The three toughest challenge in my life is number one, being a good Christian, number two, being married and number three, having kids and teaching them. While these three things are the toughest things they are also the most rewarding and satisfying to do when done well. If one is a good Christian, one is a good husband, if one is a good husband, one's a good dad & quite a teacher to children. I wish I do these things well but I'm trying and I have Christ as my strength. And that's sufficient. If I don't, I think I don't even stand a chance.

Today had been a real excellent day. There's so much that I can do without Christ but only so little things worth doing. It's an excellent day because all that happened was in the power and glory of the unseen. More of God and less of ourselves is more and more the only way to live. It's no longer an option, its a necessity, its the only way of life I know that is worth waking up for. After an excellent day, with the kids retiring early, Mag and myself talked and snacked on sunflower seeds, almond chocolates, papayas and milk while watching channel news asia (a documentary on Hanzhou). It could have been fried chicken, chocolates and tiger beer over some meaningless chinese series. I just got well and some could have been really bad decisions. It was a perfect way to end a real excellent day. Tomorrow we are taking leave to host some relatives who just came from Canada. It will be another good day depending on how much of ourselves and of God is involved.

I'm excited about resting tonight. My body's been aching and running a slight fever which didn't stop me from being able to complete all I had to do today. I had more kids prayed for me than adults this time. My son prayed, my daughter prayed, Deborah prayed and I'm destined to get well. I'm excited about resting tonight. It's good to be destined towards wellness.

Have been busy with many 'Martha' moments the past few weeks. However there have also been many 'Mary' reminders nicely spread-out. The first was during last week's care group when God used me to speak to myself (?), then it was during our kid's workshop on Wednesday when i was sharing about 'Knowing God vs Knowing About God'. Then it was lunch yesterday with Jan where we talked about kids and IT ministry and about the Kingdom being 100% man & 100% God.

The latest reminder to have a Mary heart was just a few hours ago during the Staff Devotion where our collegue Limei shared certain reflections of Simon Peter from John 21:1-14. Besides that, a strange question came to me when i read the passage. Why was Peter fishing in undergarments as verse 7 says that he has taken his outer garment off ? I was also excited also that Jesus said "Come and have breakfast" in verse 12 besides the famous line "Come and follow me". Now aren't we glad to have such a wonderful God, our Jehovah Jireh Provider..

Just right after the devotion, a good friend Thomas called to check if we can catch up for breakfast tomorrow morning. Now how can I say no. I'm looking forward to it as I am constantly reminded that while Martha's work is not wrong, Mary's heart is better.

Morning
Bought two chinese made Hero 336 fountain pen from yahoo id 'foreverfriends' who operate near my office. He gave me two free gifts for being a regular customer. It was 2 disposable felt pens (from Hero too). He's beginning to be my key supplier of cheap writing pens from China. This time I'm more impressed with the free pens that the ones actually bought. They write so well & so wonderfully that I've been journalling with it more than I usually write. Writing more than i have things to write feels totally weird. I didn't let that bother me too much recognising most of us are weird and there's really nothing to hide. Infact I write so that I'm in touch with whatever sanity or madness that's in me. It has been a tool for so long, I could no longer write just to be heard. Journalling speaks to me much more than I could speak through it.

Afternoon
I'm a badminton player. Though amateurist but I play with purpose, I thought my game of badminton with some colleagues during lunch time today was perfect way to keep up my exercise plan. It was perfect also because the court was just across the road, I just have to skipped across from the office. I also skipped lunch today.

Evening
After work I went straight to a public lecture "The Romance of the PC Grid" at the new National Library organised by the National Grid of Singapore. I still wasn't hungry so I couldn't eat though I was hungry for information. I was curious what the hype of Grid computing is about and I must say I was enlightened. Although the speaker shared some really interesting facts, I'm more amazed by the speaker's vision of where he want to bring it to. It's good to be inspired by people who are focused and determined in what they do. It helps me realise that its good to have a vision in life. A big vision that one could strive towards and also one that humbles you. We all have a big vision from God and he calls for our diligence, focus and humility to move towards it. It's not an important vision that He needed help in but its an important vision that is purposed for us to be involved. As for Grid computing, its for me to have a vision for it in the Kingdom.

Night
Reading a book called "The Ice Cream Maker" by Subir Chowburry about Service Excellence and the sleeve of Sting's DVD called "Bring On The Night". Don't know if I can stay up to catch Barcelona wallop Chelsea tomorrow morning. God taught me about caring for people. Anyway this is another very long day.

Came back from work not feeling very well. Then during dinner, aggravated it by drinking a whole can of Coke Lime which has been accidently frozen in the freezer. It bloated up quite horribly, so I defrozed it at room temperature and drank it whole. That was a big mistake. It was downhill all the way. The kids have been down with stomach flu and my tummy aches like it. I felt so bad that even if there's a truckload of diamonds in front of me, I'll choose feeling better again. Mag's looked enlighten. I think I really made my point.

After dinner, we still tried to visit Hana, a child who visits HopeKids. She wasn't around last Sunday so just wanted to find out how she is. Nobody home, so dropped our service bulletin in her mailbox and left. In the car, still feeling sick, I asked Chern Han my 2 year old son "Chern Han, can you pray for daddy who's sick?" He bowed his head and said "Tank yu, Jeeses, pray daddy sick, amen!". I didn't know what to think. I said thank you and turned to ask Mei Si to pray too. She did.

Last night I slept early on the couch. Read some newspaper and slept listening to some music. I woke up at 2am, watched Friends and did some work. Now I can't sleep again, but praise God my tummy's been better. I wondered if it is my son's or my daughter's prayer that God answered. Maybe its both because they are the same prayer anyway. Even if one didn't sound quite right.

Listening to Fontella Bass singing the beautiful "The Light of the World" from her
No Ways Tired album. So much soul the way she calls out "Jesus, light of the world". In the title track, her words "Nobody tells me the road was easy... I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me ... " should help me sleep. See you later in the morning.