2:48 PM


With much appreciation
I thank Thee Lord
For the trials
For the tribulations

With much gratefulness
I thank Thee O God
For thine Indescribable grace
For thine Indescribable mercies

With much praise
I thank Thee O Mighty Ruler
For thy unflappable commands
For thy never changing standards

With much joy
I thank Thee O Father
For thine unfailing love
For thine gift of salvation
2:23 PM


A few years back...a lot of us look dark BUT there
are actually some angmohs & chinese in the pic too!
We were playing under conditions of 2 degrees by the way...


Sports Science! Some of you might know that i'm pursuing this basic exercise course at Sports Council. A lot of this past month (January) has gone by, with me being unable to contain my glee at the fact that i am actually studying something i can relate to so well and something that i really enjoy! It has been playing on my mind a lot! Why am i so happy?! Sometimes even like a small kid who's so excited at being given something that he's been eyeing for eons? Sometimes i just rattle incessantly about it to some of you peeps?

Ever since i started training and playing at an international level few years back (i'm not anymore), i learnt that professional competitive sport was more than just running around and doing your stuff. Lots of factors contributed to that "just running around and doing your stuff". And it intrigued me. Seeing how the body could be analysed, strengthened, watched over and maximised in terms of its physical potential etc.

It was just amazing that a sports scientist could just come over to me and tell me a couple of things to work on in my training and find that it actually did matter and not only that, i could do it better after applying what he told me and at the same time was protecting my body by doing it the right way too. Why do sportsman have so many injuries nowadays? A good reason is that, even at the highest competitive level, some people still do things the wrong and abnormal way. Some people are really good at a certain sport, but because of their style which puts so much pressure on their body, their body breaks down faster. The process of having to analyse their movements, and how their movements contributed to their physical downfall and having to counter their problems bla bla bla...it just goes on and on. And i could go on and on as to why and how it interests me and how it thrills me especially because i have seen and experienced myself how beneficial the subject is!

I just found it all very very interesting! I started collecting my own notes, manuals, articles...files of em! Went around talking to people who knew about the subject, learnt about it in a very practical and applicable manner when i was playing and experienced the benefits of sports science myself! Now whatever i've learnt over the years by training, by reading and word of mouth... i will be taught all that in detail! The thought of that... *drools*...

Just recently, i was looking through all i had compiled over the years. I was just wondering as to why the Lord didn't grant me the opportunity to pursue that interest so many years back when i was playing competitively and had a very good reason to learn then. But as i look back, i realise that it really has been His timing. He has changed and moulded me over the years, and still is, to know that it is all His providence.

And How! In His timing, he has brought me across this path of study. A few years ago i wouldn't have been so thankful to the Lord. I would have been more delighted for myself. But now... really, all glory goes to God for being so gracious to allow me to pursue this interest of mine!

Honestly that's really the reason why i get so excited sometimes talking about it or sharing my experiences about it. Coz i am just so amazed that the Lord has given me this opportunity that i'm just so thankful for it! I don't know how else to share my thanksgiving or my joy. I am just so grateful that i had the chance to pursue this exercise course at Sports Council. It was like... " waaaahhh!!! All these years i've really been wanting to study all this!!" I think it is only right that with what i learn i use to serve the Lord. And i find that i am able to do bits and pieces of that with the younger people in ministry. And i can't wait to see how much more i can serve the Lord through it in the future! (But before i go that far...let me do my degree in sports science first yea :p)

Ahhh...i'm just really really grateful to the Lord because it really is His grace in action!

You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Ramble Yusoff :)

Labels: A Time of Thankfulness

11:12 AM


At church now...Waiting to go to Jean Shen's place now...

Browsing for pics to design the latest Cleansing Stream Advert. Wanted to use my last 2 designs from the previous 2 years but the Photoshop files are in my VAIO. And my VAIO is currently with the SONY people... the side of the screen split when it was dropped...i'm not sure when i'll get it back...sooooo... must do a new design... maybe that's a good thing too...

A few of us are gonna do some running at Bedok Reservoir later. Been eating energy bars, chocolate and a bit of bread...trying to stock up all the energy and carbs. Kan chiong man! Haven't run for like 4 - 5 months...*jittery*...Wasn't well today morning either...so even more kan chiong!

Aiyah...just run la huh?

Since i'm waiting...i think i'll post up my December '08 RL here also...

December
Crazy month!

Really, really crazy…

Not only did work get crazier, so did the level of ministry at both church & SNP level. It’s sheer madness when you have to study too at the same time. I recall very vividly, working non-stop from Friday early morning to the next day morning (Saturday) and then going for ChristmaSing practice from afternoon till evening and having various Christmas Banquet meetings that night and then going back home to study into the wee hours of the night to prepare for my upcoming test in school. Almost 40 hours of non-stop action without any sleep.

The Problem

Tiredness was an everyday thing in December. That tiredness was very “short-sighted”. What do I mean?

Amidst all the busyness and tiredness I once again failed to see God’s sovereign hand working. I think it was a struggle that I had been struggling with ever since school had started, more so during the even more hectic period in December. Instead of being able to look far and see that the Lord may have been using these experiences to mould me or teach me or draw me closer to Him, I could only look at the present busyness and tiredness and whine at God. That’s what I mean by short-sighted.

Jeremiah tells of how the Lord kept on reminding Israel to return to Him. “Return, faithless Israel” the Lord, God told them. James tells us to draw near to Him and He will draw near to us. Quite a few times, I felt like I was being reminded to just return to the Lord, to seek solace in Him, to seek renewed strength in Him. But all those times I chose to retreat into a cocoon and just try and sleep away or not bother about the cause of my tiredness. Focusing on the work, literally kept sapping the strength out of me. The joy started to diminish. Where was that joy that came from knowing of my salvation that was given to me freely? It started to become more blur as the focus really drew away from the Lord.

Where was my focus on the Master of all this work? Christ doesn’t want me to focus merely on His work. He puts His works in my life so that through those works I can focus on Him! But that became quite difficult in January.

The Outcome

However, as shared during the retreat, I am very thankful for the experiences that came my way in December. Though I may not have exactly been jumping around singing, “Hallelujah!” during that period when facing the problem, I do thank the Lord for what He brought my way.

On hindsight, I realize where my problems lay. I found that during times of intense busyness and tiredness I didn’t really go to the Lord with a sincere heart that was looking to Him. It was more of an “I’m going to Him because I know I should be going to Him” but nothing more than that. I relied a lot on my own strength during this period and that really played a big part in me being drained out. And so I’m more determined now to not let my past mistakes repeat themselves.

I was reminded too by Romans that the only reason we are able to serve is coz of the grace of God and His mercies to us. Therefore there is no reason for us to not have joy. Because the very fact that we are able to actually serve is only because He enabled and allowed us to! And that alone is an excellent reason for us to be joyful! SO whenever I’m tired, or whenever I’m so busy…do pray that I may not be ignorant of the Lord’s everlasting grace and mercy to me!

I also grew even more thankful of the people around me too during this period. Especially to all those who assisted my in the running of Christmas Banquet, I really thank God for each and EVERY ONE of you. Amy, Daryl, Kenneth, Jean Le and a few other people outside the SNP circle. Your capabilities, willingness and your patience to put up with my inept planning, I am so thankful for!

To Ivy, Jean Shen, Romans, Gwen and Ben, the extra time and effort you put into helping, teaching, guiding and encouraging (+ scolding – but that was only Romans :P) me, are great examples for me to follow and really inspired me to hopefully be able to do the same for others, sometime down the road when I am capable of it.

Last but not least, thanks be to God – in every sense! I have learnt more about myself as a child of God, I have learnt a bit more about what it takes to run a ministry & events and I really thank God for that! And I have certainly learnt to be more aware, trusting and thankful of the Lord’s Sovereign hand and His gracious & merciful character.


Isaiah 40:30 – 31
“Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Thank You Lord!


© Ramble Yusoff King Of Potatoes

January RL coming soon...

ok gotta go now...have to reach JS's place in 10 minutes...


8:57 PM