Praying the Prayer Again

I realized that I've been echoing the same prayer I prayed in June last year. I guess God is not done with me praying this again as the Spirit works this in me.

God, grant me a broken and humble spirit so that your Spirit can work in and through me.

God, grant me a heart that overflows with love so that it vanquishes my fears and insecurities.

God, grant me an attitude of working in unity so that your local body can fulfill its calling in this city.

God, grant me the courage to walk worthy in response to your calling.

Above all, God, grant me grace and strength daily, allowing me to live in this tension – between what is and what it should be.

Ollie

Apr 2008

Life in the Arena

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."

- Theodore Roosevelt

Small things with Great Love...

We can do no great things, only small things with great love.

- Mother Teresa

Small things with great love. I remember Paul writing in his letter to the Corinthian Church, "So now faith, hope , and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13. The challenge for us then remains: Are we able to continue to do small things with great love, or are we enamored by the pursuit of big programmes and goals (which may actually be our ambition to fulfill our own egos and find our significance in our works)?

Ollie
Apr 2008

Do it Anyway!

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

- This version is credited to Mother Teresa, found written on the wall in Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta. Original version “The Paradoxical Commandments” by Dr Kent M Keith.

A timely reminder, a creed to live by. :)


Ollie

Apr 2008

Rest

Fatigue setting in... time to rest.

Rest is the antidote to pride; You realise that the world does not really need you and your efforts - things still get done; events move forward; and people live their life as best they can. Rest is learning to let go and trust God to accomplish what you cannot. Mostly rest is reclining at the feet of Jesus like Mary, choosing the one thing that is important.

Time to rest.

Ollie
Apr 2008