I am not trying to tell you anything.

THE CRAZY ONE

I know this thirty-plus year old guy, he's a bit 'different'. He hasn't got a job (not a 'real' one anyway), his previous job would be 'blue-collared'. He has never had a girlfriend, got no home, some of his family think he could be doing more with his life. He likes moving from place to place, kinda like a drifter, mostly to meet new people. He didn't come from a 'good' neighborhood either, from the low-end heartlands and obviously didn't go to all the right schools. So, he hasn't got all the right network of 'acceptable' people as friends and oddly enough, his friends don't always see eye to eye with him.

Such an interesting guy, the kind of person I'd like to hang out with - I think. I wonder if my friends met him, what they would think of him - or me. They think I'm crazy already at least :-)

Because the one who is crazy enough to think he can change the world, is the one who does.

A LITERARY COSTUME PARTY

MORE TO LEARN

I try to remember in any people group I live in - including Singapore - that I will always have more to learn than I will be able to give. That's because God will always teach each and every willing heart that wants to learn about Jesus and love Jesus more. Whether mission field or homeland, our attitude should not be as a 'savior'. That is not our job. Our job first and foremost is simply this: to love your neighbour as yourself. We go because we love Jesus and because Jesus told us to love our neighbours, not because we have something bigger, better and brighter that will save them.

Academic term is just about done. Man, what a crazy couple of months. My brain was definitely running on reserve the last few weeks. Two more weeks till Indonesia!

Looks like i will also be going to Vietnam!

UPDATES ON WORK

Some parts of the last few weeks have been spent in discussion over where I will work and what I will teach. I've already turned down one good school on the Bukit Timah stretch - I do not want to teach brats like me. period. - and its almost in the bag that I will teach in a forward-thinking experimental christian school that has adopted the home room system of teaching (they call it 'Learning Centres'. Whatever. Just more catchphrases).

There is just the small possibility of working at another school which works on the International Baccalaureate program. It's a bratty school but the prospect of teaching the IB is very tempting. Don't have much of a 'leading' on the school yet so we'll see where God takes me.

Meanwhile, campus is crazy. And there are a million deadlines in the next two weeks. But in 14 days time, I should be cruising :-) Then its off to Indonesia for half a month to work with the Dayak tribe youth. Looking forward to that too.

I HATE CATCHPHRASES

"Please come to this important event, I will be sharing with you what the Lord has placed upon his heart"
- yes. what will be the agenda? and on what parameters?

"I went to (insert 3rd World Country) and saw many miracles, many signs and wonders"
- And, what would that be?
"I saw the blind see and the lame walk"
- That is mighty descriptive. Thanks. Take a lesson from the bible then "Jesus SPAT on the man's eyes", "the woman TOUCHED Jesus' robe". That was explicit, no wonder that makes it more believable.

"... insert disagreed point.. please (to someone) or I will (when speaking about oneself) .... pray about it..."
- Now this one is tricky. It is important to pray about things and seek God's authority and all that but its also too often used in replacement of "that is not the decision I want you to make. Please change it (if you can find it within your heart o displease/disappoint me)." - Unfortunately, on me, that will not work if I have already thought a decision to its end and made my mind up about it. It's just short of a plea and I would have more respect for you if you just said what was exactly on your mind.

Other mumbo-jumbo from work

"activate mental schema"
"provide mental learning scaffolding" - in the classroom.

Be explicit. Ask, "Can you tell me what exactly that is?"

Know any more dumb catchphrases? Let me know.