That's me gone eighteen days without eating out now. Not bought any food whilst being outside, not even a sandwich. Anything I eat comes from the house, homemade sandwiches or pasta etc. Wanna see how long I can keep this up for. Eating out would mean exposure to excessive oil, salt, sugars and msg etc. Stuff that are not good for the body. I'm not avoiding for allergies or anything but just overall health. As I said before I want to be 'living clean and pure'. Avoiding eating out will help towards my bodyfat loss in a healthy way. Not some crazy-ass fad diet where I starve myself (cannae afford that if I wanna keep my mass and size!). So whilst I keep my weights training up and do cardio, I want to make sure I don't spoil my efforts with grease. Lol! Someone congratulated me for being able to avoid eating out for so long. Haha! Last Sunday I had to decline an invite to Wudon after the church meeting and I went home for dinner instead. Throughout the day I was tempted with strawberry and coconut cake things, homemade brownies and chocolates. All of which I just looked away from. Lol! It's not that difficult actually. I would invite people to this wee challenge and see how they get on. =)
EM Retreat
I wonder how I'm gonna survive the weekend retreat with the EM. Haha! Need to eat every two-three hours and hopefully something rich in protein. Definitely not snacking like chocolates and biscuits etc. Might just bring cream crackers. Haha! Definitely need to remember my protein shakes. Maybe one for each morning. I'm quite looking forward to the retreat. Have not done much at all so far as this year we've been blessed by a willing Core Team made up for TC, HY, CL and CM. First time such a small team is doing such a big job. God bless them. Will keep them in prayer =) Looking forward to meeting Dick Dowsett and hearing him speak to Word of God to us again. I hear he will be leading a workshop on Boy-Girl Relationships. I have signed up for it mentally already. Lol! I want a more mature approach to BGR this time round. I can't remember much from previous attendance of BGR workshops, apart from it starting with the book of Proverbs and keywords such as bosoms and stuff. Haha!
It ain't easy
Living clean and pure ain't easy. It's weird isn't it. Just when you decide to abstain from something then it seems that that particular thing shows up, more times than normal. Does anybody else get that? Just like if someone says they have decided to quit smoking, they might feel more and more people are smoking. And the smell of the smoke tempts them. Or they might quit alcohol but then get invited to the pub by their friends sort of thing. Just this morning I was driving off to my first lesson and on the one street there were two temptations!! I mean, I want to live pure and keep my eyes to myself and focus on God. I scan the surroundings a lot whilst driving (probably more than the average Joe) and glanced at girl with a skirt on walking up the street to my right. 'Ok, don't look', I thought to myself, 'Just drive on'. My head was having a mini battle: 'I shouldn't look. Just focus on God and don't sin.' / 'Just one look won't hurt. Go on!' / 'No! I should flee from temptation.' And before I knew it the opportunity had passed for me to look and I drove on relieved. Just two blocks away my scanning of the road picks up a figure moving. Turns out to be woman running with dark grey running leggings on. This time she's on the left. Here we went again: 'Don't look! Focus on the road.' / 'Go on! Just a quick look!' / 'No! I must make effort for Jesus. I can do it!' / 'Then how about look at the mirror after you pass her?' / 'No! I don't want to waste this effort that I've made for Jesus so far.' And before I knew it the opportunity passed for me to look at her or the mirror. Phew! I was on my way to my first lesson with a clean heart and pure eyes. I thank God for giving me strength =)
If the shoe don't fit...
If the shoe don't fit... then what? I've been thinking about this for the past couple of hours. Impulse buying is wrong. Might feel fun at that moment but later when you calm down and think about it, or even try the purchase on, you might find it just ain't right. Just doesn't fit properly. Just doesn't look right. Just doesn't feel right. What do you do? Certainly cannot force it on yourself. It's not who you are.
18 January 2011
09 January 2011
God the Helper
Didn't share anything at the thanksgiving part of EM service, but definitely have something to be thankful for now!
This afternoon it was my turn to transport the PA equipment from Church Centre to Findlay Church. On the way there Jenni helped carry the keyboard stand and David helped me carry my guitar. They went in Jenni's car. In my car I put the big Roland keyboard on the back seat (can only fit diagonally) and two guitar amps in the rear footwell. The front seat was occupied by the projector and laptop. My boot space was already taken up by my usual box of stuff, my shoulder bag and my gym bag as I was planning to go to the gym with James after service. The roads were extremely icy this morning after yesterday's snowfall, so extra care had to be taken when carrying the equipment to and from the car.
After the service ended the PA was all tidied up and it was time to bring everything back to Church Centre again. So I filled up the car as follows: front seat my guitar and my shoulder bag, back seat keyboard and keyboard stand, footwell one guitar amp, boot space I put the laptop and projector which I managed to squeeze in after reshuffling stuff around. So off I drove to Church Centre. James was meant to meet me at Church Centre who was to follow me to Greens after it was all done.
I parked at Church Centre and decided to take the keyboard and the keyboard stand up first because it needed to go to the second floor of the flat. The Roland keyboard must weigh around 30-40kg and it zipped in a big bag and these straps as handles. These handles cut into your shoulders when you carry it up but it's the only way cos carrying it by hand would be too heavy. It is heavy and it is expensive so care is always taken when moving it, especially when walking over the snow and ice. So off I went and climbed the two flights of stairs up to the second floor. Whilst ascending up I was thinking of what I carry up next - the guitar amp belonged to the second floor and the laptop and projector belonged to the first floor (but not only that, the laptop and projector is kept in a locked cupboard where the key is kept in separate room). Once I got into the second floor I put down the keyboard and stand in the worship room. Chris McAdam was there with a few others and he asked if I had other stuff to bring up and if I needed help. I accepted Chris's kind offer and we walked down to my car. I thought I could ask Chris to bring the guitar amp up to the second floor as that would safe me a trip and I'll just handle the first floor cupboard.
Just as we reached the bottom of the stairs James came in to the close carrying the laptop and projector!! I didn't lock my car because it was such a short trip up the stairs and I couldn't get my key to lock it after having the keyboard on my shoulder. Turns out James arrived after me, parked behind my car and actually opened my boot to get the laptop and projector boxes! That was amazing!! I was so happy when I saw that, because it also meant I could give Chris the guitar amp to bring upstairs and the job's done!
I am thankful to God for providing people to help me today. Usually the PA duties are carried out in pairs but due to circumstances I transport and move stuff myself. When I feel it is tough I remind myself it is for God and that it is an honour so I should not complain or be negative. I don't like to ask for help or trouble people. Just head down and carry on. Although I did not ask God for help, He still blessed me with Chris and James who helped out and I am grateful for it. It was such a nice surprise, especially on the part of James. All things worked out according to God's plan: car was not locked, James arriving and checking my boot and Chris being on the second floor.
Thank you God! =)
This afternoon it was my turn to transport the PA equipment from Church Centre to Findlay Church. On the way there Jenni helped carry the keyboard stand and David helped me carry my guitar. They went in Jenni's car. In my car I put the big Roland keyboard on the back seat (can only fit diagonally) and two guitar amps in the rear footwell. The front seat was occupied by the projector and laptop. My boot space was already taken up by my usual box of stuff, my shoulder bag and my gym bag as I was planning to go to the gym with James after service. The roads were extremely icy this morning after yesterday's snowfall, so extra care had to be taken when carrying the equipment to and from the car.
After the service ended the PA was all tidied up and it was time to bring everything back to Church Centre again. So I filled up the car as follows: front seat my guitar and my shoulder bag, back seat keyboard and keyboard stand, footwell one guitar amp, boot space I put the laptop and projector which I managed to squeeze in after reshuffling stuff around. So off I drove to Church Centre. James was meant to meet me at Church Centre who was to follow me to Greens after it was all done.
I parked at Church Centre and decided to take the keyboard and the keyboard stand up first because it needed to go to the second floor of the flat. The Roland keyboard must weigh around 30-40kg and it zipped in a big bag and these straps as handles. These handles cut into your shoulders when you carry it up but it's the only way cos carrying it by hand would be too heavy. It is heavy and it is expensive so care is always taken when moving it, especially when walking over the snow and ice. So off I went and climbed the two flights of stairs up to the second floor. Whilst ascending up I was thinking of what I carry up next - the guitar amp belonged to the second floor and the laptop and projector belonged to the first floor (but not only that, the laptop and projector is kept in a locked cupboard where the key is kept in separate room). Once I got into the second floor I put down the keyboard and stand in the worship room. Chris McAdam was there with a few others and he asked if I had other stuff to bring up and if I needed help. I accepted Chris's kind offer and we walked down to my car. I thought I could ask Chris to bring the guitar amp up to the second floor as that would safe me a trip and I'll just handle the first floor cupboard.
Just as we reached the bottom of the stairs James came in to the close carrying the laptop and projector!! I didn't lock my car because it was such a short trip up the stairs and I couldn't get my key to lock it after having the keyboard on my shoulder. Turns out James arrived after me, parked behind my car and actually opened my boot to get the laptop and projector boxes! That was amazing!! I was so happy when I saw that, because it also meant I could give Chris the guitar amp to bring upstairs and the job's done!
I am thankful to God for providing people to help me today. Usually the PA duties are carried out in pairs but due to circumstances I transport and move stuff myself. When I feel it is tough I remind myself it is for God and that it is an honour so I should not complain or be negative. I don't like to ask for help or trouble people. Just head down and carry on. Although I did not ask God for help, He still blessed me with Chris and James who helped out and I am grateful for it. It was such a nice surprise, especially on the part of James. All things worked out according to God's plan: car was not locked, James arriving and checking my boot and Chris being on the second floor.
Thank you God! =)
04 January 2011
Bust but blessed
Today was meant to be a busy day with five driving lessons between 11am and 9pm, but I ended up only having four because my 4pm pupil forgot her lesson was today and was in the other side of Glasgow. If only I knew then I would have went home between lesson two and lesson four as that would have provided a big gap between 3pm-6pm. So I ended up driving to Maryhill Tesco and parked there to update my diary and make rearrangements. Fortunately I will be paid for the last minute cancellation, but that's not the point, is it? =P I will share about something that happened during that break in Maryhill carpark soon.
Weight
I had a look through my phone on New Year's Day and saw a post-it note file which I have on my front screen. It charts my weight which dates back to 30th December 2009. Apparently then I was a healthy 193.6lbs / 88.0kgs. I thought I was pretty big then, but 1st January 2010 I dropped down to 192.4lbs / 87.1kgs. Not sure of the reason for the wee drop, could be water content or whatever. Usually I weigh myself first thing in th morning after morning emptying of bowels. Haha! Don't want any interference from overnight dinner or anything else =P I continued noting down my weight and found a gradual increase through the year in particular from May onwards when I started my personal training with Ally at Greens Gym. My highest recorded weight was on 1st December last month when my weight was 216.8lbs / 98.3kgs. I'm weird, I used to hate being heavy but nowadays I like being heavy because to me it means I am training properly and my weight is more related to increase in muscles than increase in fat which was why I was around 16 stones back in 2003 (roughly 224lbs!). I started a major weight loss program which entailed burning much more calories then I took in and cut food down tremendously. Dangerous approach to dieting but it helped me lose almost three stones over six months. At the "end" of it I was very thin and looked unwell to some people. Some commented that I should not lose anymore weight otherwise I'd just disappear. Lol! The funny thing was, I felt quite happy having reached the goal of losing all that flab and to be able to keep it off. I found myself having more options when I went clothes shopping and even joined the masses in picking up medium-sized clothes and actually found then fit me!! How cool was that! A downgrade from XL-sizes!
However through time I started to realise I dieted in an unhealthy way and I should make sure my body receives the necessary nutrients and stuff. There were signs my body saw which showed me it wasn't doing so well. Signs like, in the past I used to feel warm and get heated up very easily. My cheeks would glow and I would break out in a sweat very easily. Sometimes it's due to embarrassment but other times cos of small movements etc. But my body would be quite cold and I didn't sweat as much. Ok, fine, sweating much is not a desirable trait, but the coldness was not good. It meant my core was not as "well" as before. I guess I wasn't feeding it as much as I used to. I wasn't putting in the right coal into the fire sort of thing. There were also times I'd get "the shakes" when my body was low on sugar and my hands would get a bit shaky but I chose to ignore those signs and just ate the same small amount of food just enough to survive in.
Nowadays I really enjoy my food. I can eat anything and most things will get burnt away by my higher metabolism. The secret to this: exercise. I have become a fitness fanatic and I love it. I really do. I find my passion is in health and fitness and I always look for ways to improve myself. Sometimes I think if I weren't a driving instructor I would like to be a fitness instructor. I know I am not a great model for being a fitness instructor, but I know if I put as much time into training as I did for becoming a driving instructor I'd definitely get there. I am quite glad that I have achieved my personal goals of wanting to bulk up from my skinny days. I now look to increase my weight rather than lose it, provided I see muscle rather than fat at the mirror. My body has never been in better shape but that takes hard work and does not happen overnight. I still have lots more to do but seeing results thus far really pushes me to try harder. I have lost a training buddy Nick who has left for Singapore to work. We used to do 300 Workout together at Greens gym. We used to spot each other and share tips as well as spur each other on. Now I need to find somebody else who'd train to the same level. Any takers? =)
Money
Earlier this evening a friend said they read my previous post and asked if business was bad this week. I told him business had been pretty crap since the first heavy snow fall back in 28th November. Since then I've had numerous cancellations, some on my part, some from the pupils themselves. I've suffered seven driving test cancellations by the DSA, one of which happened right on the doorstep of the DSA test centre! Some pupils who had their test cancelled had them rescheduled to mid-Feb so decided to take a break from lessons until after the New Year, so I am in the midst of getting in touch with them now and trying to get them back on track so their skills don't drop and also my income of course. Being self-employed has its perks but also has it's ugly side. You are pretty much at the mercy of the weather. This year's "winter weather" came far too early. It's usually due to arrive in January / February time, not end of November!! Ah well, I guess I have to just buckle up, tighten my belt, tighten my fists and ride the storm as they say. Let's just hope it won't be a snowstorm.
Last night I was updating my finances and actually realised how badly affected my numbers were in the month of December. Times like these I really detest being part of a franchise of a national driving school. Actually, any franchise would be bad cos that is basically paying rent. However, being part of this big driving school means they do not have any compassion to let instructors away with paying the franchise during this bad weather. True they have two weeks of no paying franchise each year by default, but what about the other weeks when instructors cannot earn? What about a discount or have it waived off? No, they offer a discounted franchise only to be claimed back from you in upcoming months. What's the point? I know an amazing instructor who also holds a franchise business with seventeen cars working around Scotland. Last year's cold snap he waived the franchise fee from his franchisees for two weeks. How amazing is that! He's not such a big national school, but he has a big heart! That's what matters in times like these. =) My contract ran out with this national school and I am not looking to continue it. Truth be told I am not seeing any benefits of being part of this school. The car is nice but I know I can hire another one much cheaper elsewhere cos the logo's do not win me business, it is word of mouth. So I am in the process of considering either leasing a car elsewhere or buying car outright and be completely free from paying anybody anything when I cannot work. Decision should be made by springtime. Time to pray and research =)
My initial holiday plans to Singapore for a church brother's wedding in December looks as cold as ice for now (pardon the pun!). My figures do not look as handsome as they once were, and with franchise to pay, personal bills to pay, I don't think I'll see any significant growth until springtime when the flowers start growing as well. But what can I do? I know if I were to book for December I really should start looking around mid-end January right? That's when I hear there will be January sale discounts and stuff. And of course with trips, the earlier the booking the cheaper in general. Hmm...
Vodafone
So back to my item of sharing from above. God knows what's on our hearts, he really does. Cos although I am not happy with my finance at the moment, He provided me with some help. I was sitting in the car sorting out my diary etc when my phone lit up whilst on silent and the call was from 08080600832. From previous experience I somehow knew it was a call centre call but wasn't too sure which one it was. So I picked up the call and held phone to my ear without saying anything. Was thinking if this were a cold calling agent I'd waste their time as much as they'd waste mine, cos I've had a fair share of these calls before. Sometimes a missed call which you call back and get cut off or they give you funny answering machine service. Anyway, I held on silently for five seconds before an agent introduced himself and said he was calling from Vodafone to discuss with me about my current contract as I am due an upgrade soon. I totally forgot my 18 month contract was due to end soon. So I listened to what he had to say and he asked me if I were happy with my current handset (HTC Magic) and I told him I was very pleased with it as it was my first time using Android and it is so good to use, everything so convient with Google etc. He then told me he could offer me my current tariff (600 Anytime minutes, Unlimited texts, Unlimited mobile internet and Stop the Clock) for half the price on a 12 month contract, if I were to keep the phone. The first nine months would be £17.50 a month and the last three would be back to £35 a month because my contract was not due to finish until mid-Feb. That sounded amazing! However, I was also quite interested to know if I could get a new handset, another HTC phone. He searched on the system for me and said the latest HTC handset is HTC Desire HD and if I were to get that on an 18 month or 24 month contract I could get the phone for free, but the tariff is back to £35 a month. I thought about it for a short moment.
I could hear my heart telling me to go for a new flashy shiny gadget. I could hear my head telling me to save money as my HTC Magic is working perfectly fine! I could hear the background noise of the Vodafone office in Manchester. In the end I opted to go for the 12 month half price line rental and it takes effect as of midnight tonight according to Oz on the phone. So I thank God that my February bill will now be £17.50 and I get the full benefits of my normal tariff without costing me anything. My phone's working fine, minus a few nicks from accidental drops but everything is hunky-dorey. One year will pass by really quickly and I will have saved £192.50 through the year. Once I hung up I thanked God for this blessing. I am very glad I chose to receive this blessing rather than go for a new gadget. =)
Weight
I had a look through my phone on New Year's Day and saw a post-it note file which I have on my front screen. It charts my weight which dates back to 30th December 2009. Apparently then I was a healthy 193.6lbs / 88.0kgs. I thought I was pretty big then, but 1st January 2010 I dropped down to 192.4lbs / 87.1kgs. Not sure of the reason for the wee drop, could be water content or whatever. Usually I weigh myself first thing in th morning after morning emptying of bowels. Haha! Don't want any interference from overnight dinner or anything else =P I continued noting down my weight and found a gradual increase through the year in particular from May onwards when I started my personal training with Ally at Greens Gym. My highest recorded weight was on 1st December last month when my weight was 216.8lbs / 98.3kgs. I'm weird, I used to hate being heavy but nowadays I like being heavy because to me it means I am training properly and my weight is more related to increase in muscles than increase in fat which was why I was around 16 stones back in 2003 (roughly 224lbs!). I started a major weight loss program which entailed burning much more calories then I took in and cut food down tremendously. Dangerous approach to dieting but it helped me lose almost three stones over six months. At the "end" of it I was very thin and looked unwell to some people. Some commented that I should not lose anymore weight otherwise I'd just disappear. Lol! The funny thing was, I felt quite happy having reached the goal of losing all that flab and to be able to keep it off. I found myself having more options when I went clothes shopping and even joined the masses in picking up medium-sized clothes and actually found then fit me!! How cool was that! A downgrade from XL-sizes!
However through time I started to realise I dieted in an unhealthy way and I should make sure my body receives the necessary nutrients and stuff. There were signs my body saw which showed me it wasn't doing so well. Signs like, in the past I used to feel warm and get heated up very easily. My cheeks would glow and I would break out in a sweat very easily. Sometimes it's due to embarrassment but other times cos of small movements etc. But my body would be quite cold and I didn't sweat as much. Ok, fine, sweating much is not a desirable trait, but the coldness was not good. It meant my core was not as "well" as before. I guess I wasn't feeding it as much as I used to. I wasn't putting in the right coal into the fire sort of thing. There were also times I'd get "the shakes" when my body was low on sugar and my hands would get a bit shaky but I chose to ignore those signs and just ate the same small amount of food just enough to survive in.
Nowadays I really enjoy my food. I can eat anything and most things will get burnt away by my higher metabolism. The secret to this: exercise. I have become a fitness fanatic and I love it. I really do. I find my passion is in health and fitness and I always look for ways to improve myself. Sometimes I think if I weren't a driving instructor I would like to be a fitness instructor. I know I am not a great model for being a fitness instructor, but I know if I put as much time into training as I did for becoming a driving instructor I'd definitely get there. I am quite glad that I have achieved my personal goals of wanting to bulk up from my skinny days. I now look to increase my weight rather than lose it, provided I see muscle rather than fat at the mirror. My body has never been in better shape but that takes hard work and does not happen overnight. I still have lots more to do but seeing results thus far really pushes me to try harder. I have lost a training buddy Nick who has left for Singapore to work. We used to do 300 Workout together at Greens gym. We used to spot each other and share tips as well as spur each other on. Now I need to find somebody else who'd train to the same level. Any takers? =)
Money
Earlier this evening a friend said they read my previous post and asked if business was bad this week. I told him business had been pretty crap since the first heavy snow fall back in 28th November. Since then I've had numerous cancellations, some on my part, some from the pupils themselves. I've suffered seven driving test cancellations by the DSA, one of which happened right on the doorstep of the DSA test centre! Some pupils who had their test cancelled had them rescheduled to mid-Feb so decided to take a break from lessons until after the New Year, so I am in the midst of getting in touch with them now and trying to get them back on track so their skills don't drop and also my income of course. Being self-employed has its perks but also has it's ugly side. You are pretty much at the mercy of the weather. This year's "winter weather" came far too early. It's usually due to arrive in January / February time, not end of November!! Ah well, I guess I have to just buckle up, tighten my belt, tighten my fists and ride the storm as they say. Let's just hope it won't be a snowstorm.
Last night I was updating my finances and actually realised how badly affected my numbers were in the month of December. Times like these I really detest being part of a franchise of a national driving school. Actually, any franchise would be bad cos that is basically paying rent. However, being part of this big driving school means they do not have any compassion to let instructors away with paying the franchise during this bad weather. True they have two weeks of no paying franchise each year by default, but what about the other weeks when instructors cannot earn? What about a discount or have it waived off? No, they offer a discounted franchise only to be claimed back from you in upcoming months. What's the point? I know an amazing instructor who also holds a franchise business with seventeen cars working around Scotland. Last year's cold snap he waived the franchise fee from his franchisees for two weeks. How amazing is that! He's not such a big national school, but he has a big heart! That's what matters in times like these. =) My contract ran out with this national school and I am not looking to continue it. Truth be told I am not seeing any benefits of being part of this school. The car is nice but I know I can hire another one much cheaper elsewhere cos the logo's do not win me business, it is word of mouth. So I am in the process of considering either leasing a car elsewhere or buying car outright and be completely free from paying anybody anything when I cannot work. Decision should be made by springtime. Time to pray and research =)
My initial holiday plans to Singapore for a church brother's wedding in December looks as cold as ice for now (pardon the pun!). My figures do not look as handsome as they once were, and with franchise to pay, personal bills to pay, I don't think I'll see any significant growth until springtime when the flowers start growing as well. But what can I do? I know if I were to book for December I really should start looking around mid-end January right? That's when I hear there will be January sale discounts and stuff. And of course with trips, the earlier the booking the cheaper in general. Hmm...
Vodafone
So back to my item of sharing from above. God knows what's on our hearts, he really does. Cos although I am not happy with my finance at the moment, He provided me with some help. I was sitting in the car sorting out my diary etc when my phone lit up whilst on silent and the call was from 08080600832. From previous experience I somehow knew it was a call centre call but wasn't too sure which one it was. So I picked up the call and held phone to my ear without saying anything. Was thinking if this were a cold calling agent I'd waste their time as much as they'd waste mine, cos I've had a fair share of these calls before. Sometimes a missed call which you call back and get cut off or they give you funny answering machine service. Anyway, I held on silently for five seconds before an agent introduced himself and said he was calling from Vodafone to discuss with me about my current contract as I am due an upgrade soon. I totally forgot my 18 month contract was due to end soon. So I listened to what he had to say and he asked me if I were happy with my current handset (HTC Magic) and I told him I was very pleased with it as it was my first time using Android and it is so good to use, everything so convient with Google etc. He then told me he could offer me my current tariff (600 Anytime minutes, Unlimited texts, Unlimited mobile internet and Stop the Clock) for half the price on a 12 month contract, if I were to keep the phone. The first nine months would be £17.50 a month and the last three would be back to £35 a month because my contract was not due to finish until mid-Feb. That sounded amazing! However, I was also quite interested to know if I could get a new handset, another HTC phone. He searched on the system for me and said the latest HTC handset is HTC Desire HD and if I were to get that on an 18 month or 24 month contract I could get the phone for free, but the tariff is back to £35 a month. I thought about it for a short moment.
I could hear my heart telling me to go for a new flashy shiny gadget. I could hear my head telling me to save money as my HTC Magic is working perfectly fine! I could hear the background noise of the Vodafone office in Manchester. In the end I opted to go for the 12 month half price line rental and it takes effect as of midnight tonight according to Oz on the phone. So I thank God that my February bill will now be £17.50 and I get the full benefits of my normal tariff without costing me anything. My phone's working fine, minus a few nicks from accidental drops but everything is hunky-dorey. One year will pass by really quickly and I will have saved £192.50 through the year. Once I hung up I thanked God for this blessing. I am very glad I chose to receive this blessing rather than go for a new gadget. =)
03 January 2011
Resolution Tested
In less than twenty four hours after I blogged about my New Year's Resolutions it was put to the test. I mentioned about being Fearless for God and sure enough yesterday I had the opportunity to prove how much I meant it. It was at our English Ministry service when Aaron invited us to share how God has been good to us in the past week, past month and the past year. A few people shared how they've experienced God's goodness and I shared how I was thankful to God for blessing me with a great time in Dublin in the past week. Aaron then asked if I wanted to share about how I felt God spoke to me through Scrabble one night through "JOSHUAB". So I began sharing the story from where I was originally standing, at the back of the hall, but Aaron invited me up to the front to share so people didn't have to crane their necks. It was a little unexpected shock as I am not good at public speaking, even making announcements are a bit daunting and sometimes heart-pounding. But I saw this as an opportunity to overcome my fears with God's power and because ultimately it brings glory to God's name. So I smiled and I went up to the front and shared the story...
"JOSHUAB"
It was on the evening of Thursday 23rd December when a group of us played Scrabble after Christmas dinner. At the start of Scrabble each player grabs a handful of seven word tiles from the bag to begin. I took out seven letters and whilst I sorted them out I managed to spell out the name Joshua and still had a letter B left. So I stuck it on at the end to make JOSHUAB. I was very surprised that I got this word and showed everyone else and we had a laugh. There is a book in the Bible called Joshua so I was quite intrigued to read if there was a message in there for me. Since the word I had was JOSHUAB I thought it looked like Joshua8 and decided to check out Joshua chapter 8. Here's how it started at verse one:
"Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land."
I've recently been going through some difficult times with the bad weather affecting my income (finances have taken a pretty hard hit which I really saw tonight) and some challenging issues with matters of the heart. I've had to make some difficult decisions as well and overall it has been quite a discouraging time. But the part of the verse which really stood out to me is at the start where it said do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. The rest didn't apply to me directly as it was about a time of war where God said to Joshua to bring people up for an attack. However, Joshua was at that time facing a challenging time of having such a big task to do, to take an army to conquer another city. But because the Lord assured him everything was ok he went ahead and did it and everything went in his favour. So I believe this verse did not appear out of the Scrabble bag by coincidence. I believe there was a message on it for me and God is telling me that although I face challenging times and I might be scared, that He will still be with me and when I do things His way, everything will be ok. =)
I hope I managed to encourage people with my short sharing. It was unplanned and it was certainly not shared with any pride on my behalf, but what I boast of is God's power. I share as a person who is sinful, broken and lost, yet God can still speak to me. If God can speak to me, He can speak to you too. But are you listening or aware of His presence? =)
So I definitely need to carry this verse around in my head and remind myself of it when the going gets tough. Cos today I was carrying a heavy heart to work. And at times I wanted to give up and back out. But I know I should carry on for God. I remember the sacrifices we make for God will never go unnoticed. He will always see that things that we do and reward or punish accordingly. God is a just God. During my breaks in between lessons the lyrics to a Christian song also came to mind: "A broken spirit, and a contrite heart, Lord you do not despise" and later I found the song on Youtube. It's a song we have sung before at English Ministry, and I which I played a few times on guitar when Boon lead worship. The song is derived from Psalm 51: "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, you, God, will not despise". That describes how I feel inside, but I know seeking God first and putting my troubles before Him and humbly myself to Him is what He likes. Therefore that gives me strength to not give up when the times are hard. For those who want to hear the song (again) the video is below. (Thanks Youtube!)
On a lighter note, I managed to put some money into my new piggy bank today. "Saving for a rainy day" is reads on the sides of its belly. Well, it's actually raining now. =P
"JOSHUAB"
It was on the evening of Thursday 23rd December when a group of us played Scrabble after Christmas dinner. At the start of Scrabble each player grabs a handful of seven word tiles from the bag to begin. I took out seven letters and whilst I sorted them out I managed to spell out the name Joshua and still had a letter B left. So I stuck it on at the end to make JOSHUAB. I was very surprised that I got this word and showed everyone else and we had a laugh. There is a book in the Bible called Joshua so I was quite intrigued to read if there was a message in there for me. Since the word I had was JOSHUAB I thought it looked like Joshua8 and decided to check out Joshua chapter 8. Here's how it started at verse one:
"Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land."
I've recently been going through some difficult times with the bad weather affecting my income (finances have taken a pretty hard hit which I really saw tonight) and some challenging issues with matters of the heart. I've had to make some difficult decisions as well and overall it has been quite a discouraging time. But the part of the verse which really stood out to me is at the start where it said do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. The rest didn't apply to me directly as it was about a time of war where God said to Joshua to bring people up for an attack. However, Joshua was at that time facing a challenging time of having such a big task to do, to take an army to conquer another city. But because the Lord assured him everything was ok he went ahead and did it and everything went in his favour. So I believe this verse did not appear out of the Scrabble bag by coincidence. I believe there was a message on it for me and God is telling me that although I face challenging times and I might be scared, that He will still be with me and when I do things His way, everything will be ok. =)
I hope I managed to encourage people with my short sharing. It was unplanned and it was certainly not shared with any pride on my behalf, but what I boast of is God's power. I share as a person who is sinful, broken and lost, yet God can still speak to me. If God can speak to me, He can speak to you too. But are you listening or aware of His presence? =)
So I definitely need to carry this verse around in my head and remind myself of it when the going gets tough. Cos today I was carrying a heavy heart to work. And at times I wanted to give up and back out. But I know I should carry on for God. I remember the sacrifices we make for God will never go unnoticed. He will always see that things that we do and reward or punish accordingly. God is a just God. During my breaks in between lessons the lyrics to a Christian song also came to mind: "A broken spirit, and a contrite heart, Lord you do not despise" and later I found the song on Youtube. It's a song we have sung before at English Ministry, and I which I played a few times on guitar when Boon lead worship. The song is derived from Psalm 51: "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, you, God, will not despise". That describes how I feel inside, but I know seeking God first and putting my troubles before Him and humbly myself to Him is what He likes. Therefore that gives me strength to not give up when the times are hard. For those who want to hear the song (again) the video is below. (Thanks Youtube!)
On a lighter note, I managed to put some money into my new piggy bank today. "Saving for a rainy day" is reads on the sides of its belly. Well, it's actually raining now. =P
01 January 2011
New Year's Resolutions
Happy New Year to you all! Hope 2011 brings along lots of blessings and good times. And for those who haven't gotten to know God yet, I hope you will do so soon =)
I've had a pretty lazy day today. Slept quite late last night, well in the early hours of the morning, I think around 3am after coming back fromm Aaron's place. We played Risk towards the end of the night played through the countdown. We counted down together, we wished each other a Happy New Year then refocussed back on the game. Lol! I haven't played Risk for two years or so and it took a few rounds to get warmed up again. However it was fun and I received lots of tips from veterans Aaron and Vince. At the end of the game another two players felt too tired to play as they had work next day so they waved the white flag and we abandoned game. At that point I was on my assault and was told I was on a good run to win. It was fun to see but I know I didn't do it all on my own as I received good advice and also some good throwing of the dice (thank You God!). Before I left Aaron's place I was shown how the game Axis & Allies works. Pretty complicated at the start but I started to understand it better and may join in for a game one day =)
Devotional time
Got up at 10am, did my devotions and the first devotional passage of the year rerived from Ephesians 5:10 "and find out what pleases the Lord". I found this to be particularly apt for me as I shared in my previous post that I want to enter into this year doing what is pleasing to God and to live a life that makes Him proud. The sharing passage that followed on from this verse reminded us that the Ephesians did not have the New Testament put together back then. They only had one or two scattered letters in some churches which guided them on how to please God. They learnt how to please God mainly through 'trial and error'. Whereas today, we have the whole Bible that shows us God's heart and what he wants from us and guides us on how to live to please Him. So therefore we should treasure these moments of spending time with Him and seeking Him every day and only then will we get to know Him more. =) When we spend time with God we know His will and we will avoid grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)
For the rest of the day I had lunch, then went down to clean the inside of my car. Dusted it and cleaned the foot mats and hoovered the car. Cleaned all the windows and topped up the necessary fluids etc. Also unclogged my windscreen washer jets as well. Ended up moving some of them too far up and too far down and sprayed all over the place when testing them out. Lol! I think I have corrected them now. Haha! Then I went back home to clean the handheld hoover and did some ironing. After that was done I managed to finally sit down and show mum my pictures and videos from Dublin. Relived some good times =) Then I felt very tired and went to bed for a nap. Bad idea. Was only meant to be one hour from 8-9pm but when I woke up it was 10:20pm and Cat was already home from work. My alarm didn't go off for some reason. Then I checked my phone and I had it set for 09:00 instead of 21:00. Nooooo!!! =P
New Year Goals
Anyway here I am blogging before I get ready for bed. Just want to share some points of the things I want to do this year. Set myself some goals and hope I can achieve them.
Dieting
I will avoid sugary stuff as much as possible. No more carbonated drinks, not even 'fresh orange and lemonade' and no more Appletiser. I used to order Appletiser each time I'm eat out, but that has to stop now. Choose fruit juice, tea or just water =) Too much sugar is not good for the body. I will get enough sugars from fruit, veg and even protein shakes. Haha! No chocolate and no more sweets. Had my last chocolate truffle last night at Aaron's place.
Work/Save
I want to work hard and save hard this year. I know in the past year there were times I was complaining when I was so busy doing driving lessons and been on the road for like 13-14hrs in total working under the blistering sun. I had so looked forward to a break then. However, when this winter freeze came along I was left stranded at home sitting on my ass paying rent and getting nothing out of it. So it made me think, I should treasure every hour of work I can get in the three seasons of the year. Cos when winter arrives I should not expect the same level of busy-ness. That is the season to take a well-deserved break, just like in the past week in Dublin. It's nice =) I will need to save hard for a few reasons: potential trip to Singapore/Hong Kong in December, bad weather again next winter, and ultimately to save enough capital for a good deposit in hope of moving out one day =) So no more unncessary expenditure from now on. Will try to live on a budget as best as I can now. Made my final purchase two nights ago. Before the VAT increase. Now awaiting delivery. Will share once it arrives =)
Sleep
Definitely need to sleep more, especially on the morning when I want to get up around 6:15am to go to the gym before work. Gym between 7-9am weekday mornings are the only times I can go to the gym cos I usually work during the day. So sacrifices need to be made and that would mean I need to crawl out of bed each morning and head to the gym for an early workout. Not so bad once you're in the car, but it's just the initial waking up and actually getting up that is the greatest hurdle. So I need to try to get to bed by midnight every night with no exceptions. Ok, maybe it'll be ok on Saturday nights as I don't need to get up so early on Sunday mornings. But generally I should be in bed midnight latest which is still pushing it because I would then average six hours of sleep, assuming I fall asleep right away. Lol! So this new "change" will mean I set myself a time of 10pm when I need to head home if I'm out. I need to watch what I'm doing now, where I spend my time. Need to be disciplined. It also means if I finish work 9pm I should just head home and do my admin and get to bed. Hmm... might be difficult to do but it's a must. Body will need time to recharge, especially after my workouts. Sleep is under-rated.
Training
I want to try different training styles at the gym. Try new routines and continue to improve my physique. Each month I will focus on two areas of my body work on which means I will make sure they are worked on as part of every workout that I do along with other muscle groups of course. For the month of January I would like to target my shoulders and my abs. I want stronger and bigger shoulders and I want to tuck in my gut and make those abdominal muscles more visible. Cutting out sugar and fats will help with that too. I find my middle and rear deltoids are under-developed compared to my front detoids to will pay particular attention to working them.
Fearless for God
This year I want to "step off the boat" for God. I want to overcome fears and be bigger and bolder for God. Especially in terms of serving. I feel there are certain things that need to be done within the EM and beyond but certain fears have held me back from putting my hand up and taking on the role. I find myself shying away from certain things. However, at the recent Christmas party I was very much inspired by somebody who stepped up to a challenge. It was something unexpected but he didn't show fear. He might have been nervous but he certainly handled things pretty well from what I could see. And so if he could do it, assumingly without knowing God for long, then why can't I? I have known God for longer and know He will deliver me through these challenges, help me over certain hurdles big or small. So why don't I push myself and be fearless for God? Yep, I want to be fearless for God. Maybe not fearless in other stuff, but in terms of serving I should be more up to for saying, "Yes I'll do it!" =)
I've had a pretty lazy day today. Slept quite late last night, well in the early hours of the morning, I think around 3am after coming back fromm Aaron's place. We played Risk towards the end of the night played through the countdown. We counted down together, we wished each other a Happy New Year then refocussed back on the game. Lol! I haven't played Risk for two years or so and it took a few rounds to get warmed up again. However it was fun and I received lots of tips from veterans Aaron and Vince. At the end of the game another two players felt too tired to play as they had work next day so they waved the white flag and we abandoned game. At that point I was on my assault and was told I was on a good run to win. It was fun to see but I know I didn't do it all on my own as I received good advice and also some good throwing of the dice (thank You God!). Before I left Aaron's place I was shown how the game Axis & Allies works. Pretty complicated at the start but I started to understand it better and may join in for a game one day =)
Devotional time
Got up at 10am, did my devotions and the first devotional passage of the year rerived from Ephesians 5:10 "and find out what pleases the Lord". I found this to be particularly apt for me as I shared in my previous post that I want to enter into this year doing what is pleasing to God and to live a life that makes Him proud. The sharing passage that followed on from this verse reminded us that the Ephesians did not have the New Testament put together back then. They only had one or two scattered letters in some churches which guided them on how to please God. They learnt how to please God mainly through 'trial and error'. Whereas today, we have the whole Bible that shows us God's heart and what he wants from us and guides us on how to live to please Him. So therefore we should treasure these moments of spending time with Him and seeking Him every day and only then will we get to know Him more. =) When we spend time with God we know His will and we will avoid grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)
For the rest of the day I had lunch, then went down to clean the inside of my car. Dusted it and cleaned the foot mats and hoovered the car. Cleaned all the windows and topped up the necessary fluids etc. Also unclogged my windscreen washer jets as well. Ended up moving some of them too far up and too far down and sprayed all over the place when testing them out. Lol! I think I have corrected them now. Haha! Then I went back home to clean the handheld hoover and did some ironing. After that was done I managed to finally sit down and show mum my pictures and videos from Dublin. Relived some good times =) Then I felt very tired and went to bed for a nap. Bad idea. Was only meant to be one hour from 8-9pm but when I woke up it was 10:20pm and Cat was already home from work. My alarm didn't go off for some reason. Then I checked my phone and I had it set for 09:00 instead of 21:00. Nooooo!!! =P
New Year Goals
Anyway here I am blogging before I get ready for bed. Just want to share some points of the things I want to do this year. Set myself some goals and hope I can achieve them.
Dieting
I will avoid sugary stuff as much as possible. No more carbonated drinks, not even 'fresh orange and lemonade' and no more Appletiser. I used to order Appletiser each time I'm eat out, but that has to stop now. Choose fruit juice, tea or just water =) Too much sugar is not good for the body. I will get enough sugars from fruit, veg and even protein shakes. Haha! No chocolate and no more sweets. Had my last chocolate truffle last night at Aaron's place.
Work/Save
I want to work hard and save hard this year. I know in the past year there were times I was complaining when I was so busy doing driving lessons and been on the road for like 13-14hrs in total working under the blistering sun. I had so looked forward to a break then. However, when this winter freeze came along I was left stranded at home sitting on my ass paying rent and getting nothing out of it. So it made me think, I should treasure every hour of work I can get in the three seasons of the year. Cos when winter arrives I should not expect the same level of busy-ness. That is the season to take a well-deserved break, just like in the past week in Dublin. It's nice =) I will need to save hard for a few reasons: potential trip to Singapore/Hong Kong in December, bad weather again next winter, and ultimately to save enough capital for a good deposit in hope of moving out one day =) So no more unncessary expenditure from now on. Will try to live on a budget as best as I can now. Made my final purchase two nights ago. Before the VAT increase. Now awaiting delivery. Will share once it arrives =)
Sleep
Definitely need to sleep more, especially on the morning when I want to get up around 6:15am to go to the gym before work. Gym between 7-9am weekday mornings are the only times I can go to the gym cos I usually work during the day. So sacrifices need to be made and that would mean I need to crawl out of bed each morning and head to the gym for an early workout. Not so bad once you're in the car, but it's just the initial waking up and actually getting up that is the greatest hurdle. So I need to try to get to bed by midnight every night with no exceptions. Ok, maybe it'll be ok on Saturday nights as I don't need to get up so early on Sunday mornings. But generally I should be in bed midnight latest which is still pushing it because I would then average six hours of sleep, assuming I fall asleep right away. Lol! So this new "change" will mean I set myself a time of 10pm when I need to head home if I'm out. I need to watch what I'm doing now, where I spend my time. Need to be disciplined. It also means if I finish work 9pm I should just head home and do my admin and get to bed. Hmm... might be difficult to do but it's a must. Body will need time to recharge, especially after my workouts. Sleep is under-rated.
Training
I want to try different training styles at the gym. Try new routines and continue to improve my physique. Each month I will focus on two areas of my body work on which means I will make sure they are worked on as part of every workout that I do along with other muscle groups of course. For the month of January I would like to target my shoulders and my abs. I want stronger and bigger shoulders and I want to tuck in my gut and make those abdominal muscles more visible. Cutting out sugar and fats will help with that too. I find my middle and rear deltoids are under-developed compared to my front detoids to will pay particular attention to working them.
Fearless for God
This year I want to "step off the boat" for God. I want to overcome fears and be bigger and bolder for God. Especially in terms of serving. I feel there are certain things that need to be done within the EM and beyond but certain fears have held me back from putting my hand up and taking on the role. I find myself shying away from certain things. However, at the recent Christmas party I was very much inspired by somebody who stepped up to a challenge. It was something unexpected but he didn't show fear. He might have been nervous but he certainly handled things pretty well from what I could see. And so if he could do it, assumingly without knowing God for long, then why can't I? I have known God for longer and know He will deliver me through these challenges, help me over certain hurdles big or small. So why don't I push myself and be fearless for God? Yep, I want to be fearless for God. Maybe not fearless in other stuff, but in terms of serving I should be more up to for saying, "Yes I'll do it!" =)
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