Branches of The Vine.

Head hunted.

I was head hunted for a new job.

I groaned to Chen recently that my market value has dropped because it has been awhile I did not receive any phone call from various Head-Hunters. I put the blame on my age and started to worry about the stability of my job. Then I received this call requesting for an interview. I was excited, most probably I thought my market value is up again.

After the event, I realize that I love my present job. I can’t leave my present company even the salary offered is very inviting. Why? I have been longing to find a new and better paid job, why am I hesitating?

The truths are:
1. This company has fed my family comfortably for the past 7 years;
2. This company has given me various opportunities to work in different countries in Asia Pacific, and I enjoyed that.
3. This company has subsidized my family trips to Australia and New Zealand for duration of one month each.
4. This company has financed me to get my advanced diploma.
5. I have a very good boss, I never see him loosing his temper in the past 7 years. He is just like a brother to me.
6. I am so comfortable with what I am doing, Chen’s ATM theory applies.
7. Deep inside me, I am reluctant to move to a new environment.

So, why was I groaning in vain? Well, that reveals my greed and pride. I suppose to be cheerful always with what I have. I must give thanks to the Lord for what I have. I must pray to the Lord unceasingly for what I have.

What else could I ask for? Oh! Yes, Lord, please come. That should be the only thing that I am still asking for in life - the manifestation of my hope of glory.

Overweight

I am grossly overweight. According to my doctor, my ideal weight is 160 pounds, or I have to loose 20 over pounds in order to be considered normal.

One of my life favorite is food. I would have ignored all these advices if not because of my gout problem.

I came from a poor family, and one of my childhood ambition was to have sufficient and enjoy my favorite food as much as I wish and as and when I want. What an "aggresive" ambition!! And you can tell by now that I have been very successful in achieving such ambition.

If I could borrow the time machine from Steven Spielberg to travel back in time, I think I want to modify that ambition.

Well, now I realise that I am so flicker minded. What I prayed hard to get then is not really what I want today, or more appropriately, is good for me. That reminds me my grumbling with regards to my prayer not being granted. Thanks God, I must count my blessing for not granting such prayer. Because only The Lord knows what I really need and what is good for me. My experience has built such confidence in me. Praise The Lord.

I guess I have to pay the price of being too aggressive in achieving my childhood ambition, I have to do more exercise and watch my diet closely.

Life is part of doing and undoing our wishes, it is uncertain. I am so grateful that I have the consummated Spirit in me Whom is always faithful and never change.

Once upon a time, a good friend

If my memory serves me right, today is my then-good-friend's 42th birthday.

I get to know Lee about 13 years ago, we worked in the same department and we built up our friendship. In that year, I was blessed with a daughter but Lee doubled the blessing with twins - 2 boys. I left the company eventually and took up an assignment in China. With blessing, we met again in a conference in Connecticut. We really enjoyed that trip.

After my assignment, I came back and worked for a local company which was severely suffered from the 1997 financial crisis. Lee took the liberty to introduce me to get my current job, for that I always indebted to Lee.

I was seconded to various countries in Asia Pacific with different assignments in the first 4 years. Finally I came back to settle down for good in 2003. I got my promotion after Lee, and I could not recall since when our ego started to outshine our friendship. I lost my mind in an incident. That yelling was a sentence to death to our friendship. I really really regretted. Set a side the reasoning of who was on the wrong, I should have treasured our friendship to endure the provocation. I apologized, but the damage was too deadly to recover.

Well, happy birthday, Lee, if you can hear me. I still remember and appreciate what you have done for me, always.

Our human relationship is fragile and our forgiveness is shallow.

That reminds me of what the Lord has done and accomplished for me. Albeit I repeatedly disappointed Him, I am still saturating in His abundant love. Praise the Lord, our relationship is enduring and it is forever. I am repenting my sins and Lord if you wish, please mend these sadden hearts and enlighten both me and Lee to learn from your unconditional forgiveness and love.

Hopefully, Lee and I will celebrate our friendship's reborn soon, just like Your resurrection. Lord, please bless your children.

Commercial Reason

I have been thinking about this since yesterday morning.

The company I attach to sign an agreement with a government agent to supply desktop and notebook personal computers. One of the condition is to provide a software preinstalled with certain prescription. We are in compliance.

Nevertheless, the said agent decided to change the condition and we endeavor to comply. The changes incur additional costs to both parties. We are not only not get reimbursed for the additional cost incurred, the said agent actually requested us to subsidize thier part of cost PLUS MARGIN (described in a nice way - margin!!!).

To cut the story short, the management team decided to oblige and that really puzzle me. Although I understand the commercial reason behind the decision, I am really disappointed with how people running their business nowaday.

This society is full of greed and it seems like there is no justice, or more approprietely, justice is ignored for the sake of treat on one hand, and on the other, taken as advantage.

Praise the Lord, as a Christian I have Christ as my justice. As I said yesterday, what I want is already inside me, i.e. Christ is in me and He is my justice.

Back to work

Just returned to work today after a few days off.

Life seems to be back on track and I feel comfortable in repeating the same routine job again, surprisingly. Why didn't I enjoy the few days off like what I anticipated while I was loaded with assignments and praying for a break? My instinct tells me that is because of the system/matrix of the world is firmly controlling me. In other word, what I truely want and what I am comfortable with are two different things.

I think most people would prefer to have more leisure time than working hours, especially ones have to work from nine to five, five days a week. I have the same thought. But I feel empty if I am not working. So, am I qualified to be termed as workaholic? I don't think so, I can never finish and attemp to finish all my work before I call it a day.

I guess deep inside me, I am looking for something and in the absence of the "real" something, I replace it with my career. So, that satisfies me a while before I start to complain about the hectic schedule again. Well, I don't think career is what I am looking for in life.

I have been a Christian for 11 years. I read the Bible and biblical articles quite often. Embarrass to admit that I did not recieve too much of enlightenment. But today I have this feeling to put all these in my newly created weblog, so I could come back sometime in the future to testify what I feel today. The "real" thing that I have been looking for is already in me. I just fail to recognise it. I have to recognise what God has done and arranged for me and be contented. This is yet the full meaning of it, but I can only write what I feel today.

Welcome to Hope Of Glory

Agian, welcome to Hope of Glory!!

Allow me to ask you a question. Do you have a hope of glory?

You may probably ask what do you mean by that? Of couse everybody has their own ambitions and achievements. What hope of glory you are talking about? Are not my plans and resolutions glorious enough? Not to mentioned what I have achieved so far in my life.

My humber opinion is, the hope of glory is the answer to these questions:

1. Why am I here in this world;

2. What is the meaning of life if everyone is sharing the same destination.

In other words, the hope of glory is the purpose of life.

Please drop by and I promise to share with you my testimonies as we travel in time.