be as bad as the traffic I've been encountering in 2009.
As for teaching English on Sundays, not so long ago I was thinking of packing it in. But the last few weeks, I seem to have rediscovered my passion for teaching. I guess I am thankful to God for giving me renewed vision!
It just occurred to me that I have Facebook to thank for my hiatus from Blogger. Then again, Facebook isn't quite what Blogger is. Oh well.
Whatever God may bring in 2009, I guess I can look forward to a few things... Mt Kinabalu in March, seeing my dear in May, and beyond that, who knows but Him?
Praise God, whose wisdom noone can fathom!
I wonder why I didn't want to put my thoughts down in writing for so long. I guess I was busy? Hmm...
Anyway, time really flies. I have been really blessed. 2008 was a rather fruitful year, though I don't remember another year where I was so tired and worn out. All the same, I thank God for being with me, and with my dear Esther, as well as for bringing me through a year of work, for a wonderful time of ministry with BSF, the Santhiphap Thai church, and CG, and for the opportunities to travel and meet loved ones all over the world.
Speaking of BSF, it starts again soon. I suppose it will be good to see everyone again, though I hope the traffic on the drive to Novena won't be as bad as the traffic I've been encountering in 2009.
As for teaching English on Sundays, not so long ago I was thinking of packing it in. But the last few weeks, I seem to have rediscovered my passion for teaching. I guess I am thankful to God for giving me renewed vision!
It just occurred to me that I have Facebook to thank for my hiatus from Blogger. Then again, Facebook isn't quite what Blogger is. Oh well.
Whatever God may bring in 2009, I guess I can look forward to a few things... Mt Kinabalu in March, seeing my dear in May, and beyond that, who knows but Him?
Praise God, whose wisdom noone can fathom!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Low to the goalie's left!
Today, I had a really full day. I know Sunday is supposed to be the Sabbath, but I take my Sabbath on Saturday, not that I'm a Jew. Haha. Anyway, after attending the 7:30 service and doing PA system duty, I taught Sunday School at 9:30, played about an hour of pool at 12:30, then attended a YA comm meeting at 1:30. Then it was off to look for a new doorbell for home at 2:30, then soccer at 4:00! English class at 6:00, then Thai dinner, finally got home at 8:30 after being out for 13 and a half hours.
Some highlights: Had a good time teaching Sunday School, though I don't regret not returning to full-time teacher status. Made some ridiculously tough shots in pool, and some constructive suggestions during YA comm meeting. Bought a nice doorbell which I installed just over 2 hours ago. Scored twice during soccer, one was a penalty where I put the goalie off by closing my eyes just before shooting, only opening them at the last second to put the ball low to the goalie's left. The other goal was also low to the goalie's left, after I had executed a one-two with my teammate, flicking a high ball to him with my head, then running on to his headed flick-on, muscling my way past the last defender and coolly finishing, low to the goalie's left!
For once, I'm being brief, partly because I'm kind of busy, partly because I'm tired, and partly because I'm being cheeky, deliberately avoiding my usual style. : )
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Finally...
2008 has been really eventful so far. I won't be going into too much detail as to what's been going on, I'll just mention some significant things and elaborate about them as I see fit. After all, isn't that what history is all about - the whims and fancies of the history writers.
First, I'll soon reach 6 months in my job. In fact, I'm in the midst of doing my six-months evaluation. Haha. 6 months in my job essentially means I've pretty much seen all of what my job entails since my work revolves around the calendars of my company, and two international organisations. A milestone in my job was the holding of a big meeting involving internation participants. My department had been preparing for the meeting since before I came to MPA in November! Anyway, it was a great relief when it was over. It ended just in time for me to take part in MPA's Inter-Divisional Games pool tournament (I was captain of my team). Actually, I arrived at the tournament venue late, just in time to take part in the 3rd round of matches. In this round, I dropped the first rack to my opponent, and was trailing in the next (it was best of 3). On the brink of elimination, I played a superb safety shot which caused my opponent to lose his cool. I won that rack, and somehow won the next after my opponent fluffed a simple shot. My win wasn't enough though, we lost the match 2-1. For our final round match, my team would finish joint 3rd out of 5 if we could post our first win. Once again, I dropped the first rack but finished strongly to win 2-1. Walking over to the doubles table, I saw one of our opponents sizing up the 8-ball. I realised it would be the winning shot if he made it. He did too, and started to celebrate as he made the shot, turning to his teammates. However, the cue-ball was tracking towards a pocket, and it indeed dropped in. Realising that it was a game-loss foul, it was my turn to celebrate! My team was up 2-0, meaning we had won the match and that we had managed to improve our final position. That was the first tournament I have ever played. Wow.
Another milestone in my job was my first ever overseas work trip, which was to Hong Kong from March 10-12 for the World Ports Summit. That was a nice experience, I stayed at the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel; the room rate was $380 a night, and that was the conference rate! It was good to meet other people in the port world and the hospitality of the organisers was certainly top rate; a harbour cruise and cable car ride rounded off the event. On my return flight, I was seated next to R. Sasikumar (Home United had been in Hong Kong to play a match). I made some small talk with him before the plane took off. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could recognise the features of Hong Kong Island's skyline, plus a certain smaller island to the south! More about this later.
Right after this trip, I had ICT. That was a good experience for me overall, as it was the first time I had trained with my unit.
BSF started off in February. It was good to see everyone again, and it was especially good for me to meet my new group. I'm really enjoying my time with BSF, and it looks as if doing homiletics has helped me become more confident in teaching God's Word!
Now, for the final piece of this post. Coming back to my Hong Kong trip, it was such a contrast with the trip I had made in July 2005. While I was thinking of all the differences, I found myself thinking about a certain person. This person had made me sad two years ago, yet I found that I had never really had any negative thoughts about this person. Anyway, for some reason, the evening after my return to Singapore, I saw Esther online, and asked her if she would like to start over. She seemed surprised, but she said yes. though I had to ask her again the next day to see if she understood what I was asking her.
Anyhow, she had indeed understood, and she told me that she had been praying for a second chance for some time (I later realised that she had been praying for the past two years). I was quite stunned, especially when she later reminded me that I had actually turned her down some time ago when she had asked to start over. :p
Now, we're on a much more stable platform. Of course, Christ is our relationship's foundation. I'll be visiting her in June. It's really wonderful how God works, in bringing healing to my heart, in teaching me genuine forgiveness and giving me the desire to practice it. Thank you God, for opening this door!
In future posts, if I mention our relationship, don't worry, it won't be the sole topic of my posts. ^_^
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Finally, the first post in a long time...
To those of you who like reading my blog for its narrative element, sorry it's been offline the past 11 weeks, especially since that time period is basically the time that I've been working at my new job!
This is the door to my cubicle. I took the picture from the inside of the cubicle as I didn't really want to be seen taking pictures standing in the corridor. Besides, when this photo was taken, my nameplate which tells people whose cubicle this is had yet to arrive. It arrived four weeks after my first day of work. My namecards came around the same time, and I've been giving them out, though mostly to friends. Haha.
I've been blessed with good co-workers, as well as a good number of Christians in the office and overall organisation. My director's PA said she was glad that I had managed to make friends in the office (there seemed to be a concern that I might not fit in with my younger colleagues). I told her that I never saw that as a problem, that I have always managed to relate to younger people.
On Christmas eve, I was at work (it was half-day) when I went to the loo. When I came out, there were some people standing in the corridor, one of them with a guitar. It turned out that they were Christians and that they were going around the office carolling. I found myself drafted in, and with them I toured the 5 floors of the MPA, even making a stop at the office of the Chief Executive!
I'll be taking part in the Inter-Division Games, playing pool and futsal. I've been appointed as the pool captain for my team which consists of the Chief Executive's Office, Corporate Services, and the Policy Division. I've got to find two guys and a girl to join me in representing our team at next month's pool event.
Moving on to other topics, 2007 ended on a quiet note. I attended an evangelistic event organised by the church of one of my BSF co-DLs. The church is in the east. Am I being drawn eastwards I wonder. Gave my church's Christmas Eve and Watchnight services a miss. What was I doing when the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve? Well, I was on the sofa taking a nap! I had dozed off at 11pm, waking up at 1:30am!
7 days into 2008, I received an SMS from a friend with whom I had dinner with on 26th December. She asked if I would like to meet her colleague for lunch and a movie on 19th Jan (she had asked me, at that dinner, if she could introduce her friend as well as her colleague to me. I said I wouldn't mind, though I didn't really think she would. Ha.). Anyway, I accepted, and since it's the 19th of Jan today, I should probably say something what went on.
I had parked my car in Plaza Singapura and taken a lift down to the first floor. Walking out from the lift lobby near Carrefour, I looked down the corridor towards the main entrance. I could see my friend and her colleague standing near the entrance. I had been told by my friend that her colleague is tall, taller than me in fact, but from a distance, she looked taller than advertised! She is as pretty as advertised. Haha. Anyway, I went up to them and thankfully I didn't feel quite so short.
Her name's Huijun, and today was the first time we saw what each other looked like. We said hello and together with our mutual friend, we had lunch and watched a movie, before I gave Huijun a lift to her church.
I'm not really going to mention any more details, as I would like to leave this to God.
Thus ends this post, incidentally, it's the first post of 2008. So malu!
11 weeks, 3 paydays. How time really flies. At this point, I think I'm finally adjusted to my job, though I suppose being on course on Monday and Tuesday has probably given me a little more impetus to log in and blog!
What have I been doing in my 11 weeks at the MPA? Well, as a policy analyst just starting out, I've basically been writing briefs, attending meetings, taking meeting notes, and writing the odd paper. Also, I have been surfing the web and trying to keep from falling asleep (especially during the lull period in December when the office was so quiet). Hoho!
MSN Messenger is blocked by the IT Dept. That's one less distraction I guess. Anyway, I kind of like taking timeouts and walking up and down along the 'street' between the two rows of cubicles. In my office, the cubicles have doors and windows. Some days (not many, I might add) I am the first cubicle occupant along the 'street' to arrive. It's quite funny to see all the other doors closed, like I'm in a ghost town.
This is a view of my cubicle from the 'street'. See how big it is? The other chair is supposedly for 'guests'. These days, I've taken to using it as I don't quite like the armrests on the other chair, they make me sleepy. The partly obscured steel cupboard is where I keep classified documents, though I hardly have any such documents right now. Fast forward to today, nothing much has changed (in terms of the emptiness) as I quite like having a nice open table.
This is the door to my cubicle. I took the picture from the inside of the cubicle as I didn't really want to be seen taking pictures standing in the corridor. Besides, when this photo was taken, my nameplate which tells people whose cubicle this is had yet to arrive. It arrived four weeks after my first day of work. My namecards came around the same time, and I've been giving them out, though mostly to friends. Haha.I've been blessed with good co-workers, as well as a good number of Christians in the office and overall organisation. My director's PA said she was glad that I had managed to make friends in the office (there seemed to be a concern that I might not fit in with my younger colleagues). I told her that I never saw that as a problem, that I have always managed to relate to younger people.
On Christmas eve, I was at work (it was half-day) when I went to the loo. When I came out, there were some people standing in the corridor, one of them with a guitar. It turned out that they were Christians and that they were going around the office carolling. I found myself drafted in, and with them I toured the 5 floors of the MPA, even making a stop at the office of the Chief Executive!
I'll be taking part in the Inter-Division Games, playing pool and futsal. I've been appointed as the pool captain for my team which consists of the Chief Executive's Office, Corporate Services, and the Policy Division. I've got to find two guys and a girl to join me in representing our team at next month's pool event.
Moving on to other topics, 2007 ended on a quiet note. I attended an evangelistic event organised by the church of one of my BSF co-DLs. The church is in the east. Am I being drawn eastwards I wonder. Gave my church's Christmas Eve and Watchnight services a miss. What was I doing when the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve? Well, I was on the sofa taking a nap! I had dozed off at 11pm, waking up at 1:30am!
7 days into 2008, I received an SMS from a friend with whom I had dinner with on 26th December. She asked if I would like to meet her colleague for lunch and a movie on 19th Jan (she had asked me, at that dinner, if she could introduce her friend as well as her colleague to me. I said I wouldn't mind, though I didn't really think she would. Ha.). Anyway, I accepted, and since it's the 19th of Jan today, I should probably say something what went on.
I had parked my car in Plaza Singapura and taken a lift down to the first floor. Walking out from the lift lobby near Carrefour, I looked down the corridor towards the main entrance. I could see my friend and her colleague standing near the entrance. I had been told by my friend that her colleague is tall, taller than me in fact, but from a distance, she looked taller than advertised! She is as pretty as advertised. Haha. Anyway, I went up to them and thankfully I didn't feel quite so short.
Her name's Huijun, and today was the first time we saw what each other looked like. We said hello and together with our mutual friend, we had lunch and watched a movie, before I gave Huijun a lift to her church.
I'm not really going to mention any more details, as I would like to leave this to God.
Thus ends this post, incidentally, it's the first post of 2008. So malu!
Friday, November 02, 2007
The rest of the week...
With the news that I could start work, the week went quite well. On Tuesday evening, I went for remedial training. Once again, I gave maximum effort though I really wasn't sure if it would be enough to pass my IPPT two days later. Anyway, I tried not to have negative thoughts and committed my IPPT to God. The next day, I played pool again! This time it was celebratory pool and I found myself playing at an even higher level than how I played on Monday. I was making bankshots and my speed control was commendable. In the evening, I had cell group, where I shared with my cell group mates my good news. The Bible study lesson was very similar to Sunday's sermon theme. I was encouraged to stand firm against the desire to accumulate every worldly treasure.
Yesterday, I spent the day resting in preparation for my IPPT. When the time came, I went to Maju Camp and reported for the test. I chose to do sit-ups first and did 39 in a minute, good enough for 5 points (I needed at least 2 points in every station as well as a total of 14 points). Then it was on to my bete noire, chin-ups. My weakest station, it would make or break my test. Mounting the bar, I did 3, then struggled to do a fourth. I needed just one more, but I didn't feel that I could do it. Focusing on the task at hand, I willed myself to extend myself upwards. Suddenly, I heard the robotic voice of the automatic counter say "5". I was so elated as I dismounted, as this meant that I would have a high chance of finally passing my IPPT. With 7 points in hand, I got another 7 from the standing broad jump and shuttle run. All I had to do was to run 2.4 km in 12 minutes and 40 seconds or less. I was quite confident of doing so as I had consistently recorded times of less than 11 minutes and 30 seconds over the previous 3 weeks.
As I began my run though, I felt that my legs were feeling heavier than usual. I began regretting having run so hard two days earlier, but I managed to keep a constant pace. My time was 3 minutes and 25 seconds after 800m. This was a little too fast and I slowed down a bit so I would not run out of steam. At 1.6km, my time was 7 minutes and 17 seconds. I pushed on, sprinting for the last 150m. As I passed through the timing gantry, I saw that I had clocked 10 minutes and 56 seconds! I had of course passed my IPPT and I felt like the Red Sox and Packers all over again! Thank You God for helping me through two months of remedial training and for carrying me through to pass my IPPT!
Today, I was reminded that I would not make a good taxi driver. This is not because I don't know the roads, but because I can't imagine driving all day. I drove over 100km just to get the car's rear window fixed. I am so bushed right now.
These last two posts have been quite incoherent in my view. Regular service should resume once I start work and am not quite so giggly. Haha.
Yesterday, I spent the day resting in preparation for my IPPT. When the time came, I went to Maju Camp and reported for the test. I chose to do sit-ups first and did 39 in a minute, good enough for 5 points (I needed at least 2 points in every station as well as a total of 14 points). Then it was on to my bete noire, chin-ups. My weakest station, it would make or break my test. Mounting the bar, I did 3, then struggled to do a fourth. I needed just one more, but I didn't feel that I could do it. Focusing on the task at hand, I willed myself to extend myself upwards. Suddenly, I heard the robotic voice of the automatic counter say "5". I was so elated as I dismounted, as this meant that I would have a high chance of finally passing my IPPT. With 7 points in hand, I got another 7 from the standing broad jump and shuttle run. All I had to do was to run 2.4 km in 12 minutes and 40 seconds or less. I was quite confident of doing so as I had consistently recorded times of less than 11 minutes and 30 seconds over the previous 3 weeks.
As I began my run though, I felt that my legs were feeling heavier than usual. I began regretting having run so hard two days earlier, but I managed to keep a constant pace. My time was 3 minutes and 25 seconds after 800m. This was a little too fast and I slowed down a bit so I would not run out of steam. At 1.6km, my time was 7 minutes and 17 seconds. I pushed on, sprinting for the last 150m. As I passed through the timing gantry, I saw that I had clocked 10 minutes and 56 seconds! I had of course passed my IPPT and I felt like the Red Sox and Packers all over again! Thank You God for helping me through two months of remedial training and for carrying me through to pass my IPPT!
Today, I was reminded that I would not make a good taxi driver. This is not because I don't know the roads, but because I can't imagine driving all day. I drove over 100km just to get the car's rear window fixed. I am so bushed right now.
These last two posts have been quite incoherent in my view. Regular service should resume once I start work and am not quite so giggly. Haha.
A Test
Last Thursday (not yesterday) I got a call from the MPA saying my security clearance had hit a bump. "Not again" I thought. Anyway, the caller told me that I didn't have to turn up for work on Monday, but that I was not to worry, that they would call me later on to tell me when to come to work.
Could I not worry? Looking back, I see that it was a test of whether I could believe in Phil 4:6-7 like I have been saying I do. Anyhow, 1 Cor 10:13 was about to manifest itself in my life, as when I was tempted to be worried, God gave me a way out of the temptation: He made me busy! First, I had Nat's wedding to prepare for. That took most of Friday as I went to Nat's church in the afternoon to help him shift tables and chairs. After that I spent some time talking and praying with Nat before going to pick my mum up from work. Had dinner with mum, then it was back to Nat's church for the wedding rehearsal. That went quite well. I was getting quite excited about being Nat's best man. The next day, I put on the suit I had bought for the wedding and went to Nat's church. I had to be there early to prepare the rings and to pray with the bride and groom. Once that was done, it was time for the wedding. It went quite smoothly, though I had clean forgotten the specifics of what I was supposed to do. Thank God I didn't make any mistakes. Saw Serene at the wedding, she was surprised to see me there and that I was the best man. I must have forgotten to mention it to her. Anyway there was no lingering awkwardness and in my suit I felt quite secure and confident anyway. Oh well.
On Sunday, the sermon was given by Rev Dr Tom Harvey. He usually speaks on Presbyterianism when he comes to my church, so it was nice to talk about the purpose of knowing Christian doctrine. That purpose is for us to build ourselves up against the idols of our age. Strangely enough, this message was repeated during my cell group's Bible study on Hosea. I was struck by how materialism threatens even me. The message was really timely. Anyway, after service, I got a call from mum saying the car had been bumped. I had to go home and see what had happened. At home, we looked up the authorised workshops under our car insurance plan and found one willing to look at our damage even though it was Sunday. So it was that the rest of the morning was taken up by a trip to the workshop. After that, I went for remedial training where I had a really good workout. Then it was on to the Thai Service where I actually stayed for the service. I was tired by the end of the day.
On Monday morning, I thought I would watch some TV to take my mind off the security check. There was no American football game to watch so I channel-surfed. I ended up watching the last two and a half innings of baseball's World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies. Thus I saw the winning pitch and the celebrations of the Red Sox as they won the game and the series. The exhilaration on the faces of the players and fans was really something to behold, and I couldn't help being moved. After that, I sent the car to the workshop before going to play some pool. I was a little rusty but I made some good shots and I was quite satisfied with my level of play.
The next day, I didn't feel at all anxious. I watched the American football game between the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. The Packers' quarterback, Brett Favre, threw two long touchdown passes, including the game winning score on the first play of overtime. Once again I was privy to raucous celebrations, this time by the Packers.
As I was watching the replays of the winning score, my phone rang. It was the MPA. From the tone of voice of the caller, I prepared myself for bad news. But the news was good! I had cleared the security check and could start whenever I liked. I chose to start on the coming Monday. I felt as happy as the Red Sox and Packers and deep down inside, I was thankful for God's help in helping me to pass His test.
Could I not worry? Looking back, I see that it was a test of whether I could believe in Phil 4:6-7 like I have been saying I do. Anyhow, 1 Cor 10:13 was about to manifest itself in my life, as when I was tempted to be worried, God gave me a way out of the temptation: He made me busy! First, I had Nat's wedding to prepare for. That took most of Friday as I went to Nat's church in the afternoon to help him shift tables and chairs. After that I spent some time talking and praying with Nat before going to pick my mum up from work. Had dinner with mum, then it was back to Nat's church for the wedding rehearsal. That went quite well. I was getting quite excited about being Nat's best man. The next day, I put on the suit I had bought for the wedding and went to Nat's church. I had to be there early to prepare the rings and to pray with the bride and groom. Once that was done, it was time for the wedding. It went quite smoothly, though I had clean forgotten the specifics of what I was supposed to do. Thank God I didn't make any mistakes. Saw Serene at the wedding, she was surprised to see me there and that I was the best man. I must have forgotten to mention it to her. Anyway there was no lingering awkwardness and in my suit I felt quite secure and confident anyway. Oh well.
On Sunday, the sermon was given by Rev Dr Tom Harvey. He usually speaks on Presbyterianism when he comes to my church, so it was nice to talk about the purpose of knowing Christian doctrine. That purpose is for us to build ourselves up against the idols of our age. Strangely enough, this message was repeated during my cell group's Bible study on Hosea. I was struck by how materialism threatens even me. The message was really timely. Anyway, after service, I got a call from mum saying the car had been bumped. I had to go home and see what had happened. At home, we looked up the authorised workshops under our car insurance plan and found one willing to look at our damage even though it was Sunday. So it was that the rest of the morning was taken up by a trip to the workshop. After that, I went for remedial training where I had a really good workout. Then it was on to the Thai Service where I actually stayed for the service. I was tired by the end of the day.
On Monday morning, I thought I would watch some TV to take my mind off the security check. There was no American football game to watch so I channel-surfed. I ended up watching the last two and a half innings of baseball's World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies. Thus I saw the winning pitch and the celebrations of the Red Sox as they won the game and the series. The exhilaration on the faces of the players and fans was really something to behold, and I couldn't help being moved. After that, I sent the car to the workshop before going to play some pool. I was a little rusty but I made some good shots and I was quite satisfied with my level of play.
The next day, I didn't feel at all anxious. I watched the American football game between the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. The Packers' quarterback, Brett Favre, threw two long touchdown passes, including the game winning score on the first play of overtime. Once again I was privy to raucous celebrations, this time by the Packers.
As I was watching the replays of the winning score, my phone rang. It was the MPA. From the tone of voice of the caller, I prepared myself for bad news. But the news was good! I had cleared the security check and could start whenever I liked. I chose to start on the coming Monday. I felt as happy as the Red Sox and Packers and deep down inside, I was thankful for God's help in helping me to pass His test.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
An Update At Last...
You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.
There was an ad with that song in it, though I forget what it was. But that's not important. I guess it's just a song which aptly describes my state of affairs right now. I don't suppose I have to say what it was that I wanted that I didn't get, since you might already know. I'll just talk about what it was that I needed that I got, which is a job!
Come Monday, I will be a policy analyst with the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA). Whether I will still be one come the end of the week or after a month depends on the result of my security clearance. Please pray that the clearance will go well so that I will be able to make this job my first proper attempt at a career. Of course, given how I got the job, I must say that I trust in the LORD to do what is best for me. I mean, I had never heard of the MPA before till a friend from church called me up 3 Fridays ago. She told me that a friend of her's is a manager with the MPA and that this friend was looking for people who would be interested in a writing job with the odd opportunity to travel. My friend said that if I was interested, she would pass me her friend's business card on Sunday (3 Sundays ago).
So it was that I got her friend's card. I wasn't quite sure if I was going to give her friend a call, but on Tuesday (2 Tuesdays ago), I decided to just call her friend and see how things went. I spoke to her friend on the phone and emailed my resume to her. She emailed back to set up an interview, which would be on Thursday (2 Thursdays ago). Come the day of the interview, I went to the 19th floor of PSA Building where the interview was to be conducted. I was feeling a little nervous, but I prayed for peace as I waited at the reception area. After a while, my friend's friend came to meet me along with one other manager. They brought me to the interview room where they began the interview. I thought it went alright, and they seemed to like me as they decided to ask their director if he would interview me. So it was that I had two rounds of interviews in two hours or so. I had more confidence when I was speaking with the director, and I left the MPA office with a good feeling. Anyway I was not worried about whether or not I would be offered the job.
The next day, I went back to the MPA to see the HR manager. She said that she would have seen me the day before if she had known I was coming. Anyway she told me that if I was successful, I would know pretty soon. And it was pretty soon. Four days after that (last Tuesday), I got a call from the MPA telling me they were offering me the job. I accepted the job, and went to the MPA to be briefed on the terms of the contract. Last Wednesday, I went for the medical checkup after which I waited to be invited to sign the appointment letter. I did that today, though again I must stress the provisional nature of the letter. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to Monday, though I wonder what it will be like to work on the 19th floor.
I'm pretty amazed at how quickly things fell into place. 19 days from my first hearing of the MPA to signing the appointment letter. Of course, it's only because God is in control of all things. This is a lesson which has been impressed upon me so many times thanks to BSF. BSF has ended for the year of course, a pity since it was another reason for me to look forward to Monday. Come the new year, the Young Adult Class at Moulmein will be an established class, with the possibility of new leaders coming into the leaders' group. There will come a day when the leaders' group will exceed twenty or even thirty or even fifty people. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to that but of course if it means the class gets bigger, I am happy for it to happen. Naturally, I will miss the intimacy which our leaders' group has enjoyed through the pilot class. The group has been just the right size at the right time, and I am glad to have had the chance to get to know everyone. Here's a picture of our leaders' group taken on the last class night.
Time will fly till we all meet again. That day can't come too soon! Hopefully by then I will have worked for nearly four months and will be ready to add the leaders' meeting and class night to my schedule again.
There was an ad with that song in it, though I forget what it was. But that's not important. I guess it's just a song which aptly describes my state of affairs right now. I don't suppose I have to say what it was that I wanted that I didn't get, since you might already know. I'll just talk about what it was that I needed that I got, which is a job!
Come Monday, I will be a policy analyst with the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA). Whether I will still be one come the end of the week or after a month depends on the result of my security clearance. Please pray that the clearance will go well so that I will be able to make this job my first proper attempt at a career. Of course, given how I got the job, I must say that I trust in the LORD to do what is best for me. I mean, I had never heard of the MPA before till a friend from church called me up 3 Fridays ago. She told me that a friend of her's is a manager with the MPA and that this friend was looking for people who would be interested in a writing job with the odd opportunity to travel. My friend said that if I was interested, she would pass me her friend's business card on Sunday (3 Sundays ago).
So it was that I got her friend's card. I wasn't quite sure if I was going to give her friend a call, but on Tuesday (2 Tuesdays ago), I decided to just call her friend and see how things went. I spoke to her friend on the phone and emailed my resume to her. She emailed back to set up an interview, which would be on Thursday (2 Thursdays ago). Come the day of the interview, I went to the 19th floor of PSA Building where the interview was to be conducted. I was feeling a little nervous, but I prayed for peace as I waited at the reception area. After a while, my friend's friend came to meet me along with one other manager. They brought me to the interview room where they began the interview. I thought it went alright, and they seemed to like me as they decided to ask their director if he would interview me. So it was that I had two rounds of interviews in two hours or so. I had more confidence when I was speaking with the director, and I left the MPA office with a good feeling. Anyway I was not worried about whether or not I would be offered the job.
The next day, I went back to the MPA to see the HR manager. She said that she would have seen me the day before if she had known I was coming. Anyway she told me that if I was successful, I would know pretty soon. And it was pretty soon. Four days after that (last Tuesday), I got a call from the MPA telling me they were offering me the job. I accepted the job, and went to the MPA to be briefed on the terms of the contract. Last Wednesday, I went for the medical checkup after which I waited to be invited to sign the appointment letter. I did that today, though again I must stress the provisional nature of the letter. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to Monday, though I wonder what it will be like to work on the 19th floor.
I'm pretty amazed at how quickly things fell into place. 19 days from my first hearing of the MPA to signing the appointment letter. Of course, it's only because God is in control of all things. This is a lesson which has been impressed upon me so many times thanks to BSF. BSF has ended for the year of course, a pity since it was another reason for me to look forward to Monday. Come the new year, the Young Adult Class at Moulmein will be an established class, with the possibility of new leaders coming into the leaders' group. There will come a day when the leaders' group will exceed twenty or even thirty or even fifty people. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to that but of course if it means the class gets bigger, I am happy for it to happen. Naturally, I will miss the intimacy which our leaders' group has enjoyed through the pilot class. The group has been just the right size at the right time, and I am glad to have had the chance to get to know everyone. Here's a picture of our leaders' group taken on the last class night.
Time will fly till we all meet again. That day can't come too soon! Hopefully by then I will have worked for nearly four months and will be ready to add the leaders' meeting and class night to my schedule again.