Random thoughts, rants and reflections

through a variety of reasons, haven't been able to blog much these days.... busy with other stuff on hand, and just so many things flying by me that I don't have time to process my thoughts. but now, lemme just take the chance to blog some thoughts about few things that happened over the past week...

End of GSP: Personal take...
GSP 2006 came to an end on Nov 4th with our last gig at Agape Center. GSP has been quite a steep learning curve for me, and this is not just because of the gigs themselves. Rather, the challenge for me so far has been coming to grips with the intensity of preparations in the lead-up to our season. Toes-trampling, egos crushed, pride squashed, occasional conflict resolution and management... these were so part of my learning process. the busyness of our schedule served to 'educate' me at a faster pace than what I'm used to. Learning the ropes of Leadership is one highlight also. Maybe for the first time, I actually felt out-of-depth at times while leading the team. The dynamics in STIR is so much different from the teams I led in the past, and this required a vastly different skill-set from me - and I struggled to come up with the goods. Still, I'm glad and almost grateful for the opportunity to learn, and to be free to make mistakes on the job. In any other company, I'll most probably have been sacked by now. hehz.

And speaking about the gigs, I'm personally pleased to see the initial fruits of our labour. Hearing stories about how our songs have ministered, and learning about the stats of our full-e gigs, I'm assured that STIR is heading the right direction.

It's still not the end of STIR's season, in Dec we'll be having a series of gigs at a few churches and public places. Do checkout STIR's site on multiply for the schedule.

The Power of Specific Prayer...
helped out at Brian + Esther's wedding over the weekend, and was personally encouraged and reminded that God is always in control. It was an outdoor wedding dinner - the setting was just perfect with the lawn by the sea, classy music in the background. The only wildcard for that day was the weather, and prior to that my cg had been praying, alongside the couple, for the right conditions for the outdoor thing to happen. Brian and Esther went a step further, asking for (in their own words), "no haze, no rain, clouds, nice sunset and a little breeze". And guess wat, they got what they prayed for! The result was a perfect experience by the sea in Sentosa, and all this while it was pouring cats and dogs in mainland Singapore.

My Washed-Out Retreat @ Sentosa
haha... and maybe i should have been just as specific when praying for the weather. my retreat today was going well - until it poured. but still, i'm thankful for the time spent with God alone. Just love it when I have time alone to slow things down, process some thoughts and connect with God. cool.

The Immediate future...
people have been asking me 'what's next' after this year of stint is over. This is a question I've been in the process of answering all year long..... and right now I believe I have the answer for myself. Keeping the card close to my chest though.... =)

All I'd say at the moment is that I think I'm at the right place (with ForeRunner) at my current phase of life. There are just so much opportunities for growth and I believe that just this year alone, I'd gotten more than what I bargained for in terms of experience and learning opportunities. Come Dec, my decision will be out.