~Footprints of my Life~

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed the set of footprints in the sand, one belonging to him and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, you 'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troubled times of my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why you would leave me when I needed you most."

The Lord replied,"My child. My precious child. I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

~Footprints of my Life~

Thursday, May 24, 2007

1st week of work

I started work this monday. Basically, I am helping out with relief teaching this week and I still don't know which class I will be taking yet. At first, I felt rather unimportant and 'extra' in school. In fact, when I knew that I would be relief teaching on monday, I was already thinking to myself that I couldn't wait for this week to end.

But now, in a way, I am glad that I am only relief teaching this week. In a way, short term relief teaching is a breeze as compared to the duties and responsibilities of a full fledged teacher. I can go home straight after 130 pm everyday. I also had time to explore the school and found 'the refuge', the staffroom of the chaplains in school!

I also realised that God had a purpose in allowing me to relief teach this week because by relief teaching, I get to see all sorts of classes from the p3 to the p6 level, from the best to the worst classes. And seeing these students really widened my perspective on classroom management and got me started on thinking of ways of how I can deal with children from different classes effectively. Should I have gotten a class immediately on Monday, I wouldn't have been able to see so many things. I must say that over the past few days, I have been challenged by some of the boys, esp. those from the p5 and p6 level. They would roll their eyes at me, treat me as invisible and continue to shout in the classroom and when I go up to them and ask them, "What are you doing?", they would have that defiant look on their face and tell me in a rude tone, "I do what I like to do lah!" Vulgarities (esp the f word) are also common. Really rebellious right? On the first day when I faced such a situation, I really got mad and shot back at them in a commanding manner and gave them my killer stare. They listened but I didn't feel good about it because I don't like to scold people, including students. I also know that such a method of handling the situation is a short term solution and am actually cultivating a 'hate' relationship between the student and myself. So I decided to look for better ways to deal with these students.

The next day, when the students spoke to me rudely, I would just reply in a polite and firm tone and the response from them was better. There were also 2 or 3 times where I would just gently bring the student aside and talk to them about using the f word. I asked them if they knew what the word meant and most of them don't know! I explained to them the meaning and all of them felt ashamed about using that word after they knew the meaning. One boy even cried! To those who knew the meaning and used such a word, I simply told them that using such a word reflects badly on yourself and not on others. Really, even if you are unhappy with someone because they did something unfair to you, the moment you use that filthy word, you will look more like a criminal than the person who did wrong. And yes, I personally hate that word. The moment I see it or read it, it turns me off immediately. Yes, you might be upset and everything but there are sooooo many ways to express your disappointment or anger, why do you have to use that word?! It is not even related to the situation! To some of you out there who are used to using this word, I hope you are not offended because I am not condemning the user but I am condemning the word! Teaching has really convinced me that parents and adults play a huge role in influencing kids with their usage of vocabulary... the next time you want to use this word, maybe you should ask yourself honestly this question, "Would I like to see my son/daughter use this word in the future?" If the answer is no, then I think it is time that you seriously consider to stop using that word completely.

On to other things, I got reunited with Kindness 4 today. And as expected, Gabriel (the most notorious boy) asked me, "Why are you back here?". I then went over and pinched his cheeks and said, "Because I missed you soooooooooo much!" Hahahaha....he actually got so paiseh but amazingly, he behaved better after that. I think his love language is physical touch and words of affirmation....HAHAHA. But I was really really happy to see all of them again. In my heart, this class is really special... they are naughty but cute in a way...think I must be nuts. =P

Tmr is their sports day and I will be helping out. I am just praying that things won't become too messy and the kids will be obedient. Hopefully, it will be a good end to this week before the weekend and the school holiday comes! yay!

MaRGaReT left her footprint @ 4:50 PM | 0 footprints

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

The Mayonnaise Jar and Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar....and the coffee....

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes".

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now" said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognise that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

MaRGaReT left her footprint @ 4:18 PM | 0 footprints

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Mr. Jeffrey Goh

I have been going to the respective enrichment programmes that MOE has planned for beginning teachers for the past few days. Out of the many talks/seminars, workshops etc., Mr. Jeffrey Goh's talk is the one that has left the deepest impression in my mind. His talk lasted for about 3 hrs and no, I didn't even shut my eyes for a minute during his talk. Instead, I spent the 3 hrs laughing my head off and feeling deeply inspired about my calling as a teacher at the end of the talk.

Here's a picture of him:

Ok, he is not exactly the most handsome guy around and this is a fact that he admitted himself...hahaha. In fact, he's 60 yrs old and married with about 30 years in the teaching profession. He is the one who informed the audience that day that Vanuatu Island is the world's happiest place out of a survey of 178 countries. Vietnam came in 12th and Philippines in the 17th place and guess what? Singapore came in 131st. In a country where the basic necessities (food, clothing, shelter and education) are comfortably provided and protected from natural disasters like tsunamis, floods and volcanic eruptions, Singaporeans are still not very happy with life.

Happy girls in Vanuatu Island

In stark contrast, Vanuatu Island only have coconuts and fish and the people there are the happiest. I thought about it and realised that this survey only highlighted a very sad nature of human beings in general and that is: the more they have....the more they want. It seems that humans can never be satisfied.

I thank God for this message by Mr. Jeffrey Goh. Earlier on, I had become increasingly unhappy with several issues and I realised that this unhappiness had stemmed from discontentment in my heart after the talk.

Some people may argue that Singapore cannot be compared to Vanuatu Island because the people in these two countries are exposed to different things right from the start and thus have different expectations towards life. Yes, I do agree with that but I think what we can learn from this survey is that we don't need to have many things or experience many things in order to be happy.

Happiness, as I found out, really starts from contentment.

Well, Mr. Jeffrey Goh shared many other inspiring and sometimes hilarious stories during his talk but it is impossible for me to write out everything here! I don't know if Mr. Jeffrey Goh is going to give any more talks. If he is and I happen to know about it, I am certainly going for it! It's rare to find a speaker who can make you laugh and can inspire you at the same time! =)

Btw, you can see for yourself the survey here.

MaRGaReT left her footprint @ 5:13 PM | 0 footprints

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Discernment

If you are feeling desperately confused or if you just need some God given clarity over certain issues in your life, perhaps an article that touches on the five principles of discernment will be of great help. The article is written by Eric Simmons who is a pastor from Covenant Life Church.

God Bless...

Labels: Articles

MaRGaReT left her footprint @ 11:16 PM | 0 footprints

Grateful

I couldn't really sleep last night because there were just too many thoughts running through my head. I wasn't worrying....I was just too happy. These two days allowed me to see for myself God's faithfulness and how well He took care of my needs.

For these 5 months, I was concerned about 2 main things: my school posting and my accomodation after I graduate. I wasn't really worried about accomodation yet because it still seemed like a far off thing. My posting, on the other hand was the thing that was weighing heavily in my mind even during practicum. I had taught in Pei Hwa Presbyterian for my previous and current practicum and was deeply drawn to the school mainly because I could strongly feel God's presence in school each and every day. In fact, I had a strong feeling that this was the school for me. However, accomodation would be a problem if I was posted back there because Pei Hwa was situated in Bukit Timah and the property prices there are rather steep. To add to that, competition was also especially stiff this year, there were about 10 graduating trainees posted to the school and there was no shortage of EL teachers there so I knew that the chances of being posted back there would be rather slim. So I was honestly confused as to what was God's will for me.

It was a confusing time and I struggled greatly with doubts but it was also an opportunity to trust in God, to trust that He would take care of all the problems if His will for me was to teach in His school.

After practicum ended, I rested for a week and started thinking about accomodation. Because of a bad experience in the past, I mentioned to my mum that I would prefer to rent a room from a Christian owner. She was rather displeased with me at first and felt that I should be flexible at this point in time. I was well aware that it was difficult to find a Christian house owner who was willing to rent out their rooms but I was too shaken by the bad experience to compromise on this aspect. I can only thank God that after my mum heard my explanation, she accepted it and was willing to pray alongside with me for a Christian owner. My only assurance then was my faith in God which at that time was already shaky because of the posting issue. This also made me realise that accomodation could very well be another big big headache for me.

2 days ago, my posting came out. This itself was already a miracle because I had asked my seniors in the past and even MOE personnel had informed us that our posting would be out in the 4th week of May. So the posting came out way earlier than expected. By the time I got my letter of posting from my uncle's place, it was already 6 pm and yes, I got back Pei Hwa Presbyterian primary school! I was so happy until I cried...I knew that this was the result of the prayers of many for me to go back there...the chaplains (preachers) in Pei Hwa, my mum, Aunt Toon Fung and of coz, myself. I was overwhelmed with gratitude that God had answered our prayers and chose to place me in His school and this time, for good. =)

At 8 pm, my mum received an sms from Aunt Toon Fung telling her that another church member had a room to rent in Singapore. Hallelujah! God is great. He not only answered my prayers to get posted back to Pei Hwa, he also answered my prayers of getting my accomodation from a Christian owner. And He chose to answer my prayers on the same day. That feeling was just.....incredible. You can say that my faith in God doubled after what had happened that miraculous day.

The next day, I went to see the room. What else can I say? God is great. The cross was hung proudly in the living room of the house. The room was big, the owner is kind (she is now a good talking buddy of my mum....haha) and she allows me to use the kitchen and sit in the living room as and when I like and I have a fellow sister in Christ who's about the same age as me as my housemate (the owner's daughter) and the house's near the MRT and amenities.

When I had a chat with the owner, I learnt that she had been praying for a Christian housemate for her daughter for six months. She had initially engaged a housing agent but when the agent heard about her criteria of a Christian tenant, the house agent gave up on her because it was hard to find a Christian who wanted to rented the room and so the room remained vacant.

I was praying for a Christian owner and she was praying for a Christian tenant. Although we were dismissed as being 'fussy' and had felt stuck at the time when we were praying, God was actively at work to unite owner and tenant at the right time.

Thank God for everything for he is indeed wiser than me. I have known from this experience that I can trust in Him to provide for my needs for He knows my needs even before I ask of them.

"Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete." John 16:24