Wedding photos

Found a few wedding photos on Karen's handphone when she attended my wedding about 4 years ago:

My beautiful and lovely bride

Serving tea to my mother

My family and relatives with us

An insightful read

4 Ways to Lead Like Jesus

by Perry Noble

I believe Jesus was the best leader that has ever lived. Seriously, look at what HE accomplished with just three years of a public ministry…it’s STILL impacting people all over the world. In today’s post…I wanted to cover four things (and there ARE way more than four) that I believe Jesus did that made Him an effective leader.

#1 – Jesus Spent Time With His Inner Circle

The idea that the leader cannot be close with the people he works with simply isn’t Christ like. Jesus did not isolate Himself from “his staff,” but rather He did life and ministry with them. The leader who is afraid to be known by the people he has been called to serve with is in a dangerous place as he either thinks himself better than them or is quite possibly trying to hide something from them. Jesus didn’t lead through fear…He led through relationships and these only become stronger as we spend time with one another. In fact, He actually called them His friends (see John 15:15.) If Jesus can be friends with His “staff”, then why can’t we do the same?

#2 – Jesus Was More About Who His Followers Were Becoming Than What They Were Doing

If a leader cares more about the work his staff produces rather than the fruit that the Lord is producing in them, then he will often put his team in a dangerous place because he will attempt to DRIVE them through his agenda rather than attempt to lead them through the Lord’s agenda. He knew if they developed fully devoted hearts for Him that the quality of their work would show it!

#3 – Jesus Was Patient With Those Closest To Him

As we read the Gospels we never see Jesus going on a rant against His disciples. Sure, there are places where He offers correction and/or rebuke…but this is the exception, NOT the rule…and He does not go on and on for chapter after chapter. He addresses the issue and then moves on. He approaches His “staff” with a patient attitude and does not assume that just because someone makes a mistake that they are either disloyal to Him or simply an idiot who is incapable of doing anything signifiant. A leader that is always losing his/her temper with others because “they don’t get it” usually does not realize that the reason many people don’t “get it” isn’t because they are lacking intelligence but rather because they haven’t been led well.

(And…btw…when Peter “blew it” by denying Christ…Jesus did not write him off or “fire him,” he went from Jerusalem to Galilee to find him and restore him to the ministry! See John 21! Great leaders don’t look to fire people first…they look to walk them through the mistake and restore them!)

#4 – Jesus Was Not Paranoid

One of the craziest things that takes place in Christian leadership circles is the incredibly insane idea that a leader always needs to be paranoid about which staff are and are not with him…and who might ultimately betray him. Jesus KNEW He was going to be betrayed by Judas…and yet that did not distract Him from what God had called Him to do. (In fact, I would argue that Judas’ betrayal ultimately led to Jesus moving into a greater place!!!)

If you are in leadership long enough someone WILL betray you…it will hurt; however, that does not give us an excuse to run around and constantly create an atmosphere of fear and doubt on our staff and call everything that we don’t like or perceive as an attack against an idea we might have as “disloyal.”

The better question for a leader to ask is NOT, “are these people for me,” but rather, “am I for these people?” Because…if a staff knows that the leader loves them, that he wants the best for them and is willing to fight to lead them, love them and be patient with them, then betrayal is far less of a threat than the leader who is always freaking out about who might and might not be fully sold out to the vision.

Date with my wife

Peiru and I took a break from work and ministry on Monday night. We went to a restaurant to have dinner and surprisingly there was live piano music. We really enjoyed the ambience in the restaurant. Below are a few photos:

The table by the window

My beautiful wife

The white piano and I

Team Singapore

Thank God for Pastor Jeff who visited us in Ecuador. It was a great time of fellowship. We really enjoyed his friendship and his jokes. :)

Team Singapore in Ecuador

Beautiful Quito

This is a photo taken from the company of my student while I was waiting for him for class. Quito is beautiful! :)

Mountains in Quito

Nurse reveals the top 5 regrets people make on their deathbed

By Bronnie Ware (who worked for years nursing the dying)

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn't work so hard.

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly,in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved.Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip.But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks,love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have sillyness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again,long before you are dying.

Dinner in the house of Agustin and Carol

We went to visit Peiru's student, Carol in her house yesterday. Carol's husband, Agustin is a chef so we really had some good food for dinner. Below are some photos:

Chef Agustin cutting the chilli

Chicken with Mexican mole sauce