Crisis Creates Current

There is one person who uses this name as the username. The username is ripplemaker. Ripplemaker. What a name. Surely each of us are ripplemakers in both small and big ways. Sometimes we make small waves and sometimes we make big waves, tidal waves and tsunamis that impact the world around us.

What else creates waves? In one of the episodes by Pastor AR Bernard, he mentioned that the word crisis. Crisis causes change. A chain reaction. Somehow like current or waves likes tidal waves and tsunamis and earthquakes. he made mention of the example of a tree being knocked at the trunk creates an alarm system in the tree to grow. It somehow has this chain reaction to fight back.

And so in life, the case for crisis in life also creates current, change and chain reaction for growth. It warns us, activates us, better moves us and forces us to grow out of our status quo or complacency maybe. So having crisis looking at this angle is not a bad thing after all.

But waiting for crisis to wake us up is certainly not the kind of life one should approach. Being active in growing and learning make us ready for crisis. You can start being a ripplemaker making little ripples for a start.

:)

How To Remember

Here are some ways to help you to remember things. We can put these into practice one at a time and may be along the way, improve or delete some of these. When there are any improvement or feedback, do add a comment here if possible.

(1) Snatch the thought down. Sometimes there are just so many and so fast the thought comes and goes, there is not enough time to write it down somewhere that the next moment the thought is missed. When squeezing the brain to recall it, the idea just could not come back again. So when certain things need remember, jot it down quickly. On a notepad. On a 3M stick note. On the newspaper on the table. Even on the kids doodle pad. If there is a iPhone or mobile phone, there is a place to quickly note down that idea and send it to yourself by email, gmail or yahoo mail. You can also send it to your office mail so that it reminds you when you are clearing your email.

(2) Set an alarm. Having a mobile phone or watch with alarm system can be very useful. Setting reminders and alarms at certain times of the day could help save some hastle to remember things when needed. It is like using an appointment or calendar entry or like a secretary that reminds.

(3) Set someone up. Another way is to employ a secretary. Surely this is more expensive. Partner with another friend to team in reminding each other on things in life, like messaging each other on life goals or encouraging notes. Taking the time to also pray for each other would help reinforce the memory.


There are many ways to remember things and appointments. Explore them and discover new ones.

:)

Faith In Practice

Somehow I came across the talks by Pastor AR Bernard as available in youtube. I found the word shared very mind opening through each video clip excerpt taken from AR Bernard News Magazine Show. It was as good as attending a seminar online.

"Faith In Practice" is the title of the show. Isn't it true? Putting our faith into practice is very essential for growth in our Christian life. It is like studying the Bible and putting the head knowledge into application; transferring from the head to transforming the heart.

It is best to begin listening to the talk at episode 1 as he shares with you from the Word and illustrates more with stories as well as on the chartboard. And as you listen to God's word shared through Pastor Bernard, may God strengthen you to apply His word to your life and be blessed, like the man as described in the Bible from the book of James, Chapter 1 verses 22 to 25.


Verse 22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.

Verse 23
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says
is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror

Verse 24
and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets
what he looks like.

Verse 25
But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,
and continues to do this,
not forgetting what he has heard,
but doing it —
he will be blessed in what he does.

Practice Your Faith.

You can watch here episode 1 as an introduction to Pastor AR Bernard's Faith in Practice lessons and catch up with more at YouTube.

:)

Morning Walk

After sending the kids to school, the walk to the park was a cooling one. There were mornings where the rain greeted us. Those were times for us to stay indoors. But when mornings are great for walks and jogs, we waste no time to enjoy the walk and some enjoy the talk during the walk.

This was the time before the rush hour where you could see young and old warming up their bodies for the day. Stretching your arms and legs and bodies. Some men and women alike prefer stretching their mouths and tongues and faces. The sight is an enjoyable and interesting one.

Not only are there people, pets also participate in this morning event, keeping company with their masters and owners. You could also enjoy the sign of them enriching the plants and grass. They are such adorable animals and friends for mankind.

One other activity we could partipate as we walk and talk, even when we are alone.

Talk with God our heavenly Father.
Enjoy your morning walk.

Verse 35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up,
left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Bible verse taken from the book of Mark chapter 1.

:)

What Gratitude Does?

I was encouraged by this short statement by Dr. Paul Brand.

"Gratitude is the single attitude most nourishing to health."

Gratitude or thanksgiving is so lacking in our vocabulary.

You and I really need to start giving thanks for everything.

Where Is The Offering?

In the early morning, Abraham and his son Isaac journeyed to the place God called. Up the mountain, Isaac noticed the wood and the fire and asked, "Where is the offering?" In a reply that is at first heart breaking yet faith building, Abraham replied, "God will provide."

Indeed the historical biblical story continues that Abraham was stopped when he was about to kill his son as an offering, an angel of the Lord stopped him. The next moment a ram was caught in the thicket and Abraham (was he relieved and faith bound) took the ram and offered it as an offering to the Lord.

See how God provides in times like these. God provides on the mountain of the Lord. You read this account in the Bible, Genesis chapter 22.

Know God and make him known.

;)

Where Were You, My Child

I am sure you have asked questions of someone and you were then asked the same questions back. Then somehow the questions you asked received their due answers. Some tough questions are really very hard to answer as there are just no solid answers to every issue under heaven or even below the earth.

Issues under heaven like thunder storms and hurricanes and tornadoes that harass and take innocent lives and issues below the earth like earthquakes and tsunamis that wipe out entire cities and prefectures. There are just no concrete answers to these questions. Some would conclude to the greed and pride of man seeking power in building cities on earth. Some would quietly in their hearts question the higher authority, "What kind of justice is this?"

If the heavens do answer human questions, here is one part from the Bible where this person by the name of Job received his due answer in full. (Look out for the Bible book Job chapter 38)

Here is a snapshot for your quick read.

:)

Where Were You, Lord

Usually you would hear people say this phrase. Most of the time it is said during a time of very high emotional level. The phrase is 'Where were you?" Where were you when this thing happened? We will hear this quite often especially when 'bad' things happen and you were needed but no where to be found.

The other person where this phrase is often directed to is the person in higher authority, namely God. In the deepest anguish of times, deep and hidden in the inner self of each of us is the strongest pitch cry of 'where were you, Lord?' 'Where were You, when I needed you the most?'

It is sometimes hard to answer this question of 'where God is, when incidents occur' like the recent disaster of Japan earthquake, or even not so long ago the deaths of many during the World Wars II or I, or even personal incidents like sickness and diseases that took the lives of young and old. It really really is very hard.

I could remember another phrase used by two sisters, namely Martha and Mary. When their brother, Lazarus died, both of them as they faced their only hope, said, "If you had been here, my brother would not have died." Read the full account in the Bible, recorded in the book of John Chapter 11.

:)

Do We Never Learn

The kids slept late. The kids were reluctant to wake up so that they can sleep a bit more. Why couldn't they catch the idea sooner? Not only kids, even adults do the same. Sleep late and struggle to wake up early. What a vicious cycle!

Do we never learn? Do we only learn when we are too late? Only when we become Rushians, do we feel and be convinced the need to sleep early. Only when we received the due punishment do we begin to understand the system.

You could identify three groups of people. One group commits the mistake and learns. One group learns from the group that committed the mistake and learns not to commit mistake. The last group does it right the first time.

Which group do you belong to? Your choice becomes your destiny and your life.

:)

Make Time When No Time

We complain a lot for no time
We make excuse for not enough time
Not to mention not enough money
We give time to iPad and some games

We take time for breaks, tea and coffee
And say we have lots of things to do
But not enough time to complete them
Yet talking about these take time

So why do some have time to do things
While we seem that we do not have enough
Such a big mess of debris like in Japan
Tell me where to start to clear so much

I have heard we need to make time though
There seems to be no time to spare
Like make time for food and for sleep
We must make time to complete one task

And then the next and the next
Soon realize the key is to make time
For those that are in priority
And those that are of value to you

*Even for this blog, time was made for it!

:)