# ??: The discipline of creative experimentation

Its awhile since I noted what I learnt because I've been away but I've tried to be intentional in my learning process this season of rest and vacation.

One of the things that has been on my mind at the start of the season - which knows no real date or time - is what am I to do with this 'energy' that I have. It's not an energy that needs release in finding a sport or the busyness of doing something. It's kinda like a latent energy that wants a release in making and creating something.

I asked Him a couple of times what I was to do with it and earlier on, it found its way in culinary experiments that translated to hospitality ministry in our new home. I managed to find a tie between, inviting people over, an opportunity to make something and learning something about cultures by referring to the Operation World book and cooking the cuisine of the country of mention.

I've also been listening to Patrick Dodson kudos to M.N.M.C. even before Land of the Rising Son Homecoming 2008. Its timely that his most recent podcast was a lecture he gave to the NZ YWAM School of Digital Media on 'Developing Your Creativity'. So that's what I learnt today

My takeaway is to speak life into others' energy and let that be a medium for life to be given into my own energy. I also like what he said that to be intentional in feeding and inspiring your imagination. And then, you have to start doing something - just for doing something, to at least get a momentum going because it won't happen if it remains latent.

Resolution: Be in the discipline of creative experimentation.

#13: If you draw all the threads together, the economic crisis is really the fault of...

Today I learnt from Tony Campolo that a lot of the responsibility of the current economic crisis lies on the shoulders of the US government. For one, they are the only ones with the real authority to tell Wall Street what to do. Secondly, the country and hence the global economy which is somehow benchmarked against theirs is in such deficit because of the high cost of their ongoing military campaign. This, we have heard little about. Thirdly, the deficit keeps running because they keep buying energy from the Middle East borrowing almost 2 billion and counting from China.

Could all this have been prevented? Totally - Al Gore had already suggested US focus on energy industries instead of the real estate so that they would be energy-independent. The public chose Bush instead and the industry he backed up. Remember what they keep telling us about the economic crisis and how its really all the banks fault with the sub-prime loans? Well, who chose against energy-generating industry for real estate? And where do the sub-prime loans come from? If they were energy-independent, they wouldn't be in such deficit and borrowing and the world probably wouldn't be in such a bad state. And of course, where the WMD? The military is spending US$250,000 a minute so why are they still there when they should be helping Afghanistan rebuild itself?

Thanks for nothing.

#12: Social Entrepreneurship lecture by Patrick Dodson.

Social Entrepreneur: Society's change agent; pioneer of innovations that benefit society. These are some avenues of social entrepreneurship and they are not exhaustive; poverty, justice, fair trade, environment, health, community and education

The Handbook on Faith, Hope and Love by Saint Augustine took a lot longer to get through than expected - the concepts aren't really hard to get my head around, but the language of the time was pretty convoluted. So, I thought I'd spend today reading up on the next book, God's Gravity: The Upside-down Life of Selfless Faith by Craig Borlase, which is contemporary. But it was so much harder than I thought it would be to start. Why?

Because it begs the question I've been pondering since I came back so long ago - what value am I adding to God's Kingdom doing what I do where I do now? Because, its a lot less easy to see it than when I was in Japan. (Thank God I'm due back for a visit in 4 days.)

I want to be an Ordinary Radical, I don't need more models and inspirations to know that my feet are itching to go somewhere and my hands want to do something that requires bold and selfless faith. The excuse is that I'm tied down by the work that I do that requires my time 12-15 hours a day and me to be here for the next 1.5-2 years. So, reading books like that really frustrates me.

Meanwhile, there is a creative energy in me that has been stewing. Literally. I realized that I can cook well enough to invite folks over to learn together what it means to follow Christ over a simple meal and with a home, I have a safe space for people to come together to meet, talk and do some simple social action like a clothes-swap. And, over the course of the last few months and weeks, I have come to realize the power of the written word - when I write about an issue or cause. I recycle paper even when I'm not supposed to (the copier and printer in the office has a sign that says, 'Do Not Use Recycled Paper' but who cares?), we take shopping bags and turn down plastic carriers, I try not to buy first-hand when possible and try to find a happy home for things I don't need, my power supply is on a timer to save electricity (less about global warming than about stretching our dollar). But all this 'green'-ness and what little I have done is not enough. I'm not doing enough of what I can do. Do I not feel enough for a cause? Any cause?!

I thought maybe I could go back to pursuing the cliched Literature BA graduates' dream of writing. I remember I wanted to write about my unique position as a diaspora (then), preanakan Singaporean seeking an identify for herself. It's really not so unique afterall now that I am back here. It's not the thing I could write about while I'm in this context. Maybe one day I'll get to write for YWAM International Adventures of my adventures in missions instead, but for now I have nothing to add value to.

I suppose I have a gift in the skills of Education, some reading and writing. But, my passion runs dry outside of work because it takes all of me when I'm there. So, once again, I don't have a learning point for today - just more questions to be answered.

#11 Reflective Practices

This actually sounds alot like one of the core modules they made me do in Teachers' College. I balked at the thought that I had to be thought how to 'reflect' because I thought the last 4 years on this blog would certainly undermine that assumption. There were actually four different models they discussed. I don't remember them very clearly.

I was updating my 30-days of learning and I realize I had nothing to really put my finger down on over the last 3-4 days. I know I've read a lot of about a variety of things and talked a lot with lots of people about stuff but I think this speaks of how unreflective I can be about what information gets input into my head. I know lots go in but unless I'm being absolutely conscious, I think a lot of learning doesn't stay in.

I think this is learning point for myself as a learner and as a teacher.

#7: Customer-centred Service

I've been doing some trading online - mostly finding happy homes for some of the things I don't have use for anymore. I try to practice the same service to my buyers that I would expect as one. But I realize in a small way today, sometimes merchants are really in a hard place. I bend backward to please one and in doing so, enrage another. The wake of a trail of an angry customer can be destructive.

And that is why, I shall continue my letter-writing as a customer myself and ask ask ask!

#6: Meet The People Session

I've been emboldened by the positive responses I've had to my recent letter-writing escapades. Ask and you will receive (within reasonable limits of course)! Dad has always been an avid letter-writer and now that I see why, I am going to use letter-writing for social activism.

What I did learn yesterday though, is in MTP-sessions, you just have to go up and ask! Now I geddit!

#5: Apple cobbler

Today I had a few girls over to do some christmas bakin'! Chrissy is just an excuse - other than cookies, I haven't done real dessert baking. I also love apple pie, apple crumble but not apples. So, today, I learnt how to make apple cobbler. Somewhere in between.

I learnt what makes the sticky stuff in apple pie and how to make it. There's nothing spesh about my apple cobbler, its not going to hit the shelves and then fly right off, but its country-styled, simple to make and most importantly, home-made!

#4: Red-letter Christians: believers who transcend party politics and the Evangelicalism that has been exploited to simple be active-followers of Jesus, from the red letter words in the bible i.e., spoken by Jesus.

#3: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'. 3 things: Jesus has gone away to become King, 2nd: There will be a time delay before he comes back and the 1st: In the meantime, we are given resources to put to work.