Sitting on my Toilet

Thoughts, inspirations, revelations and ideas

March 27, 2009 • 11:54 pm 1

God’s will

When do you collect your losses and move on from the pit? Or holding onto the faith and hope that one day it’ll be ok? God promised He will take care of us, but that doesn’t mean He will show you the map.

Three top reasons I think someone asks “What is God’s will for me?”

1. Earnestly seeking

2. I want to know His will so that I can choose if I want to opt in

3. I want to be sure that I am in His will and things are in order so that I don’t have to trust Him in every step of the way

I think both #2, and #3 are the very reason lot of us don’t feel His guidance because we are seeking with the wrong motives.  God’s plan for our life isn’t just a future point but with lots of points that are seemingly unrelated to us but would only make sense once we look back.  He wants us to completely surrender and trust Him that He will take care of us and He will be us.  Through the mountain top or the valley.  It’s not a point in life we try to reach and then all will be fine, and that God won’t have any more for you after.  It’s a constant journey, point after point.  Some of God’s wills are very clear – written in the bible.  Do we follow them?

Now if it was #1, well does it matter? If you already surrendered and want nothing but His will.  Then trust that and be in peace that wherever you are, He is will you and He is in control.  you are exactly where He wants you to be.  Enjoy in the peace of knowing that you are a child of God.

I am not much of holding onto hope for hope’s sake.  I tend to think that the best hoping can get you is hope.  But faith always goes hand in hand with deeds.  But a lot of people perhaps have stronger faith than I do, who can just pray and trust that it’ll happen.  Perhaps I am type A and feel the need to be in the game, rather than take myself out of the game.

In any case, now than ever, the need for Jesus is lot stronger now in people’s heart.  People are realizing that we cannot put our trust in how much money we have in our bank account nor the stock market.  It’s not about we have X months of burn rate so we are ok for a while.  It’s more about living on the edge and not knowing what will happen tomorrow but still be completely in peace and in joy.

What’s preventing you to take that plunge and truly experience life abundantly?

Filed under: Christianity, Life

March 26, 2009 • 10:18 am 0

Running on an empty tank

Even though I know it’s not good for the car to drive on a gas tank less than half full, it causes condensations and also crap on the bottom of the tank gets into the engine.  But I find myself trying to get the most out of one tank before refueling.  Feels like I am getting out more for what I paid for, but only to realize my next tank bill will be higher by that much.  Hmm.

How about our tank in life?

How often do we keep on going at life with an near empty tank or sometimes completely empty? Last night I found renewed encouragement from the most unexpected source.  Reconnected with a friend from high school and was just catching up.  10 years and we are both doing things that we said one day we’d do.  It wasn’t about making it big, or become famous but it was all about doing what we enjoyed doing.  In addition to that, my friend told me that it wasn’t a surprise to them where I am.   They always knew I had what it took to get goals on my mind realized.  The confidence, the drive and the persistence.   Just few minutes of conversing, I felt that renewed energy again.  A feeling I’ve begin to grow estrange to.

Though looking back, I realized a pattern of these ‘mentors’ along the way to guide me and get me to the next level.

It was just refreshing.

When you don’t have a longtail of friends who span multiple stages of your life, it’s hard to build that sort of impact and be able to tell them about it years later.

Filed under: Life, Rambling

March 25, 2009 • 10:48 am 0

Confusion between Confidence and Cockiness

I was reading Proverbs 16 this morning:

1 To man belong the plans of the heart,
but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.

2 All a man’s ways seem innocent to him,
but motives are weighed by the LORD.

3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.

4 The LORD works out everything for his own ends—
even the wicked for a day of disaster.

5 The LORD detests all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

Time after time the bible teaches us that in the valley of humility is where God reveals to us His fullness and His glory.  Either we choose to be humble or God takes us there.  In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

So then what is meekness or humbleness? I’ve heard lot of people describe someone as overly confident as cocky or proud.  So is being proud one spectrum and the humble being on the other end?  That doesn’t seem right.  We are told to be confident and bold in who we are because who we were created by, and who is with us and ultimately, whose we belong.  At the same time we were told to be humble.

Almost seems like those are two seperate things.  Opposite to Confidence is Low self-esteem.  Opposite to Humility is Proud.

Meekness is not about think less of yourself, but think yourself less.

Too many times I’ve seen people putting themselves down as if it makes them humble or something.  Especially asians, you give them a compliment of a job well done, and they’ll say “ahh nah nah, it was nothing. I really didn’t do much”.  Is that really humble or pride in disguise? Then what is the proper answer? How about – “thank you” ?

Confidence is something that we have and we don’t have to prove to anyone.  It’s where and what we are rooted/grounded with.  Pride is often associated with showing to prove one’s ability and often an ability they don’t have.  Truly confident people don’t have to show.  Just like the wise don’t have to prove they are wise.

To see God’s full plan and walk in His favor is to walk in humility but still be confident and bold in everything we do because we can do everything through Him.

How often have you put yourself down trying to be humble while finding yourself low in self-esteem?

Filed under: Christianity, Life , , , ,

March 17, 2009 • 9:33 am 0

Do you know what you don’t know?

I am very facinated with the topic of how we think, and what we think.  There is a large amount of people don’t know what they don’t know, and in fact it affects the person’s whole life.  People say that ‘what you don’t know won’t hurt you’, well it’s quite the contrary.

Romans 12: 1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, please and perfect will”

Paul mentioned to renew our mind, our thoughts, our thinking to transform our lives*.  What people don’t know is that most of the time, their mind is on auto pilot, auto respond to what people say or to what situation arises.  Every little things we encountered growing up have shaped up the way we think, good or bad.

Where do we start?

1. Stop thinking negatively about yourself

If our thoughts ultimately drives our lives, then negative thinking will reap negative outcomes.  If you think badly about yourself, you will think that other people view you the same way.  “I am not good enough”, “I am not loveable”, “I am not smart enough”…get the pattern? Remind yourself what God said about you.

2. Don’t listen to the negativity of other people

Hurt people hurt people.  Because of #1, people project themselves onto others.  Lots of people out there are nay sayers.  Not because they are deliberately doing so, but because they don’t know that they are doing that!  I am not discounting that other people’s opinions don’t matter.  Rather, you need to be careful of who you select to be your council and ultimately surround yourself with like minded people who can build you up.

3. Leave the past at where it belongs

Past is in the past.  No point of dragging all the baggages around.  If it helps, communicate it out and bring clarity.  If it was something someone said to you, perhaps ask them, if that’s really what they meant.  Most of the time, that person won’t even remember or didn’t even mean what they said.  Yet, you’ve carried that around for years.  Even if it was something hurtful someone did or said, let it go.  Keep moving forward.

In the begining, it won’t be easy.  Acknowledge your thoughts and don’t go on auto pilot.  Examine your thoughts as they come up and see how you should respond to them.  We can’t control the thoughts that comes up, but we can choose what to do with them.  It’s like riding a bike, after a way you’ve trained your thought to think less negatively etc.

*(Yes to those who wants to make sure God is part of this, let me say this.  Motivation comes from God and transformation is done through God and renewing our thoughts to view/think in light of who we are in God)

Filed under: Life

connect, follow, subscribe

bio

about me
life goals

twitter buzz

  • Humility is to think urself less. Not think less of urself. God gives back to us w/ His right hand what He has taken away w/ His left. 5 hours ago
  • I desire some helpers.... 1 day ago
  • Looking to fill positions. Appreciate the RT. http://bit.ly/abq7YX 2 days ago
  • Back from the ocean. Downloaded lots of truths. Now how will things turn out? Expecting some divine help! 3 days ago
  • Unplugging. Good-bye. It is better for the world. #fb 5 days ago

my resources shelf

resources