Doodles

As my doodle shows, VISION refers to the destination. This answers the question "where do you want to go?" or "what do you want to be?"

"a rich man" 

MISSION refers to the path that you will follow to reach your vision. This answers the questions "how do you reach your vision?" or "what path are you taking to reach your vision?"

"be a rich man by being a successful business man!" 

GOALS are markers along the path that tells you, you are in progress towards your vision. These are your checklist that you have to watch out.

"start my own business. earnings of this much by year 3. have 10 branches by year 10..."

Since Chinese New Year is still happening next week, it is not yet late to finalize our goals for 2012. 

And my Life Group talked about yesterday, as Paul shared to us the diagram above, differentiating Vision, Mission and Goals and identifying the importance and the interdependence of each element to each other.

What we focus on is the GOALS part, which has to be SMART! 

S - specific - what? who? where? when? 

M - measurable - what are the criteria? 

A - actionable - what are the action plans?

R - realistic - is this realistic to you? 

T - timely - when is your deadline?

now, are you ready to set your goals this 2012? 

or in some case, you may check your goals if they are SMART! :) 

  

Reason to LOVE

I just want to share this video which was shown to me during my victory weekend.
Ever since, this became a very effective reminder to me that whenever I feel lost and tempted, I'll just watch this to remind myself the greatness of God's LOVE to me (that made Him sent his one and only son to suffer and experience this cruelty, to regain my relationship with Him). Isn't that amazing??  

And remembering this LOVE always gives me the motivation and reason to LOVE Him back and LOVE others as well. 

Mission Accomplished!

Last year, I joined our team who went to a 10-day mission in Cambodia.

The mission is to be a blessing to the church, which by then, is just being started.

One of the activities is to go to the nearby University and look for students who we can plug in to the Life Class of the church and eventually to become a disciple.

I know that one my greatest weaknesses is my PR Skills. 

I'm not fond of talking and connecting to strangers.

I'm shy. I'm not confident.

So I was worried.  

I asked one of my teammates, "What if I have no students to bring to the Life Class??"

"Ano ka ba?", she answered me with questions, "Asan ang FAITH mo bro??"

And this really struck me.

That night, I prayed to God and asked Him to be with me during the University visit and to equip me, so that I speak the right words to convince the student to come with me.

I was reminded of this experience by the story of Moses.

Moses was given a task to set free the Israelites from Egypt.

This was not an easy task, as shown when Moses bargained his way out of the mission. 

He asked God what if his fellow Israelite don't listen to him, he also pointed out that the Pharaoh may not listen to him as well, and he reminded God that public speaking was not his forte.

Like me, Moses did not realize the power and the greatness of God - that HE IS ABLE to provide him what he needs to complete the mission. 

This is very important when God calls us to do something, whether it's just a small-scale or a big mission. Our weaknesses must not stop us from carrying out this assignment, because with this marching order from God come His strength, and assistance. 

We must always remember that the success of the mission does not depend on our SKILLS but on our FAITHFULNESS.

So as the story goes, God still chose Moses, despite his hesitations.

He gave Moses the strength and skills to deliver the Israelite out of Egypt.

And he was able to do this. 

And for me? God is so good that the next day after I prayed, He gave me not one, not two but THREE students! :)

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! 

Miracles

Miracles do come true, when you put Jesus at the center of your life :)

Collaboration

I was reading a John Maxwell book about being a good team player.

Chapter 2 talks about COLLABORATION.

Collaboration is working together aggressively.
Cooperation is working together agreeably.

According to it, becoming a collaborative team player requires a change in focus in 4 areas:
1. Perception - See teammates as COLLABORATORS, not as COMPETITORS.
2. Attitude - Be SUPPORTIVE, not SUSPICIOUS to team mates.
3. Focus - Concentrate on the TEAM, not on YOURSELF.
4. Result - Create VICTORIES through MULTIPLICATION.

This chapter really struck me, because of the following, which not everybody knows about me.
1. When I was working with a person that I don't enjoy being with, I am not that cooperative and supportive of his/her efforts.
2. I enjoy working alone, I think that my work become slower and less effective when others are involved.
3. I am a suspicious person in nature (sorry!). Sometimes, I can't help myself looking at the dark side.
4. Most of the time in making decisions, the "what's-in-it-for-me?" question is a consideration.

Thus, I am not a collaborative team player. Or am I even a team player?

This 2012, I promise myself that I will enhance this area of mine.

But how to do that?
The book also suggest some tips to become a collaborative team player.
1. Think win-win-win. I win, you win, the team wins!
2. Complement others. Work together with a person who has strengths in the area of my weakness.
3. Take myself out of the picture. Get in a habit of asking what's the best for the team, not whats convenient for me.

In summary, I have to be selfless, think more of others and always put in mind the bigger goals that has to be accomplished. 

God Blessed the Broken Road

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

This song reminds me of how faithful our God is.

God bless the BROKEN road, that lead me straight to you.

I am sure that some of us can relate in its present context - relationships.

Top of mind scenario is that a girl who had a bad break-up with her boyfriend (or worse, fiance) and she was crying in a cafe then a good looking man who happened to be just passing by, saw him and lend her a handkerchief. And so on and so forth, and they lived happily ever after.

When God said he will give us our "THE ONE", surely, He will!

And in this case, God can use our past relationships to bring us to this "THE ONE".

But come to think of it, we can use it in other context.

One of my favorite example is the story of Joseph (yes, the dreamer). When Joseph was still a child, he was thrown into a hole in the ground by his envious brothers, he was sold as a slave, he was accused of rape by his boss's wife, and forgotten by the cupbearer that once promised him to mention his freedom to the Pharaoh. If anyone has to be angry about how things in his life turned out, it was him.

But years passed by, Joseph became the right hand of the Pharaoh and eventually saved Egypt from the famine. And also because of this, he was able to save his family from hunger.

You see? If Joseph's brother did not sell him as slave, the entire household probably died.

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good...", according to Joseph.

God blessed the envy of his brothers, that lead Joseph to saving the entire Egypt and his family from the famine. And this paved way for the birth of Moses, and then David, and then Jesus!

Obviously, God knows what He was doing. He has a plan. He sees the big picture. We don't.

It's a matter of TRUST in Him, a complete submission of our life to Him and believing that He will never lead us to nothing.

It's all part of a GRANDER plan, that is coming true!

Can you imagine what's His GRAND plan in your life?

Why He allowed such not-so-good things to happen to you?

Guys, we have a faithful God, what He was 1 million years ago, is still what He is right now. What He promised 2 million years ago, He will fulfill!

God, give us the ability to remain faithful to You, as You are faithful to us.