joke of the day

During Sunday School lesson for preschoolers, when reviewing the lesson towards the end of the class.

Teacher: "OK everyone, so what is this picture?" (showing picture of trees)

Students: "Trees!"

Teacher: "Good! And God made the trees." (turns towards A) "So, A, who made the trees?"

A: (innocently replies) "Me!"

Me: (stifling laughter)

joke of the day

#1
(It happened around 10 years ago)

At church, after the Sunday Service and when we (my dad, mom, 2 sisters, brother and I) were going out of the sanctuary shaking hands with church members.

Church member: (shaking hands with each one of us, I was the last one on the line) "Oh, these are your kids?
(to my eldest sis) Oh, this must be the eldest one...
(to my 2^nd sis) And this is the 2^nd daughter. How tall you are!
(to my brother) Ah! And this must be the youngest! The only son!
(to me) And this is? (facing my eldest sis) Your friend?"
Me: "..."

#2
(It happened during my 2013 Christmas - 2014 New Year holiday in Surabaya)

At church, before the service began and when we (my dad, mom, my 2nd sis, brother and I) were greeting church members. Suddenly, my mother came to me, laughing like there's no tomorrow.

Me: "What's wrong?"
Mom: "You know what, there's a church member who thought that you're your brother's girlfriend."
Me: "...Urghh..."

(starting to really doubt that I'm a member of this family)

Have you loved your neighbour as yourself?

One day during lunch time, my soon-to-be-ex-colleague told me his story when he's travelling in Bangkok. He went to a famous street market in Bangkok, unfortunately I forgot the name, with his mom. Of course, you have to bargain if you are at a market in South East Asia (except Singapore I guess), he is no exception. He went around shops, asking for the price of things he didn't even need, but just for the sake of buying cheap stuff.

He stopped at one shop to ask the price of a merchandise. From where he stood, he could only look the back of the long-haired shopkeeper. He was so surprised when the shopkeeper with a female feature answered him with a bass voice. He immediately left the shop with his mom and giggled after they were out of the shopkeeper's earshot.

His comment after telling his story was what appalled me the most. "If I had known that the shopkeeper is a transvestite, I would've avoided his shop!", he said with a disgusted tone.

Everybody knows Thailand is famous for not only for their food, but also for their.. ehm.. extraordinary people (read: transvestites, transgenders, transexuals, whatever you name them). They are everywhere. Thailand has also become the go-to-country if you want to undergo gender reassignment surgery. Some transgenders are very pretty you can't even differ them from the real females, but some not so. Tourists often get deceived by their appearance.

But are they SO different from other human beings, that you need to treat them like they are less than a human being?

Thank You!

thank you for the sky so clean,
thank you for the air we breathe,
thank you for the wind that clears away the air,
thank you God for everything, Amen!
(sing to the tune of "Thank you for the World so Sweet" Sunday school song)

* I know it might be temporary, but I'm still thankful I can breathe a little more freely during the weekend; it allowed us to have our Sunday service normally :)

Blessings

A video testimonial a friend of mine shared last month:

click here

When it seems all hope is failing

And alone you are standing

Keep persevering

For it might be

His mercies in disguise

Top Tips on handling difficult behaviour

this is a book i read recently and it's for sunday school teachers.

Important: to remember the mischief we got up to as children. This helps us to be one step in front of and reminds us that:

a.        We are not perfect

b.       There's nothing new under the sun

CAUSES OF CHALLENGING AND DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR:

·         General learning difficulties. Children have difficulty learning at school and associate Sunday school too much with school and makes themselves uncomfortable.

·         Specific learning difficulties with literacy or numeracy. Children have problems with patterns and symbols, difficult to remember order and shape of letters and numbers. They do not enjoy worksheets or written word games.

·         Low self image. They want to be accepted, but do not know how to act properly. Children may become uncooperative and attention-seeking. They may be caught on vicious circle.

·         Developmental disorders. These are lifetime disorder that can impair life at home, school and work and frustrate interpersonal relationships. A few example of the disorders:

• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Symptoms: impulsiveness, restlessness, inattentiveness, disorganisation and over-activity.
• Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Symptoms: difficulties in areas of language and communication, social relationships and limitations in imagination (with inflexibility of thought) and creative play.
• Auditory Processing Disorders. Symptoms: fail to process part or all of an auditory message. They do not have problem with hearing, they just fail to understand or make sense of the auditory message.

·         Fragmented home situations and unsettled relationships with parents. Children carry around inside them an enormous amount of sadness and tension. Their lives lack of routine and security. They will end up with challenging behaviour.

·         Lack of boundaries in the home. Some children know too much about adult concerns, some are not well prepared to face the world. Good behaviour is taught as well as caught. Do not point fingers of accusations. We as teachers need to recognise the impact and work towards creating boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

·         Physical demand. Pressure to do well, to succeed and to cope with all demands placed upon them takes its toll. Several causes of tiredness, lethargy and irritating behaviour in kids:
      o    Poor quality diets and lack of exercise.
      o    Not in bed long enough to get adequate sleep.
      o    Not sleeping well because they are unhappy or sibling disturbs them.

·         Group dynamics. This is important for children who are new to the Christian setting. Gently lay down guidelines for acceptable behaviour.

·         The organisation of your session. If teachers are not well prepared with appropriate activities, unacceptable behaviour may result.

TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR

James Dobson in Dare to Discipline puts behaviour in 3 categories;

1.       Childish irresponsibility. Silly things children do: spill drinks, dirty clean clothes, forget what they've been told, trip over nothing, break things, or get into unimportant arguments.

REMEMBER: they do not do these deliberately to annoy anyone.

2.       Behaviour linked to development. Children develop at different speeds. A child may not choose to be difficult, but just struggling to accomplish what has been asked of them.

3.       Challenge to authority. Defiance and stubbornness. The child is usually aware of what they are up to.

What are we supposed to do? Do not take it personally. The challenge needs to be met and won by both parents and teachers. The children want and need enforced boundaries. We do not need to teach them to be 'naughty' but we need to teach them what being 'good' is.

If a child is seeking attention, it is because he needs attention (this is not ADHD). Children may choose inappropriate way to gain attention, but they still need it.. In this situation, deliberately look for a way to give attention to the child for something positive, no matter how small, before they swing into inappropriate behaviour.

Positively acknowledging children when they are being good will give a clear message to them what we mean by 'good' behaviour.

Labelling

Remember: once label is made, it's difficult to remove. Children can live up to their label whether it's 'good', 'weak', 'naughty' or 'stupid'. If they live up to that label long enough, it will become difficult for them when someone relates to them in a different way. Changing this takes time, patience and persistence.

SHAPING BEHAVIOUR

Hebrews 12:6 "The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son" (NIV)

Discipline ought to be more about training and modelling than about punishment.

Undisciplined children are unhappy children and cause everyone they come into contact with to be affected by their unhappiness.

Children are made in the image of God and they matter so much to him. Thus, we ought to see a child as someone valued by God and show children how much we value them.

A God-focused attitude to every child: actively searching for the positive things each child has said or done. Truthfully praise a child for who she is. We all need praise. Luke 3:22 "A voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased'" (NIV). If God praise his Son, we ought to praise the children too to give them security.

·         Working within church community

There should be a clear Child Protection Policy for  everyone involved with children. Physical contact to be as minimum as possible. It is not good practice for leaders to become aggressive, to express anger or to shout at children. We need both prayer and determination to see positive things in children with difficult behaviour. It is important to be in a team, so that we can support each other in thinking positively about each child.

·         Working with the parent(s)

Parents are the prime carers of their children. Parents often need support and encouragement from us who work with their children. It is important to find out what their expectations are in dealing with the behaviour of their child.

·         Working with other children's workers

It is important to work in teams, no one adult to be alone with a group.

PRACTICAL TOP TIPS

Rule setting and rule keeping

What makes a good rule?

Consequences

We need to decide what happens if the rule is broken. Do not mete out inappropriate punishments which can damage relationship being built in  a group. Do not bring over punishment to the following week. Do not make threats. Guide a child to alternative positive options rather than punishment. Options for sanctions:

·         Provide alternative diversionary activity.

·         Time out to cool down

·         Provide individual attention

Enforce those consequences every time the rule gets broken. Be patient. Don't increase or change the consequences.

REMINDER: the best observed rule may not bring about the behaviour we want, but they can limit the level of bad behaviour. Group reward is better than rewarding the good child which may be demotivating the child who struggles to behave.

Top tips to encourage proper behaviour
1.       Good preparation
2.       Pray over the session and for each child who attends by name.
3.       Be first in the room and make sure everything is in place before children arrive.
4.       Quiet place for chats. Quite background music can quieten everyone down.
5.       Help children feel accepted unconditionally. Speak positively whenever possible and tell the truth.
6.       Give clear specific instructions.
7.       Avoid making comparisons
8.       Use children's names often
9.       Get to know each child well
10.    Plan for full length session. Don't give chance for kids to be bored and behave badly.
11.    Remember many have poor concentration
12.    Use voice between shout and whisper
13.    Do something totally different
14.    Avoid punishing whole group
15.    Express positive and truthful things
16.    Form relationship with parents

Top tips on dealing with specific difficult behaviour.
1.     Observation is required. When, what, any pattern in the child's behaviour.
2.     Prevent escalation and avoid threats.
3.     Minimise aggression.
4.     Use gentle humour, no sarcasm or put-downs.
5.     Correct confusions
6.     Acknowledge improvement
7.     Explain from your point of view.
8.     Do not ignore the withdrawn child.

Top tips for children's worker

1.       Have reasonable expectations. Be prepared to be surprised.

2.       Form a prayer support group.

3.       Work alongside other leaders and alongside the children too.

4.       Pray very specifically for a difficult child

5.       Expect to learn things yourself as you handle the children with difficult behaviour.

6.       Remember that we all make mistakes.

7.       Ask for help.

He still is our Father

on tuesday evening, i got a sweet surprise from my pastor. out of a sudden he called and prayed for me. he said there's a sudden urge for him to pray for me. i'm glad that he did :) thanks ko...

there's one statement in his prayer that pierced through my heart.

"thank you for your faithfulness in serving the Lord. you are His child, forevermore you are His sweet child. ... don't you ever be worried about your happiness. he will provide..."


i'm His child. forevermore i will still be His child. and He forevermore is my ever-so-patient father. remember.

often i disappoint Him. but.. He never does the same to me. how glad am i to have Him as my heavenly Father :)

God bless!

be thankful!

thank You..
for giving me life
family
friends
and perfect health

thank You..
for giving me a job
a nice boss
and kind colleagues
who often help me go through tough times

thank You..
for small little things that You give to me everyday
i can't ask for more

thank You!!

Congrats to pei2 dan han2 for your weddinggg!!! hehehehe.. sorry can't contribute much to your wedding day..

here is a photo after the wedding heheheh..

eniwei, pengen ngomel2 deh soal ngatur acara tadi.. so last minuteeeee astagaaa... but, it happened already, so be it loh hhahha.. at least we got through it just fine (or at least that's what i thought..)

so sorry to the program director for confusing the rundown at the very last part.. i know we all get stressed up trying to give the best.. but we can't give our best if we plan last minute.. so i hope now we really really learn our lesson, ok? haha..

(btw, up 'til now i don't even know who's in charge in the overall event.. funny huh)

it's not that i don't want to help.. but i got plans beforehand mah.. if i can cancel my plan, i'll do it.. but i've paid for it, and i've planned for it like 6 months before, so i can't just cancel like that..

so if you ask last minute, i'll try to help the best i can (w/ grumbling a bit lah muahahahha), but don't expect it to reach your expectation. i'm not wonder woman.. i got my own reasoning when i say i can't to you, okay? it's not that i don't want to do it.. i just think that there're other better ways than asking me to do it..

so.. sorry ah to those whom i've been grumbled at hahaha.. hoping this kind of thing will end soon! yeahhhh!! :P

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oh yeah, forgot to tell you, i ran for 10km yesterday, joining the sundown marathon
-..- i tot this morning i won't be able to use my legs at all.. end up i'm ok this morning, still able to stand during the service and walk quite properly. but then this afternoon... oh noo.... all the aches are cominggg.. i can't even stand up properly.. my abs and back are in painn... how to walk to office tomorrowwww @.@

haha anyway, i think won't last for a week lah, hahaha..

aiyah encok hahaha... mungkin gara2 gendong anak lucu satu ini di bawah (yg cowo), ato mungkin gara2 pel2 kmrn, i dunno hahaha..

lucu yah merekaaaa hahaha..

had great time karaoke-ing today as well.. got one sunday school student joined us muahahaha.. and she sings v well!! knows new songs too!! wah i'm really amazed at her.. maybe she really wants to become a superstar?? hahah..

aiyoh encok encok please go away soon..

sighh.. heading to another full working days after some series of short weekdayss... zzzz... jia you myself and YOUU!! hahahah

Lesson of this week: being patient is good, but being toooo patient is not good :)

last sunday sermon was interesting. actually it's about mary and martha, again.. but.. dunno why this time it's more interesting. issit bcos finally i paid attention? :P

so.. the main point about the sermon was.. dun ever forget what the best thing in the world is!!
...and what is that? it's... (drumroll...) our relationship with God.


a lot of times we act like martha.. busy w/ our role in servicing the Lord, but in the end neglecting our relationship w/ God.. it's like buying gifts, food, and sing to make your boyfriend happy, but forget to communicate w/ your boyfriend to maintain the relationship. get it? hahaha.. hope you get it :P

there are 3 points given during the sermon

1. Our God is the God of relationship
...that is why we have to keep our focus in the relationship! not in expressing our relationship to God! in other words... pelayanan penting, tp jangan sampe lupa sama yg dilayanin :P

Christianity is all about God seeking humans, not humans seeking God. and that's because the nature of God is love (John 3:16, Romans 5:8)

and the nature of love... is always reaching out, not asking what we can get from the relationship. when His love dwells in us, we will interact with others in Godly ways (1 John 3:16)

2. our service should be the outward expression of our relationship w/ God
.. don't be too "lebay" in our expression... pacar kan jg ga suka klo ekspresi sayang kita berlebihan, apalagi saking serunya berekspresi, sampe lupa ngurusin hubungan sama pacar :P

true service does not expect a reward from others because we do it as a gratitude of what God has done to our lives.

3. worship is the most intimate form of relationship
worship is a total abandonment to Jesus that will cause the aroma of His presence to fill our house (John 12:3)

the most important thing is.... Jesus is the best in life!! hehehe..

Ohhh happy daaayyyy... ohhh happy daaayyyy....

Finally get my iphone changed :D :D :D to new one :D :D :D

yosshh... no more hot iphone when i'm not using it, no more shitty iphone hahahah.. (crossing my finger that you'll be fine until the day i change to new phone..)

still synchronizing now :D hahaha...

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Today our church move to new location (again). now it's in Orchard Parade Hotel, near the cheap karaoke place i usually go w/ my ntu frens hahah.. and it's also near orchard tower (guys should now what that place is hahhaha)

klo dipikir2... gerejaku tempatnya aneh2.. first, it's in carlton hotel, opposite chijmes. then it's in clarke quay (you know what clarke quay is... drinking place.. hahaa). then finally we move to this orchard parade hotel opposite the orchard tower hahahaha...

yah, the good point: deket tempat karaoke and wendy's!! hohohohohho..

sighh... it's sunday already @.@