One week in Singapore

Im back from Singapore! What a week....it went by in the blink of an eye. But it was a lot of fun and despite it only being 1 week...I have come away with lots of great memories =)

So as a bit of a run down...took off Monday afternoon for Singapore. Work had booked me on the Qantas flight which turned out to be one of the new A380 planes. Upon boarding, we were told it was very new...only 2 weeks old to be exact! But luckily it was a very smooth and enjoyable flight...despite a few glitches with the entertainment system. I was seated next to a middle age Singaporean lady...who really loved a chat...and luckily for me...the person on her other side slept the entire flight...so I got her life story. But as most people who know me are aware...I am always making new friends on flights...and this was no different. It was as we were landing in Singapore, she asked me if I would like her email so we could keep in touch...how could I refuse =)

Arriving in Singapore on schedule, I was met by a good friend I met on my mission trip in China last year. It was really great seeing her again after so long. It was then off to my hotel to check-in and get some rest before my first day at Google.

Now for those unaware, my company is Google partner...which basically means we work with Google on mapping related projects. As more and more businesses utilise online mapping services, this partnership is getting stronger and stronger. So anyway...I was there to be trained up on utilising and developing with one of their new product suites.

First impression of the Google offices...very laid back and relaxed. Everyone was very friendly...which I feel is a result of the culture that Google promotes. Also the unlimited snacks and drinks was very welcoming...especially since I'm a big fan of Asian snacks =) My company could really learn a thing or ten from Google!

Each night was basically an opportunity to meet up with friends and get to see the night life and sights of Singapore =) Special note goes to the buffet at the Shangri-la hotel...so much food! But most of all it was great to catch up with people who I havent seen for quite some time...Im truly blessed to have such awesome friends! Thanks everyone for being so welcoming and accommodating!

Managed to do a good slab of shopping over the week, which resulted in a range of new additions to the wardrobe =)

But before I knew it, the time was 5pm on Saturday night and it was time to head to Changi airport and make the trek back home. Another relatively smooth flight back to Melbourne and it was all over...back to normal tomorrow.

It was a fun and interesting week. I learned a lot at Google and it was really great working with some of their top Software Engineers from the US and Asia. Got the opportunity to try some delicious foods in Singapore and most of all...got to spend time with some great friends =)

Another year flashes by...

Well today I turned 28...actually stating that in my opening sentence actually goes against what I have been trying to achieve, being to keep it as low key as possible. I didnt plan anything major, just a few gatherings with friends and family over the weekend. Last night I had the amazing opportunity to eat at Vlados with some awesome company. Basically a restaurant suited to those who could do steak for breakfast lunch and dinner...this place has photos of cows as decorations on the walls! While some people may find this a little threatening...cows watching you while you eat them...I took a different way and found myself daydreaming over which of the assortment of cows on the wall looks most delicious =) The night was rounded out with some delicious birthday cheesecake back at my friends place. A really fun night out!

Today I was out and about, lunch with friends and dinner with family, gym in between....but on a whole...a relatively quiet weekend...just the way I like it...and the way I probably need it. The reason for that being...I have been incredibly sick this week. Starting as just a throat cough early monday...it turned in to a serious fever which had me bed-ridden for 3 days. For me to take 3 days off work suggests something is not quite right. Probably the most disappointing part of it...well apart from missing gym for the whole week...was the fact that I was so unwell I couldnt even enjoy those 3 days at home...I was in bed...full stop. Any attempt to sit up and watch a bit of TV was met with throbbing head pain and non-stop coughing...so it was usually back to bed quite quickly. Luckily I am almost over that...although the cough is persisting...hopefully a day or two more is all it needs.

The other reason I opted for a quiet weekend was due to the fact that tomorrow afternoon Im flying out to Singapore for work. I will be there for a week attending a Google training course which comes from being partners with them. So while the main reason for the trip is work...I will be making the most of my time there and hitting the town every night to try the various foods and shopping up before coming back! All of this I will definitely post some information about in the coming weeks.

So as I look back over the past year....it was a pretty awesome year. So much occurred that I never thought was possible. So much took place that I never thought I could achieve. But in the end...Im truly grateful for the doors that God has opened up before me over the past 12 months.

Here's to another 12 months of awesome times!

Got a plan?

I dont know if its a good or bad trait...but I always like to ensure I have a plan. I always like to make sure everything is organised. Whether it be from ensuring I have a reservation when going out for dinner (even on a quiet night...) to my trips overseas where I will have almost everyday planned out to the most minute detail...I dont like doing things without a plan.

In my opinion though, this has its good and bad points...it does ensure that we will get to do what we want to do...but at the same time it does eliminate the opportunity to be spontaneous. But at the end of the day, I think its a good thing.

But beyond that, I think when you plan something for someone else...this really demonstrates how much that person means to you. For example, when I went to Canada...the plans for my trip were mostly taken care of...and this was something that I appreciate a huge amount. Or if you were to plan something special for someones Birthday/Special occasion....you do this because that person is important to you...and you want to show them they are important to you.

At this stage you might be saying "what is your point!". Well dont fret...I have a point. This morning when I was praying, a thought came to mind. I trust God has a plan for my life, I believe God has a plan for my life. But when you really think about it...the big picture...God has created a plan for your life! But he hasnt just created a plan for one day...or one week...or even one month. He has created a plan for your entire life. From the moment you entered this world through to the day you pass away...God has path He has set before....and that path is amazing! You need only look at the men in the Bible who followed Gods purpose and plan in their lives and you will see absolutely phenomenal things happen! My favorite example again is Joseph. He followed the Lord...even when the goings got tough. He continued to follow the Lord...even when the goings got even tougher! And in the end he was given it all!

You might wonder why bad things happen along the journey...I feel there are generally two reasons for this and it all depends on how is your relationship with God....

1) You are following God, if you are feeding on His word and you heart, your passions are in line with His. When you are living a life pleasing to God, you will still hit obstacles, you will still come up against trials...just as we see with Joseph. But in the end when you look at the big picture...you will see those trials were stepping stones on the path to the finish line. They werent there to make you give up...they were there to help you grow and develop.

2) You are away from God...you are just living your life the way you want. Its in this situation that you are not living the way God intended. You might believe you are doing good things....but the problem is you are not following the path God mapped out before you. And its in this situation that we will hit trials...but these are trials that God didnt intend for us.

Just a note on not following the path God set out...this doesnt mean that God is a control freak who wants you to do exactly as He says. Its totally different from this. God loves you...and He has a perfect plan for you. But you have the choice whether to follow it or not. So just like if you create  plan for someone you care about...if they choose to ignore that plan...things wont work out as expected.

So I think the big thing for me is...putting this all in perspective...it just shows how important each of us are to God. Despite there being close to 7 billion people in the world...God has mapped out our lives individually. Its in that we see just how much God loves each and everyone of us. So no matter how you feel or what you are going through...always remember that God loves you and he has path for you to follow in your life.

For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.   (Jeremiah 29:11)

More than we can cope

Reading my daily Bible devotional tonight, the Bible scripture was from Numbers 11:11 where it has Moses cry out the following -

He asked the LORD, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?

Was Moses a bad man? Had he done something to make God angry? From reading this story, we know that Moses had done as God had asked. But why then was he facing trials?

I wanted to share my thoughts on this devotional and this piece of scripture because I think its a common through process. We face trouble, we begin to feel its beyond what we can handle, what we can cope...and our natural response to all this is to ask God "what have I done to warrant this?"

Personally this has been something that I have asked a lot recently and the answer that comes to mind time and time again is that its part of the process, its preparation for what is to come. God doesnt do anything for the fun of it...He wont put us through hard situations because He likes to see us unhappy.

So I just pray that you will push on and trust God's plan for your life. God is with you and no matter what you face, our Lord will find a means for you to make it through!

You Can Change!

Today I made a mess of a perfect opportunity! Its like I was a runner in the 4x100 meter relay...Im was the last leg of the race...my team had set me up for an easy run home! But just as I go to grab the baton from runner number 3...I drop it...and the race is lost. Thats how I felt today...embarrassed that I had such a golden chance in front of me...but I really stuffed it up.

For the rest of the day...I felt like a fool...hopeless...that was it for me. I struggled to keep my mind on work until it was time to go home. I felt that bad...I even skipped gym (Yeah i know that says something about how I was feeling)!! But later in the evening, as I was cleaning up, I came across a message that spoke about Gods power to change us and it got me thinking...its not all over...tomorrow is a new day and new opportunity. I guess even more broadly, the past couple months have been a challenge, I have felt restricted and bound by the past.

But there is something really awesome about living our lives for Christ....no matter what our yesterday was, it does not define our tomorrow! Yesterday we may have sinned badly...we may have really messed up...but when we repent...when we stand before God and ask for His forgiveness with a sincere heart...we can step forward with courage knowing that we are no longer bound by our past mistakes.

Our God is a God of change...dynamic change! No matter what you were struggling with in the past, your future does not need to follow that path.

How often do we hear of instances where a son will make the same mistakes as the father, following in his footsteps. I for one can honestly say this has been something that has been something that I have thought about quite a bit in my life, not repeating the same mistakes that my father had made. But that is for another day. In the Bible, in 2 Kings 21 we read about Manasseh and Amon, father and son who were both kings of Judah and they both made serious mistakes during their reign. After Amon, his son Josiah reigned as King of Judah and he serves well. Here we see one instance where the mistakes were repeated (Manassh and Amon), but then you see another instance where the son didnt follow the father (Amon and Josiah).

This is not the norm though. In most circumstances you would have expected Josiah to have been just like his father and grandfather, a horrible man. But this is evidence of how when we give our lives completely over to Christ, when we allow God to take hold of our lives...we are changed completely...we are no longer bound by the mistakes of the past.

I guess you could sum up the way that God changes us in three points:

God gives us a new DNA
We need to decide to change our spiritual DNA and follow our heavenly father. We no longer follow the ways of this world, but rather we spend our time in the presence of our Lord and feed on His word daily. When we are born again we have the spirit of God dwelling within us. If we have the spirit of God living within us, we also will have the strength of God as we have a new Father. In Romans 8:14-16 we read about this and what its like to live through the Spirit -

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship, And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

The awesome news is...by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are free!

God gives us a new road map to get through life
Josiah in 2 Kings directed his people back to God and the people of the land began to prosper. This was because he was a man of God, he listened to God and lived a life pleasing to our Lord. Ultimately this is vital to us today, that we allow God to be the light in our lives, as we hear in Psalm 119:104-105 -

I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

The reality is in our lives we need a light to guide us.

God surrounds us with a new famil
When we give our life to Christ, we are now part of God family and that means we have a new spiritual family. When we are in church, we are surround by those who are committed and love our amazing God. This is spoken about in 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 -

so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

 As a spiritual family, we need to be there for one another, just as we are for one another in our Earthly families.

So the really encouraging point is, despite all the we have been through, all the hurdles we have stumbled over, no matter how bad our past appears to be...we have a hope in God. For our Lord has the power to change us...to break the chain of sin...and give us the fresh opportunity as we move forward!

Trusting God...really trusting God!

How many times do we behave in one way, actually the opposite to the way we know we should be acting? Its not necessarily always sin...but almost every time it leads to a negative result. I am guilty of this as much as the next one...and it can range from things as simple as eating unhealthy food to not listening to Gods guidance in my circumstances.

Recently this whole concept of trusting God has become really prominent for me. Almost everywhere I go and everything I do, I find myself confronted with variations of this message. With this I have been reflecting more and more on this topic...trying to apply it in my life. When I say trying, I say this because I have been doing quite badly so far.

Lately things havent been going as I planned or hoped. This doesnt relate to one thing alone, but its an accumulation of things. One thing that stands out from that last sentence is the words "as I planned or hoped". I feel these are the words that I should be focusing on...I feel these are the words that God is shining the spotlight.

As I contemplate this, I always come back to one specific piece of scripture that I have always felt quite relevant for my life, that being James 4:13-17 where it states the following:

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

I know thats a big piece of scripture to be referring to, but it really encapsulates the message that I know in my heart...but I struggle to apply in my life. I like to have a plan, a focus, something to strive towards. But sometimes, I can get to far ahead of myself, I dont leave room for God to work in my life and ultimately my plans become exactly that...my plans alone.

Or maybe sometimes it just simply I get impatient...I try to move things along by my own strength...but again this is another warning flag! Remember the words to the Planetshakers song "through you I can do anything, I can do all things, cos its you who gives me strength, nothing is impossible!". This is exactly the point...through God we can do anything...but when we try to do things alone, by our own strength...we ultimately mess things up. We may thing that we are on the right path, but in the end we find ourselves lost and alone. There is one verse in Proverbs that makes a point of this, in chapter 14, verse 12:

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

I guess you can say its like we get overconfident...like a young child who races ahead of their parents...we can sometimes behave like this with God. He puts a dream in our hearts, and when we get a glimpse...we race towards it...but this is not what our Lord intends for us. He doesnt want it to just be about the destination, He wants us to experience and enjoy the journey! I emphasis the word enjoy because sometimes we miss this point. The journey is there to be enjoyed, that in no way means its going to be a stroll in the park, there will be significant hurdles along the way. But just as I enjoy working out in the gym, pushing my body past the point of pain...we must push forward with Christ. It is then that we can walk with the confidence that no matter how we feel or what we see, we are walking according to the plans of Christ.

One of my favourite men from the Bible encompasses this entirely, Joseph! He had a dream from God, a dream that was so far fetched and so distance...but he believed in what God had shown him. From there he trusted God and despite some of the most horrible circumstances, he walked forward boldly with praise for God. In the end he was triumphant and his dream came true! But think for a second if in any of his situation, had he acted according to what he thought was the right thing instead of trusting God...we can be pretty sure things wouldnt have worked out for him in the end.

Actually when we try to do things in our lives by our own strength, its like we are ignoring God or telling Him we dont trust His word. For as Jesus says to us in Matthew 6:31-34 -

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

By pushing our own agenda, we are ignoring what God has spoken to us. This means we dont trust Him...and that is detrimental to our walk!

Therefore we must learn to surrender it all before Jesus...then we know that we are trusting God 100%. Without letting go and giving up control over our lives, we are still holding onto things, I guess you can refer to them as safety nets. We have the mentality that we believe God to an extent, but just in case He doesnt come through, then we have our own back up plan. But by holding onto that safety net, we are ultimately limiting the amazing impact God can have in our lives!

Therefore we must learn to let go of it all and just put our faith in Jesus alone. We must take that step forward into the unknown...but the awesome promise is that God will not leave us. We must just lean on Him, bring our concerns to Him and constantly be in prayer. This is summarised in Philippians 4:6-7 where we read:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I must not live by what I feel any longer...I must not live by what I see any longer. But instead I must surrender it all to Jesus...no longer live my life according to what my emotions are telling me. But instead Im just going to trust...100%...not partial trust where I still have my back up safety nets. Its going to be a challenge...but I have the power through my Lord!

Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. 

(Isaiah 40:31)

More than a simple wish list

As a Christian you learn pretty early on the significance of prayer. It doesnt take much to quickly realise how important it is since its how we basically communicate with our heavenly father. When we have concerns, worries or fears, we bring those before God through prayer. When we are grateful for something that has come to pass, we come to God and give Him praise.

But what about those things that we have been praying for over a long period, where we arent seeing any real process...how does this impact upon our prayer lives? Do we continue to pray with the same passion? Or do we begin to lose the belief that the Lord is listening to our prayers? Maybe to you, its a simple prayer, but despite bringing you desire before the Lord time and time again...you see your situation heading in the wrong direction. Its in these situations that prayer can be the most difficult, for its a real test of your faith and belief in Gods power in your life.

Recently I have really had my faith tested, my prayers have gone largely unanswered and I have felt quite lost. I have prayed earnestly for God to work in my situations, to see a breakthrough occur...but I felt that I was going no where and my prayers were falling on deaf ears. I know that sounds really bad, to say that my prayers were falling on deaf ears, and maybe thats not the best way to describe it. But to put it simply, I just couldnt understand why things were so difficult, why my prayers were not being answered.

One thing is certain all along though...I ultimately always trust that God has my best interests at heart. Its just that my emotions sometimes get the better of me...for its in this time that I need to battle how I feel and hold onto Gods promises...and continually pray.

But for people who are unfamiliar with prayer, what exactly happens when you pray? What are you actually doing when you speak one on one with God?

When you pray, you surrender your will to God
By nature we all have our own opinions and answers to the problems of the world. Whether it be when you are sitting at the football or reading the newspaper, you will formulate your ideas and opinions on what confronts you and most like verbalize them. In the Bible, we see that Jesus was no different. When He was faced with difficult circumstances, He had his own agenda and desired outcomes. This is evident when we read Luke 22:42 and hear His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Jesus prayed that the trials He was about to face would be taken from Him, that He wouldnt have to suffer the pain and humiliation of the cross. But He also prayed that the Lord's will be done first and foremost. I know that for myself, there are times in my life where I get too emotional as the result of a situation. This can ultimately mean that I dont get to see what God had in store. We have to learn to not get caught up in the minute, for we may miss the miracle! We all have desires and wants, but when we pray, we are putting the focus on what God desires, no matter how different this is from what we have in mind.

I think its fair to say that in most situations, when we pray, there is something we want to change. We are asking God to change things, whether it be providing us something we lack or taking away something we distaste. But as we see in the scripture and the resultant circumstances, nothing changed. The cross still occurred. But who wishes that this hadnt been the case? Is there anyone who would have wanted God to grant Jesus prayer, knowing what was to come?

When we pray, we want God to make a change, but its actually God that wants us to change. There will be times when you dont think you can press on in your current situation, but as we see Jesus, He also didnt think He could do it. But God was with Him along the entire journey, strengthening Him which lead to the most amazing event in the history of the world! This is highlighted in the following verse, Luke 22:43 -

An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

I hope this doesnt lead you think you shouldnt pray for what is on your heart, for this is what we should be bringing before the Lord. But prayer is more than just bringing forward our wish list, we must also pray for God's purpose in our lives, for it to be made clear and that we have the strength, wisdom and ability to carry it out. We must not be downhearted when our prayers are not answered, but trust God wholeheartedly and remember that He loves us more than anything, for He sent His only son to die for us...His only son who prayed that He could be relieved of this duty. This is such an unexplainably powerful act and just begins to demonstrate God's love for us. So I encourage you to take the time to pray, for its in this time that we have a connection with our heavenly Father

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

(Phillipians 4:6)