Phew, six seven eight and there it is, Nine. It's the last hours of the last day of the last month of the year.

I thought Forrest Gump's saying aptly summed up 2008 ; 'Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get'. Amen to that. Life in 2008 was filled with surprises from low trying tides to great memorable times. It opened my eyes to discover what I have yet not seen and taught me various valuable life lessons, although those lessons tends to leave behind scars.

Looking back, I thought this year turned out pretty well. I enjoyed each second of it and appreciate every moment it had to offer. I'm grateful the year is ending well.

If I could share with you one thing I learnt this year it is this; Love life. I've learnt to be thankful for every single thing life has to offer; the joy, the pain, the hurt, the laughter, the stupidity, the craziness, the wreck, the helplessness, the "I don't know what's next" predicaments, the love, the everything. These things reminds me that I'm alive.

I thank God for a great 2008 and I pray that 2009 will be no less greater or bigger than the previous years. I walk into 2009 with my arms raised up and head lifted high knowing I've finished my race in 2008; and another finish line awaits me.

I'll end this year with the saying 'Life is something that everyone should try at least once'.


Philip loves Life.

It has come to that time of the year again; the one where I over explain myself about the flashing days that passed and how this year came and went so quickly. I guess I'll do it differently this year. We stand 12 days away from a new year and to triangulate and think about it in a different light, we actually have 12 days left for 2008 to complete what could have been. With not much time left at hand but still ample to conclude 2008 the best we can, I think it's about time we moved our butts than move our checklist to the following year.

We start out each year with hopes and dreams to achieve and the determination to make sure that each task on our checklist is ticked before the end of each year. The checklist maybe long or short but the one essential thing I learnt this year was that each task on the list needed a timeline to comply to. The timing from the beginning to when the task will be completed or perhaps that itself a hope to a fruition of a dream. Without that, a dream remains a dream with no practical thought put in or any effort the least to making the dream real.

That in mind, we've got 12 days, merely less than 288 hours to cross out the most on our checklist before the inevitable strikes and we dawn upon a new year. And before we start reflecting the year that was and start contemplating on planning the year that could have been again, I'll take this 12 short days to end this very year the way I dreamt it could and would have been. A wise man once said, 'It's not how you start the race, but how you end them'.

The year started well for me but the end seemingly clouded with worries and anticipation of what future it holds. Faith is a funny maneuver I'm grappling to understand. While its easier said than done, faith keeps you on the edge of your seat ready to topple you over at any time; very much unexpected like rough waves in the ocean. You won't know how big the next wave will hit and whether you'll fall and be divulged by the greatness of the sea. Or if you will be able to swim and get back on the board in anticipation of the next great hit of the waves. The irony of it all is the persistence in waiting for the next big wave to come, waiting in worries and excitement that perhaps the wave will collide at me, or perhaps it may possible be that I stood at the right time on my board and live every surfer's dream of riding that giant wave.

Yes, faith is a funny thing that I still find intriguing to understand. I still can't grapple every sense of the meaning of the word, but I learnt that it is all about timing. Faith doesn't fail. It just waits for the right time before it explodes and it soars you above the circumstances. After writing a little about it, I realized that faith needs time. Taking the first few steps of faith may be the toughest, but faith in Jesus never fails.

Let's go back to timing. I said we can and should plan our timing to meet our dreams. But above and beyond our own timing, there is His timing. We can plan everything, but not everything will go according to plan. Faith takes over when plans doesn't meet our timing, and when it chooses to meet His timing.

It's all about timing. But with what we have left, lets make our last 12 days of this year count!


Have yourself a blessed christmas!



*The post this time is long. I guess I had alot to say and tell myself. If you have read it, I hope it stirred something to think about.

After 10 weeks, I bid my farewell to Milk + Co. Many were puzzled at why and what led to my speedy exit. To me, it was the simplest yet the toughest decision to make. Simplest being the fact that I knew I had to leave this behind to allow the other priorities in my life continue to be a priority. The toughest was to let go without anything really left to hang on to. This is perhaps the first time I made a decision without any Plan B to catch me if I falter.

Beyond the internal struggles, there is the external pressure from the outsiders that couldn't and wouldn't be more empathetic than to pass an instant judgment on hearing my exit. Those that mutters under their breath "Ah, He doesn't know what He wants.. He is not serious with his life.. He gave up so easily.. and my personal favorite; Ah, He is not responsible". I shrug those comments and allow them not to have a sting at me.

I rather not explain the reason for my departure. Everyone seems to already want to believe their own thoughts and have their own preconceived ideas. Yes, everyone works late nights and sacrifice substantially to their career. I get that. But I wasn't willing to give up everything including God and his work for my own. And because I couldn't find a balance to both, one had to go. I chose the prior.

It was the longest contemplation and prayer that finally led to an epiphany and an assurance that He, the one that feeds the sparrow daily has a greater plan bigger than I can comprehend.

And He needed some space to move; space which only I could give. With that, I stuck on to hope, like how a tongue is stuck to a frozen pole- really really stuck; and take that leap of faith with worry and anticipation of what the next chapter holds. I'll just let go this time and let the Author write the next chapter as He wish. If horror and pain follow suit or joy and happiness, I'll just continue to run and run and run with only one thing in mind; I LET GO, I LET GOD.

The story of Paul came to mind and reminded me that not every story finishes well but it can still be a heck of a finish! I'll enjoy this race!