#NoDistractionChallenge! Week 4
Day 16
They say a good start is half the victory, so I made myself a semi-victor's breakfast, and also for lunch so I can have another half of the victory. Egg and sausage wrap.
While doing my morning inspections, an operator remarked that my hair, erm well, she placed her palm on her forehead and did a quick swipe upward. I think that meant that I looked handsome. Nope, I'm pretty sure that's what she meant, since no other explanation is possible.
Still thinking about my trip to Sabah. Pretty excited for it. Browsed the internet looking for a new or secondhand camera. Set my eyes on a few and within my budget.
My colleagues and I won a consolation prize in a Music Video Contest. Each of us got a WiFi Speaker!
I couldn't sleep at night because I was troubled by an unstoppable spin of my mind. My partner can no longer help me out as often because of his role expansion at work. I am happy to see my best friend doing well at his career, but I'll have to do more in his absence. I just taught my youth Matthew 6:25-34, do not worry, yet here I was struggling to fall asleep because I am worried. I went to God in prayer, repeatedly, and eventually......
Day 17
Woke up like I got punched up really badly and too late for breakfast. So I grabbed my container, scooped some of my much hated oatmeal and left for work. An energetic morning greeting from a cute operator gave me a good morning mood boost.
Hectic day today. I skipped the gym today because my car air-conditioner malfunctioned (also because I was looking for a reason to skip). The mechanic suspected a leak and wants to open it up to check. Have to return tomorrow for the checkup.
Day 18
The day hadn't been kind to me. Sent my car for the checkup and the mechanic says that my car required a cooling coil change because it punctured, causing coolant leak. There goes my camera budget to get this fixed.
Finally opened up all my angpaos (Red Packets). I thought I would open them up to buy my camera but now it has a better purpose. You learn a lot about "never judge a book by its cover" when you open up angpaos: Outside design nice nice, inside can buy two bowls of rice. Haha! Well, there are exceptions la, like this angpao in the picture: Nice Design + Nice Words + Nice Amount of Money. Haha! These are packets worth keeping.
Well, God always have a better plan than men do. I remember complaining to God that my budget to buy camera was in vain now that I had to fix the air-cond, this morning I found myself thanking God. It was raining cats and dogs early in the morning and if I had not fixed my air-cond, I wouldn't be able to go to work in a nice and dry car. God is greater, all the time!
Day 20
Went right to my homestay after work to pay the maintenance fee and tried to negotiate a few terms with the management, but to no avail. Fortunately, it was a great time to appeal to the clerk, who agreed to help me out and make things a little easier for me. I guess I owe her a big favor now. She's a pleasant lady, so I guess I don't mind bringing her something nice once in a while.
Met up with Chang En for lunch and received my order of Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Banana Moist Cake. Fresh out of the oven, the pleasant fragrance of Chocolate Banana just came overwhelming my sense of smell. I can't wait to try it out tonight! Lunch with Chang En was a great talk about food and work. I requested Chang En to help me in my homestay as caretaker in the coming month and offered to pay him, which he gladly accepted. Meanwhile, I hope his business plan of 5L2F would work out. Check out his Facebook page!
Sent my car for a service. Since my dad sold his business, I must now take care of the maintenance of my car by myself. I knew this day would come sooner or later, I just didn't think that it would come so soon. I particularly miss my dad at days like these. But well, at least now I grew a little older and a little more independent.
Li Xin Baptist Church finally had her first Good Friday service today. Though it was small, it was very, very meaningful. It was held as CG activity for the English Congregation. Two week back, we asked Pastor Koe to recommend a church where we can attend Good Friday service. Instead of a recommendation, Pastor Koe offered to run a service for us. Everyone was excited and we all said yes unanimously. The process of getting it done was not without hurdles, but we all learned a little more about church leadership. And voila! Good Friday may be a solemn evening, to remember that Jesus was unjustly accused and tried, violently abused and physically tortured. The single darkest, most evil Friday in the history of man, God called it Good. And tonight, we celebrated with a heavy heart, because after Friday, there's always Sunday: there's hope in Christ.
Day 20
Went right to my homestay after work to pay the maintenance fee and tried to negotiate a few terms with the management, but to no avail. Fortunately, it was a great time to appeal to the clerk, who agreed to help me out and make things a little easier for me. I guess I owe her a big favor now. She's a pleasant lady, so I guess I don't mind bringing her something nice once in a while.
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| 5L2F |
Sent my car for a service. Since my dad sold his business, I must now take care of the maintenance of my car by myself. I knew this day would come sooner or later, I just didn't think that it would come so soon. I particularly miss my dad at days like these. But well, at least now I grew a little older and a little more independent.
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| How I reported my service to my dad |
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| Worship |
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| Pastor Koe preaching his Good Friday message |
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| Scripture Reading |
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| Breaking fast together |
Thoughts
If I have learned anything again, again and again in all my past and present fasting experiences, it is that temptation can be just about anything. Anything as small as a pleasant gift can have so much power to distract us from God. Surely all good things come from God, and God wants us to have them. Yet in our human fallen nature, we run after all these things and became obsessed with it, it became the center of our lives and we let God take the sideline. Good things became our gods and our lives driven by it.
If I have learned anything again, again and again in all my past and present fasting experiences, it is that temptation can be just about anything. Anything as small as a pleasant gift can have so much power to distract us from God. Surely all good things come from God, and God wants us to have them. Yet in our human fallen nature, we run after all these things and became obsessed with it, it became the center of our lives and we let God take the sideline. Good things became our gods and our lives driven by it.
#NoDistractionChallenge helped me to offer God a little more of myself, but I have nothing good to boast but instead so much of my own downfall. Instead of giving those extra time I found all to Him, I found myself distracted by other things as well.
But Good Friday brings a liberating truth: the end of man is the beginning of God. When death signifies the end for man, God turns it around and brings a new beginning. When my own strength failed even in this challenge, I know I live by a grace and love that covers a multitude of sins. So my salvation does not depend on my success in this challenge or in any attempt to grasp self-righteousness, but in the blood of Christ that washes all our sins. When man cannot save himself, God can.
Love • Christ • Unity
P.s. Happy Easter! Christ is risen!
Looks like you made some fantastic progress this week and it's great to see that you took the financial setback involving the car so well. Fingers crossed that you continue to make such stellar progress as your challenge continues. Reading these articles truly is an inspiration and it's making such a difference to the way I think about problems in my own life.
ReplyDeleteMadonna Gentry @ SVS Autocare