2011年即将到来。希望明年过得比今年充实、幸福。也希望明年能着重于音乐。除此之外，也希望能上法语课程。

Dare to Dream

Burning Man Music Festival

I have never heard of this event until a sister-in-Christ told me about it a while ago. I am definitely keen to participate since it has to do with music. However, after briefly reading about it online, I am not quite sure if I am ready. Anyway, if I do participate, it will be a very different kind of experience for me.

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就快告别2010年了。虽然今年所碰到令我心寒的基督徒比前几年多，但是总的来说，还算是一个比较幸福的一年。希望明年不会再碰到令我心寒的基督徒了。

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隐形的翅膀 by 张韶涵

This is one of the two Chinese pop songs that can really lift up my spirit when I am feeling down. I am hoping that people who listen to my secular pieces will also experience a boost in their spirits whenever they feel down.

Dare to Dream

Matthew 7: 21-23

It is very surprising that Christians in general believe that they will definitely enter the Kingdom of Heaven. However, based on Matthew 7: 21, it is not true. It is my personal belief that Christians must have inner transformation that is expressed outwardly in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

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朋友在我们生命中扮演举足轻重的角色，所以现在的我选择朋友时会相当挑剔。

Dare to Dream

给自己的希望

 我刚刚为这首歌的歌词作了大幅度的修改。自己还相当满意。:)


Dare to Dream

虽然我的部落格是记载我的心情点滴、个人看法的一个管道，但我也希望通过它激发读者去追求他们的梦想、他们的人生目标。

My blog serves as a channel to express how I feel as well as my personal views. But more importantly, I hope it serves as a channel to encourage people to pursue their dreams and their life goals.

Dare to Dream 敢于梦想

梦。窑匠 Dream Potter (Mediacorp)

每次观看这个充满温馨的节目都会让我感动。若有更多人肯伸出援手，去扶持或帮助哪些较不幸的人，那么这个世界就会更美好了。

Dare to Dream

One-sided and possessive love can be suffocating to the one at the receiving end.

Dare to Dream

Genuine Love

"...genuine love is a self-replenishing activity...it enlarges rather than diminishes the self."

~~Taken from M. Scott Peck's book, The Road Less Travelled.


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Moral Compass

"True leaders are not afraid to swim against the tide. Their goal is not prestige, power or popularity...They stand for justice and righteousness.

~~ Richard (Dick) Innes (www.actsweb.org)

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You Have Clothed Me With Your Glory

以前我为这首歌谱的曲，自己听了并不满意。也可能因为这个原因而好久没弹这首歌曲了。刚刚弹了好几遍, 觉得还蛮好听的。刚才也为这首歌作了结尾的部份。虽然结尾很短，但是我个人相当喜欢。现在只剩下前奏的部份了。其实还有好多首歌需要修改的。有些可能是在音乐方面，有些可能是在词的部份，而有些则是在词曲双方面。所以在短期内，可能不会写新歌。

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The Power of Affirmation

I strongly believe that there is power in affirmations. I have been giving free English Language lessons to a Taiwanese boy for some months now. Just last week, his mom told me that his grade had improved. I have always been strong  in languages, especially English and Chinese, and so what the mom told me did not come as a surprise to me. But I believe another reason for the boy's improvement in grade was because of my use of genuine affirmations. In the past, when I was doing relief teaching in a primary school, most of my students' grades improved significantly after I taught them for about 2 months and 1 week. (Only 2 students' grades remained about the same.)  I believe that one of the reasons was because I often affirmed them.

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As I reflect on how God has been speaking to me these few years, I realise that He tends to speak to me using “pictures” such as visions and dreams, especially concerning important things. I guess it's because I am like men in general. (Men are visual beings and I am one such person.)

Dare to Dream

梦窑匠 Dream Potter (Mediacorp)

昨天傍晚，我看了一个实况节目。它的开场白大概是这么说的：人只要有梦想，希望的灯就不会被熄灭。

Dare to Dream 敢于梦想

The following is a summary of a true story taken from a book entitled "Chicken Soup for the Soul. 101 Stories to Open the Heart & Rekindle the Spirit."

A boy who was a senior in high school was once asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up. He then wrote a seven-page paper describing his dream about owning a horse ranch in great detail. His teacher decided to give him an F grade for the paper because she felt that his dream was an unrealistic one in view of his family background, etc. She told him that she would reconsider his grade only if he was be willing to rewrite the paper. He pondered over the matter and decided not to rewrite his paper. He then told his teacher that she could keep the F grade because he would prefer to keep his dream. Eventually, his dream became a reality.

May this story encourage you to pursue your dreams, even if others might scoff at you or think that your dreams are unrealistic, etc.

Dare to Dream

I am thinking of setting up a small library in one of the neighbouring poor countries. For a start, the library will probably stock the books that I have and books that I will buy. It's just a sudden thought, which has never crossed my mind before. If it's in line with God's will, I'm sure He will bring it to pass.

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Yesterday, I read a testimony by someone from my church. As I reflect on this testimony now, it makes me wonder again why people who don't work in the social work field can be so compassionate and kind whereas a lot of people who work in this field are very unkind or (worse still) wicked. That, I guess, is one of the ironies of life.

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我发觉我所写的歌当中有很多首都有“翅膀”、“飞”之类的字。这其实并不奇怪，因为我很喜欢自由，不喜欢被束缚，而这类的字对我而言，就代表了自由。

Dare to Dream 敢于梦想

I am thinking of getting people that I know to sing my songs. However, I am not sure how much I should pay them. Of course, it would be great if they are willing to sing for free.:P On the other hand, I do not want to take advantage of anyone, as this will go against my principle.

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我注定幸福

我昨天写了一首新歌。可能潜意识里我觉得自己越来越幸福了，所以才写了这首歌。:)

Dare to Dream

Someone is willing to help me do recording and mixing for two of my songs (one of which is a secular piece) at below-the-market rates.

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Having friends who genuinely want to see me succeed in life warms my heart. I am thankful for having such friends. :)

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Children are natural joy-givers. Being with them gives me great joy. :) It would be great if the governing body here in Singapore allows single women to adopt children. :)

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A person who is a workaholic or pretends to work hard tends to have low self-esteem or insecurity issues. (There is a huge difference between someone who is a workaholic and someone who is hardworking.)

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Food for Thought - Love

Love is the desire to benefit others even at the expense of self, because love desires to give. Love centers in the will, not the emotions.

~ Edwin Louis Cole (Author of Winners Are Not Those Who Never Fail But Those Who Never Quit)

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Declaration of love must be accompanied by corresponding actions.

 

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虽然我是一个平凡的人，但是我有不平凡的梦想。

Dare to Dream 敢于梦想

On Eagle's Wings

I have written a new song, which is meant to be a secular piece. The inspiration for this song came from one of God's promises to me.

Dare to Dream

It takes a wise boss to recognise good workers.

Dare to Dream

常遇到让我感到心寒的基督徒。上帝确实是真神，就是不知道为什么我所遇到的基督徒绝大多数都不像基督徒。不管是他们的态度，还是他们的言谈举止，都让我感到非常的心寒。虽然我是一个完美、理想主义者，但是我并不是希望遇到完美的基督徒，因为我也晓得这是不可能的。我只是希望遇到的基督徒都是敬畏神的人，因为我知道、也相信只有真正敬畏神的人做任何事时都会尽量避免伤害到别人。

Dare to Dream 

Food for Thought

When we harbour bitterness, etc in our hearts towards people who have sinned against us, we are actually paying the price for their sins.

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Follow your heart even when others scoff. Don't be beaten down by naysayers.

~~Howard Schultz (Quoted by Nigel Risner, Author of The Impact Code)

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Dare to be different.

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Food for Thought

Never compromise on what makes you happy.
~Nigel Risner (Author of The Impact Code)

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In whatever you attempt, act as if it were impossible to fail.
~Dorothea Brande (Quoted by Norman Vincent Peale, Author of Positive Imaging)

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It is in the darkest skies that the brightest stars are best seen.
~Richard Paul Evans (Quoted by Dave Pelzer, Author of Moving Forward)


Dare to Dream

Food for Thought - Why

Never stop asking the one word in life that keeps your brain fresh - WHY!
~Bryan Dodge

Dare to Dream

Sometime last week, I suddenly had a new business idea and so I sought out the godly counsel of 3 friends and 2 of them were for it. So, my focus for the next few weeks will probably be on doing research, budgeting, etc. When the new business idea came to me out of the blue, one of my thoughts was how I could help people who live in the neighbouring poor countries through my business. Even though I have never thought of doing this business before, I believe that it could be a stepping stone to other business ventures that I am keen to go into.

Dare to Dream

你是我的避难所 (You are My Refuge)

I have finally composed the music for this song and have made some changes to the lyrics. 我终于为这首歌谱了曲，也在词方面作了一些更改。

Dare to Dream 敢于梦想

Show me who you are hanging with and I will tell you where you will be ten years from now.

~Mike Murdock (Quoted by Bryan Dodge, Author of The Good Life Rules)

I understand the importance of mixing with the right people and that is why I have been pretty careful about who I mix with and who I want to be part of my life.

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Food for Thought

Just as iron rusts from disuse, and stagnant water putrefies, or when cold turns to ice, so our intellect wastes unless it is kept in use.

~Leonardo da Vinci (Quoted by Jerry Foster, Author of Small Changes, Big Results)

Dare to Dream

The one thing that I am most passionate about is to make a huge difference in the lives of countless people across the globe.

Dare to Dream

I always have great respect for MM Lee. Now, I have greater respect for him because of his deep devotion to his wife. It's really hard to find such a man these days...

Dare to Dream

Rain on Me

I went to Trumpet Praise today to get a gift for a friend who is going to be baptised later this month. I decided to get her an album by Tammy Trent. In this particular album, there is a song entitled "Rain On Me." Incidentally, I have written a song with the same title. I have heard some of Tammy's songs on Shoutlife.com and they are simply beautiful. So, you may want to check out her albums at Shoutlife.com.

Dare to Dream

I'm in the process of doing 'mental detox' and I guess it's important to do that on a regular basis.

Dare to Dream

I just chanced upon a website that could help me sell my songs/music and the best part is (ie. if there is no gimmick of any sort) that I will get to keep all my royalties.

Dare to Dream

I feel happy today. I also feel a certain lightness in my spirit. :)

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Happiness

"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time...it's how I arrange my mind..."

~~Maurine Jones (Quoted by Jerry Foster in his book entitled "Small Changes, Big Redults")

Dare to Dream

MM Lee Kuan Yew's wife passed away this evening. In the recent past, I chanced upon an article online in which MM Lee mentioned something to the effect that his wife's sickness was more stressful to him than the stress of politics. MM Lee's devotion to his wife is really admirable.

Dare to Dream

To believe in ourselves and our own abilities is very important, especially if there are people in our lives who have the tendency to put us down. I am thankful that there is no such person in my life right now and I pray that such people will never enter my life ever again.

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Food for Thought

The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream...

~Benjamin Elijah Mays (Quoted by Jerry Foster, Author of Small Changes, Big Results)

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想飞的心

我刚刚为这首歌的词和曲做了一些修改。现在听起来会比较悦耳。基本上，写这首歌是为了要激发自己去追求自己的梦想、自己的幸福。除此之外，也希望通过这首歌激发听众去追求他们的梦想、他们的幸福。

I have just made some changes to this song. Now it sounds more pleasing. :) Basically, this song is meant to encourage myself to pursue my dreams and happiness. It is also meant to encourage listeners to do the same. 


Dare to Dream 敢于梦想

Food for Thought

...what you deeply expect, you tend to get. Habitual expectations attract corresponding circumstances and events.

~ Dr Norman Vincent Peale (Author of You Can if You Think You Can)

Dare to Dream

记得小时候常写日记，而且是以华文书写的。其实我个人觉得以华文书写，比较能够表达我的思绪、我的感受。但是很奇怪的是我比较喜欢教英文、而且也对教英文比较有把握交出好成绩。:P

Dare to Dream 敢于梦想

Expect the unexpected.
~~Marijo Phelps

Dare to Dream

敢于追求自己的梦想是一件很幸福的事, 因为圆梦的过程与终点都是一种幸福。即使需要相当长的时间去实现梦想，我还是会勇于追求自己的梦想 ~ 圆梦的幸福。

敢于梦想 Dare to Dream

The Power of Belief

There is power in belief. By that, I mean there is power in what you believe about yourself, what you believe about your future, etc.

Dare to Dream

想飞的心

心血来潮写了一首新歌，歌名为【想飞的心】。这首歌大略讲述了我的心声。我还蛮喜欢我所为这首歌谱的曲。:)

Dare to Dream

人与人之间的关系真的很奇妙 - 有些人是一拍即合、而有些人却是再这么努力培养默契也还是无法有默契。所以说，一定要珍惜身边的有缘人。

Dare to Dream

如果要达成梦想的关键之一是拥有健康的体魄...嗨...那我真的得好好照顾身体了。但是身与心毕竟有关联，所以若要真的拥有健康的体魄，也不能忽视心灵的健康。

敢于梦想 Dare to Dream

我终于可以用华文了。哈哈：）得感谢Ｙｅｓ９３３的家发。：）

Dare to Dream

Rain on Me

I have just composed the melody for this song. :)

Dare to Dream

I just watched a documentary on the homeless in Tokyo, Japan. Hmmm...there are a lot of homeless people in other affluent countries too. How many of us would actually think of reaching out to these people? How many of us would think of lending a helping hand to them?

Dare to Dream

Food for Thought

Small opportunities are often the beginnings of great enterprises.

~ Demosthenes (Quoted by Norman Vincent Peale, Author of You Can if You Think You Can)

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"...personal achievement power is often siphoned off by the mass of wrong thoughts that clutter up the mind."

~~Norman Vincent Peale (in his book entitled "You Can if You Think You Can")

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Footprints

I have just penned one new song entitled "Footprints." It is a song about leaving beautiful footprints in the lives of other people.

Dare to Dream

God grieves when Christians allow themselves to be used as instruments of wickedness in the hands of the devil.

Dare to Dream

If you have all the money that you want/need to last you for life, what will you do with your life? For me, I will travel to impoverished parts of the world to teach children English for free. I will build orphanages. I will set up social enterprises to help those in need. I will also sell my songs just to raise funds for charities.

Dare to Dream

Children have the power to put a smile on my face when I am feeling down.


Dare to Dream

How you see yourself is more important than how others see you.



Dare to Dream

I just read a blog post by a fellow Singaporean, Mr Wang, about Madonna. He obviously has a lot of admiration for her. I once read a book on her and others who pursued their dreams in spite of obstacles. That book mentioned that Madonna, while pursuing her dreams, slept in slum areas in the early days when she arrived in New York . After reading the book, I couldn't help but admire her for her courage in going all out to pursue her dreams. She certainly has something to teach those of us who want to pursue our dreams but yet are held back because of some obstacles that stand in the way.

Dare to Dream

It is heartwarming to know someone like Stacey.:)

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...pursue your dreams and make a difference to others...
~taken from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Speech

This is my heart's desire. :)

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Live life as if it were created just for you.
~~Maya Angelou

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My Thoughts

When a place is contaminated by wickedness, spiritual cleansing that leads to repentance must take place in order to restore peace and God's blessings.

Dare to Dream

Food for Thought

How we think shows through how we act. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind...

~ David J. Schwartz (taken from Weekend Encounter Vol. 12, No. 3510 at www.actsweb.org)

I agree absolutely.

Dare to Dream

I just don't understand why some Christians would choose to be bound by man-made rules rather than to be guided by their God-given conscience. Don't they know that Jesus wasn't bound by rules when He walked the earth more than 2000 years ago? He chose to heal on Sabbath even though it was against the Jewish laws to do any form of work during the Sabbath.

Dare to Dream

Happiness is not only found in relationships. It can also be found in the pursuit of one's dreams.

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Yes, You Can!

Lately, the children attending the children's service that I am serving at have been practising this cheer. I don't know if it is on my church website. You may want to check it out at www.fcbc.org.sg. Or maybe it could even be on YouTube! It goes something like this:-

I'm gonna be strong and dream great dreams.

Cos I am special; I am a child of God.

No kidding. Yes, you can!

If I can (I can), you can (you can).

If He can (He can), we can (we can).

If He can (He can), we all can.

Gonna tell them, tell them, tell them about the good news.

Gonna tell them, tell them, tell them about the good news.

Dare to Dream

Rain on Me

I quite like the partial melody I have just composed for this song.

Dare to Dream

I just had 45 minutes of playing my piano, which helped to soothe my weary soul.

Dare to Dream

Manila Trip

Dare to Dream

Sometimes pain can only be felt and no words or language can adequately give it shape...and silence in its presence is the only fitting companion.

~~Gracia Wiarda (in a book entitled "Labyrinth of Therapeutic Encounters. Collected Essays on Counselling & Psychotherapy")

I agree absolutely. Sometimes all a counsellor ever needs to do is being silent in the presence of a client who is grieving or experiencing some kind of pain.

Dare to Dream

When wickedness pervades an organisation or anywhere else, it will be hard for it to prosper. And it takes a person of wisdom to recognise this.

Dare to Dream

If only Christians recognise that God lives within them and thus learn to watch what they say and do...

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It's ironic that a wicked person is trusted by so many people, without them realising that their minds have been poisoned by him/her.

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Competitors are sore losers...When competitors do not win, they lose not only the "game" but also a part of themselves.

~~Les Parott (in his book entitled "High-Maintenance Relationships")

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Power struggles can kill relationships.

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Buried anger explodes when we least expect it.
~~Les Parrott (in his book entitled "High-Maintenance Relationships")

I agree!

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Injustice poisons its practitioners.
~~Taken from http://peacetheology.net/restorative-justice/5-old-testament-justice-amos/

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Great people are ordinary people who commit themselves to extraordinary goals.
~~Anonymous

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Sin among God's people is even more serious than sin among those who do not know Him.

~~John Phillips (in his book entitled Exploring the Minor Prophets)

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I am learning to love my enemy. It is not something easy for me but I am beginning to realise that as long as I am prepared to let go of any pain, etc inflicted by my enemy, I can still love him/her. Praise God! :)

Dare to Dream

Insecurity can drive a person to do things against his/her conscience. It troubles me when I think of how Christians can be so insecure that they do things against their conscience. How can Christianity be attractive to people of other faiths when Christians behave like they do not know God?

Dare to Dream

The Weight is on My Shoulders

I composed the melody for this song this afternoon. :) I will probably do some fine-tuning some other time.

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Manila Trip

The pic above and the pics below are some of the other pics I took in Manila. The pic above shows a motorised trishaw (I don't know what the locals call it though.) with the name of the owner.

The pic below was taken in or near Divosoria, which is the Chinatown in Manila.

The pic below shows the entrance to Intramuros, which is one of the tourist attractions in Manila. My visit was untimely as I was not allowed to enter apparently because there were some construction works going on during the time of my visit.

This pic below was taken as the place reminded me of Hong Kong.

The pic on the right shows the way to Intramuros.



The pic below shows a jeepney, which was one of the few that fascinated me.

Dare to Dream

I bought an iPod as my own birthday present recently. :) I am still trying to figure out how to use it. :P

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Manila Trip

I stayed in this budget hotel during my Manila trip. I want to thank God for answering my prayers with regard to the hotel's location, the lighting in the hotel room, etc.

The pic on the left shows another jeepney.

 

Dare to Dream

Manila Trip

 

The above is a pic of a jeepney in Manila.

 

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Manila Trip

My trip to Manila was quite an eye-opening experience for me. I had expected Manila to be a modern city since it is the capital of the Philippines. So I was pretty shocked by what I saw.

I did not expect to have to queue up to purchase a ticket whenever I wanted to travel on the LRT or MRT. I did not expect the LRT and MRT to be overcrowded during off-peak hours. I did not expect to see pushing by commuters without due regard to the safety of other commuters. I did not expect the traffic in Manila to be such an eyesore. I did not expect Filipinos living in Manila to be unable to speak or comprehend English. (A lot of the trishaw riders, jeepney drivers & roadside stall owners did not seem to be able to speak or comprehend English.)

Something praiseworthy about Manila is that there are security officers stationed at the entrances of all shopping centres and LRT/MRT stations, to make sure that shoppers and commuters do not bring in anything deemed as dangerous.

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My Thoughts

Sometimes I wonder why people who seem to be devoid of compassion could be social workers and why there are many people working in the social service field who seem to be so lacking in compassion. I feel troubled by all this apparent lack of compassion among people who are 'supposed to be' the most compassionate people in this world.

Dare to Dream

Manila Trip

I am looking forward to my Manila trip next week. :) This is the first time that I will be travelling 'that far' on my own.

On my first day there, I will be alone and that is good because I need to do some contemplation about my future. Being alone in a new land is refreshing and that may help to unclutter my mind, thereby allowing me to have a clear mind to think through what really matters to me.

On my second day there, I will be meeting a good friend. :) I thank God for such a friend. :) I pray that we will have a very blessed time together.

Dare to Dream

I don't understand why there are so many Christians who don't believe in God's miracle-working power. Hmmm...this world needs to see that.

Dare to Dream

Unforgiveness is like a festering wound that never heals.

Dare to Dream

Quality in a relationship is essential if it is going to last.

Dare to Dream

Food for Thought

Think defeat and you will tend to create the circumstances that lead to defeat. Think inadequacy and you may ultimately fail to perform in an adequate manner. But if you think victory and success - really think it, really believe it - then you will tend to perform in a manner that leads to such an outcome.

~ Norman Vincent Peale (Author of You Can if You Think You Can)

Dare to Dream

I wonder why some people can remain sane despite having gone through extreme mental anguish and suffering while others seem to sink easily into a state of mental collapse when faced with suffering? Is it because some people possess spiritual and/or emotional fortitude?

Dare to Dream

I am learning to pray for my enemies, ie. those who have sinned against me. It isn't really that difficult after all.

Dare to Dream

Recently, I heard someone say that regulating one's emotions will bring healing. Hmmm...it is something worth pondering over.

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Exchange

This morning, I fine-tuned the melody to this song and I liked it :)

Dare to Dream

Any unfinished business can become a festering wound that harms one emotionally/psychologically and it could resu;t in psychosomatic illnesses.

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Rain on Me

I have just written a new song. It's a song asking God to rain down His full blessings.

Dare to Dream

Thank God for answering my prayers! :O Thank God for a godly lady boss too.:) Thank God for protecting me yesterday too.

Dare to Dream

A great achievement was once considered as impossible.
~~Anonymous

Dare to Dream

Women are born to be loved and cherished, not to be abused.

A few days ago, I went for a work-related workshop. One of the topics covered was on abusive relationships. The speaker told the audience that 90% of abusers are men. I beg to differ. I believe that more than 90% (at least 95%) of the abusers are men.

I wonder why women would choose to stay in abusive relationships? Why don't they leave/end such relationships? I believe that in the long run, leaving/ending such relationships would be beneficial to themselves as well as their children (if they have children).

I believe that women who enter abusive relationships or who choose to stay in such relationships have insecurity issues that need to be addressed. Otherwise, they would probably subject themselves to perpetual abuse in order to keep the relationships or they would end up in other abusive relationships.

Dare to Dream

Having self-confidence is essential. But having a bloated ego is damaging to one's spiritual well-being and to one's relationship with others.

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You have Clothed Me with Your Glory

I have just composed the music for this song. :)

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Thankful

I am happy to have made a good purchase just now.:) I am thankful for that. I am also thankful that my sis gave me 3 blouses so that I don't have to spend money buying them. :)

Dare to Dream

A Force to be Reckoned With

I am full of wisdom, humour, tears, passion and love.
I am that which is held tightly to the breast,
lightly on the lap,
peered at, sighed over
and remembered.

I bring you foolish fancies
I bring friendship to the lonely.
I take you with me to the far reaches of the earth,
from India to China,
to Mars, to Venus,
...and probe into the habits of chimpanzees.

I reach into your mind:
I show you things that are unbelievable
and make you believe them.

You must treasure me, protect me:
I give you knowledge of life you never dreamed of.

Don't desecrate me; I fill empty spaces
of your life.
I give myself to you gladly; seek me out
and find me...

I am a BOOK. 

~~Author unknown (From A handbook for English Teachers in Primary Schools)

Dare to Dream

Reading enriches the mind.

Dare to Dream

Yesterday, I realised that an ex-boss and I shared the same views on certain things. Hmmm...indeed great minds think alike...hahahhahahahha.

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I hardly pamper myself. But yesterday, I pampered myself by going for facial. :O


Dare to Dream

Gratitude is ESSENTIAL for a healthy soul.

Dare to Dream

My Thoughts...

I used to keep gratitude journals. On hindsight, I realise that my heart was filled with more gratitude towards God during those days when I kept such journals. Now, I am planning to start a new gratitude journal and I hope I would persevere in keeping such journals so that my heart will be constantly filled with gratitude. :)

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God healed me of some physical/medical conditions in the past...and I witnessed first-hand His miracles in my life and in the lives of my parents....that is why I am a firm believer in miracles and in God's power....

I used to walk with an obvious limp on the left side of my body apparently because of a slipped disc that seemed to have caused my left hip joint to go out of place. As a result, my left leg appeared to be 1-cm shorter than my right leg. After God's healing, I was able to feel the difference (and I knew the difference). However, when I got a stroke in the early part of last year, I began to walk with quite an obvious limp again. But thank God that I am now able to walk normally...

Dare to Dream

Hard work doesn't necessarily mean success but long-term success definitely requires hard work.

Dare to Dream

I didn't expect to get a good grade for the last module that I took at the bible college and so it was such a pleasant surprise! Hahahahaha...thank God for answering my prayer! :)

Dare to Dream

Self-Care

Recently, I heard someone talk about the importance of self-care. I agree. :) Self-care, to me, is especially critical if we want to accomplish great things in life.

Dare to Dream

My Thoughts...

Recently, I received news of the deaths of a few ex-clients. Life is so unpredictable...

One of the ex-clients was a young lady who was apparently always craving for men's love...it's so sad...I don't understand why some (or many) women seem to be craving for the love of men to the extent that they are so willing to do crazy things for them...if only women learn to love themselves and if they know that they are of immeasurable worth in the sight of God regardless of how men view them, maybe many tragedies could be avoided...

Dare to Dream

Servant Leadership

"...the essential quality that sets servant-leaders from others is that they live by their conscience - the inward moral sense of what is right and what is wrong...When people live by their conscience...their behavior echoes in everyone's souls. People instinctively feel trust and confidence toward them.

~~Robert K. Greenleaf (in his book entitled "Servant Leadership. A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power & Greatness")

Dare to Dream

Hatred can eat a person up.

~~It's paraphrased from what I just saw.

Hmmm....it's so important that we do not get consumed by hatred, because the ones that ultimately suffer are ourselves.

Dare to Dream

In the course of my work recently, I got to know 2 employers. They share 2 things in common - one is the ability to recognise good workers immediately and the other is that they both have good hearts.

Dare to Dream

New Beginnings

I watched a reality show this evening entitled "New Beginnings." A 37-year-old man was invited to today's live show. This gentleman talked about his struggles, problems, betrayal by his family and friends, etc. What struck me was that he looked way beyond his years. Hmmm...the cares of this world can indeed make a person look (way) beyond his years.

Dare to Dream

If there is something that you would give up everything for, something that would make you feel sure about why you're on this planet now, and utterly joyful in it, then commit yourself to it.

~~Kathy Caprino

Dare to Dream

Those who successfully rise above extreme challenge are those...(who) continue to act from the heart and the gut, accepting that they can and will indeed be powerful, effective vehicles of beneficial change in the world.
~~Kathy Caprino (in her book entitled "Breakdown, Breakthrough")

Hmmm...what powerful words (those in bold)...

Dare to Dream

Following your dreams requires guts and an amazing amount of tenacity, courage, perseverance, and patience.
~~Kathy Caprino (in her book entitled "Breakdown, Breakthrough")

Dare to Dream

Right now, I am reading a new book entitled "Breakdown, Breakthrough" by Kathy Caprino. It is a good book that I would recommend to all women, particularly professional women who want to live a life of passion and purpose.

In this book, the author quoted the following words from Mahatma Gandhi:-

A No uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a Yes merely uttered to please or, what is worse, to avoid trouble.

Dare to Dream

Courage is not the absence of despair; it is, rather, the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair.
~~Rollo May

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Thankful...

I just read the news of the Polish President's death...life is so unpredictable...I am reminded of how God had protected me in the past...there were several times when I was nearly knocked down by cars becos I used to have the habit of reading while walking/crossing the road. (Now, I send text messages, etc, while walking...P)

Dare to Dream

Breaking Free from the Shackles of My Past

Hmmm....I've almost completed the melody for this song...just left the prelude part...I'm planning to start selling my songs in the later part of this year via the internet, because selling them online requires only a relatively small marketing budget. I can do the recording myself but of course, I would have to make sure that my room is sound-proof first. Hopefully, it's in line with God's will. But I'm pretty sure that this is in line with God's promise that I'll have a colourful future.:)

Dare to Dream

Qi Cai De Wei Lai (Colourful Future)

One other Chinese song that I wrote recently is the above. It is based on God's promise to me. Life, to me, is meant to be colourful and not boring.

Dare to Dream

A life that is lived for self and self alone is a life that is lived in vain.

Dare to Dream

Ni Shi Wo De Bi Nan Suo (You Are My Refuge)

I have just penned two Chinese songs, one of which is the above. It is a song about God's protection from evil people's scheming ways. I pray that it will especially minister to people who have to face such people daily, which can be a mental torture.

Dare to Dream

A person who desires to be truly happy must learn not to be a people-pleaser.

Dare to Dream

Handwriting

A person's handwriting and signature can tell a lot about him/her. This is based on what I have read about handwriting/analysis of handwriting.

Based on my analysis of people through their handwriting/ signatures, I would say that this way of determining a person's character, etc, is pretty accurate.

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It's Unbelievable!

It's unbelievable that some people are so scheming, evil and ungrateful. It's even more 'unbelievable' that God can be so kind to such people time and time again. Sigh...

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I have finally submitted my paper! Hahaha. It's unbelievable that I wasn't feeling stressed even though I did this paper at quite the last minute. :)

Dare to Dream

My Thoughts...

Domineering people tend to have low self-esteem. They may try to insist on having their ways. When they don't get their ways, they may actually act up. Such people need to work on building up their self-esteem.

People who have low self-esteem are people who have difficulty daring to dream.

Dare to Dream

Pursuing our dreams gives us a sense of purpose in life.

Dare to Dream

I just saw one private school's motto: Rising Above the Ordinary. We must dare to dream if we want to rise above the ordinary.

Dare to Dream

If we want to be blessed, we must be in a posture of receiving.

My sis has plans to go on a trip with me sometime after Aug this year. If it's confirmed, she plans to pay for my trip. :)

I am expecting many more blessings to come into my life in the days and months ahead! :)

Dare to Dream

Today, someone mistook me for a man when I spoke with him over the phone. I have often been mistaken for a man over the phone and so it didn't come as a surprise to me. What I couldn't believe was that he still insisted that he 'no believed' that I'm not a man! This was the 1st time that I couldn't seem to be able to convince someone (over the phone) that I'm NOT a man! My goodness! Maybe I should do a gender swop with my male colleague, who sounds very gentle (whereas I don't). :O

Dare to Dream

I feel so blessed today.:) I chanced upon a product that I have been using for quite a while and it cost me at least 40% less! So I got myself several months' supply of the product.:)

Someone offereed me free food and drinks at a restaurant that I visited for the 1st time today.:) Even when I told him I didn't want anything to eat/drink, he still came back at least twice to ask me. He even brought drinks and food for the clients who were with me then without expecting or asking them to pay. :) I found it so amusing. :)

A few clients praised me for looking good (One even said I looked beautiful) in my yellow top. :) Maybe I should get myself some nice yellow tops when I get my paycheck! :)

Dare to Dream

Constructive daydreaming could be a bridge to the fulfillment of one's dreams. Otherwise, it may just be a waste of precious time.

Dare to Dream

It just suddenly dawned on me that maybe God wants me to launch an e-magazine business rather than a print magazine business. Hmmm...hopefully, I am wrong. Personally, I would prefer a print magazine business. I like the feeling of being able to hold the magazines in my hands. :) Of course, I understand that e-magazines may be able to reach a bigger readership. An e-magazine business, to me, is also cheaper to run both in the short term as well as in the long term. Nevertheless, my personal preference is still to own and run a print magazine business. :)

Dare to Dream

Thank God that something pleasant happened today. :) It's amazing how God can change the hearts of people. :)

Dare to Dream

When I start my own business, integrity will be one essential quality that I look for (expect to see) in the people that I employ. A person who lacks experience or the necessary skills can be trained. However, a person who lacks integrity is nearly impossible (or totally impossible) to change unless God intervenes.

Women are generally gifted with sixth sense. Thank God that I am a woman and that I have sharp sixth sense. Having sixth sense, to me, is essential in business and in judging the character of a person.

Incidentally, while I was chatting with a cab driver this afternoon, he suddenly said something to the effect that I'll be a good businesswoman (in the business sense) even though we did not touch on the topic of business at all. Hmmm...maybe it's a confirmation from God or a revelation from Him???

Dare to Dream

On Sun (7 Mar), a pastor in the children's ministry asked the children about ways to fast. In response, one child told her that she wanted to fast from homework. What a response!

It's actually fun to be with the children because they are so adorable and their actions and what they say can really make me laugh. :)

Dare to Dream

The Beauty of Singlish

When I have to consciously speak proper English at work, it kind of makes me miss those days when I could speak Singlish freely at work. Singlish is my preferred conversational language because it has a friendly feel to it. Moreover, it also helps in bonding. Hmmm...

Dare to Dream

Victory must first take place in the mind before it becomes a reality.

Dare to Dream

There is no future in living in the past.
~~ C. Peter Wagner (in his book entitled "Humility")

Dare to Dream

Servant Leadership

Servant leadership, to me, is the most effective form of leadership in the long run.

Dare to Dream

Many people believe that humility is the opposite of pride, when, in fact, it is a point of equilibrium. The opposite of pride is actually a lack of self esteem. A humble person is totally different from a person who cannot recognize and appreciate himself as part of this world's marvels.

~~Rabino Nilton Bonder

Dare to Dream

The professors in my theology class were really humorous and so it seemed like I had attended 3 days of laugh therapy sessions. :)

Dare to Dream

Every obstacle is a stepping stone to success.

~ Anonymous

Dare to Dream

All leaders are actual or potential power holders, but not all power holders are leaders.

~James M. Burns (Leadership)


Dare to Dream

Servant Leadership

A true servant leader is one who has the best interests of his employees at heart. Sadly, in many companies and organisations across the globe, leaders generally do not care about the well-being of their employees.

I believe God is raising up a new breed of leaders with a servant's heart in the marketplace. Such are the leaders that can impact the community or the world at large for His glory.

Dare to Dream

There is a Chinese proverb that says, "Yi xiao jie qian chou," which basically means that one laugh helps to release 1000 worries.

I have heard of laugh therapy sessions, in which a group of people gather together just to laugh. You may find it awkward to attend such a therapy session (if there is one where you live). But you can have a DIY laugh therapy session by watching stand-up comedies, for instance.

So, whenever you are feeling stressed out, maybe you should try out a DIY laugh therapy session. :)

Dare to Dream

This is a Chinese New Year card that a colleague made for me. It is so sweet of her. This card looks great to me.:)

Dare to Dream

A healthy dose of humour is good for the soul. :)

Dare to Dream

I have fine-tuned the melody for "Zhan Chi Gao Fei" and it now sounds good to me. :) I have also finally finished the melody for "Exchange" and it sounds pleasing to my ears. :) Hahahaha.

Dare to Dream

Spreading My Wings

I have composed the melody for "Zhan Chi Gao Fei." :) I am quite satisfied with it.:)

Dare to Dream

Playing piano has a therapeutic effect on me. Playing the piano with my eyes closed has a greater therapeutic effect. That's why it's good to be near my piano whenever I am feeling stressed. :)

Dare to Dream

Spreading My Wings

Yesterday night, I penned a Chinese pop song entitled "Zhan Chi Gao Fei." It's a song about pursuing one's dreams. I pray that it will encourage people to spread their wings and soar, and not to be afraid of obstacles that may be inevitable.

Dare to Dream