A Long, Winding & Steep Journey

I am delighted to share that I have been recently promoted to full professorship in NUS. The promotion will be backdated to July 2016. I am humbled by the many congratulatory notes and kind words from friends, colleagues, and ex-students.

How do I feel? Happy and relieved at the same time. Happy for reaching a summit in the academic profession. Relieved because the road I have traveled, from my PhD (1995-1998) to promotion and tenure (2006) and full professorship (2016), has been a long and steep one.

Florida (2015)

Looking back, I have never felt that I was ever walking alone. I am truly grateful for the love and support of my family, friends, colleagues and students, and especially my endearing (and enduring) wife who walked with me and cheered me on each step of the way. Above all, I knew God was with me all the way and His grace is sufficient for me.

I have been reflecting on the experience. It has been a long and winding journey, but an enjoyable and educational one nonetheless. A few valuable lessons learnt along the way:

• “do not allow adversity to rob me of my joy”;
• “work hard and give thanks in all circumstances”;
• “stay calm and enjoy the scenery while on a detour”;
• “it doesn’t matter how slow you go so long as you don’t stop”;
• “no journey is too long with the right company”; 
• “stay humble: do not let success go to your head”; 
• “in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of other“
• Do not judge people by their peak of excellence, but by the distance they have travelled from the point where they started” (H.W. Beecher). 

In my quiet contemplation, I am reminded of the inspiring sculpture, “Way of Life” by Jonathan Clarke in the Cathedral of Ely, England. The sculpture depicts life’s many unexpected twists and turns as we journey on the winding road from darkness to light.  Highlighting its symbolic impact, the Cathedral of Ely noted: “Like the journey of faith, its path is irregular and unpredictable; and just as the journey is sometimes hard, sometimes joyful, the surface texture and colour also vary.”

Yet, I am aware that this is not the end. No one can stay on the summit forever; the journey must continue... There are new places to travel and more peaks to conquer. I will remain faithful to my calling; be an inspiration and a light to those around me - first, burning brightly as a candle on a stand and second, reflecting Gods' radiance as a mirror. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

 

Once again, thank you so much for your blessing of friendship.

 

A Friendly Trail

"Try leaving a friendly trail of little sparks of gratitude on your daily trips. You will be surprised how they will set flames of friendship that will be rose beacons on your next visit."

- Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends & Influence People.

Monuments & Legacy

LEGACY - What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.... “If I have done any deed worthy of remembrance, that deed will be my
monument. If not, no monument can preserve my memory” - Agesilaus II.

"Monuments! What are they? The very pyramids have forgotten their builders, or to whom they were dedicated. Deeds, not stones, are the true monuments of the great." - John Lothrop Motley.

photo: pryamids of Giza, Egypt (Dec 2010)

I Believe There is More!

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God." Ezekiel 11:18-20

.

Happy New Year! What is your wish for the new year/decade? I am not sure about you, but what I asked from God is an undivided heart and a new spirit. Hence, my meditation over the last few weeks of 2009 focused on the above verses in the Bible.

This time last year (31 Dec 2008), I reflected on how God has filled my cup till it overflows. http://happyvalley-prof.blogspot.com/2008/12/he-fills-my-cup-till-it-overflows.html. Yes, I have been blessed abundantly... Another year on, I am still overwhelmed by how much God has blessed me and my wife... BUT "Since you are already so blessed, since your cup is already overflowing..." some may asked, "..., what is there to look forward to?" Well, I still believe there is more. What resonates in my heart this new day is a song declaring, "I BELIEVE THERE IS MORE". Written and sung by Don Moen, who shared the following in his blog:

.

“People everywhere are sensing that God has more for them to do. They are tired of the “status quo” lifestyle. My friend, I really do believe God has more for you to do. He has more for me to do. We have to be willing to step out by faith into the “new thing”, whatever it is that God has put in your heart. This certainly does not mean what you have done to this point is insignificant. I believe it was all preparation. God is NEVER finished with us and no matter what the enemy tries to tell you, God has more for you to do. I am thinking I need to write a book about this. There is so much here.”- Don Moen

It is a beautiful song with inspiring lyrics:

You have been good to me (x2)
You have been gracious
You have been faithful
Meeting my needs
Lord, it's so plain to see
You have been good to me
I have been given so much I can't even
Begin to thank You

Chorus:And still I believe there is more
I believe there is more
I believe
So I open my hands to receive
All that Your love has in store
Lord, I believe

Everything I have done
All that I've said and sung
Lifting Your story, giving You glory
That's just the beginning

Father, I know there is more
Power to heal and restore
Miracles, wonders, blessings unnumbered
Love never-ending

(Chorus) Exceeding abundantly
More than our minds can imagine
Love overflowing
You are bestowing
Day after day after day

Lord, I believe; Lord, I believe; Lord, I believe

Faith Prayer for 2010: So, as we move into the new decade, join me to believe that there is more to your life! Let's open our hearts and lift our hands to receive - All that God's love has in store for us. Love overflowing. Love never-ending. More than our minds can imagine. Lord, we believe!

The Ugly Duckling

“When we heed our longing, we grow into our ‘swanlike’ nature.”

Most of us would have heard of The Ugly Duckling story. This is a story about self discovery. Written by Hans Christian Henderson (1805-1875), it is the most autobiographical of the Danish author's works. H.Topsoe-Jensen wrote, "H.C. Hendeson just like the ugly duckling, was the poor one, dependent on benefactors who did not understand him, tormented and mistreated, full of feelings of inferiority, enduring long and difficult times troubled by doubts about his own worth, but deep inside secretly convinced that the ‘hour of reckoning’ would come".

There was nothing romantic about H.C. Andersen’s childhood. Not only was his family poor, but it was also less than respectable. His parents barely married before he was born, his grandmother had been jailed for having too many illegitimate children, his grandfather was in the lunatic asylum, and his illegitimate half-sister worked in a brothel. Furthermore, he was an effeminate and ugly boy, with feet that were too big, limbs that were too long, and eyes that were too small. Yet, through his own merit, H.C. Andersen made his way to Copenhagen, gained royal patronage, and became one of the best-loved authors in the world.

The Story (an abridged version):

One summer, close to the moat of a manor house, a mother duck was nesting. One by one the eggs cracked, but an uncommonly large one remained. An old duck insisted it was a turkey egg and warned of the mother that turkeys were afraid of water. When it finally cracked, a large, ugly duckling tumbled out. Fearing he was indeed a turkey, the mother thought, “into the water with him, even if I have to kick him in.”

She brought her brood down to the moat, and one after the other the ducklings plopped in and they all floated splendidly, including the ugly one. “No, that’s no turkey!” thought the mother, “He’s my own alright!”

Once in a duck yard, the others picked on the ugly one for he was so different. The ducks bit him, the hens pecked him, and even the girl who came to feed them kicked him. His sisters and brothers said they hoped the cat would take him, and eventually even the mother wished him far away…

… the duckling loved floating and diving, but the other creatures continued to reject him. One fall evening the duckling noticed a flock of beautiful white birds with long, graceful necks: They were swans! The majestic creatures spread their wings and flew away toward warmer climates. The duckling felt strangely connected. Although they soon disappeared from sight, there was no way he could forgot those stunning creatures.

Winter came …. and finally spring returned and the duckling tested his wings. They made a strong swooshing sound as they carried him to a beautiful garden. When he landed on the water, he saw the majestic birds again, but this time they were coming toward him… He feared they might hack him to death for being so hideous. Accepting his fate, he bowed his head toward the surface of the still water and suddenly he saw his own reflection – he was himself a swan!

His Response:

“Then he felt quite shy and put his head under his wing – he did not know what to do. He was too happy! But he was not proud, for a good heart is never proud! He thought about how he had been mistreated and mocked, and now he heard everyone say that he was the loveliest of all the lovely birds. The lilacs bowed to him, … and the sun shone so warm and bright. And then he puffed up his feathers, lifted his slender neck, and rejoiced with all his heart; “I never dreamt there could be so much happiness when I was the ugly duckling.”

So what is the morale of this story? Mette Norgaard, in her book, The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work, argues that we do not succeed in life by having an enviable career; we succeed by finding where we belong and becoming the person we were meant to be. Just because we live with certain people, that does not mean we belong with them; we belong with those who share or encourage our longing. Also, just because we grow older, that does not mean we grow into who we were meant to be.

We grow into our essence only when our false self-images die and our true self is born.

.

source: Mette Norgaard, The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work

Nowhere's Man

Do you remember Randy Pausch? Yes, the computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon who became very famous because of his witty and inspiring Last Lecture. Although he died in July 2008, his legacy continues to inspire many.

"The best gift an educator can give is to get somebody to become self reflective." "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." - Randy Pausch

During my final lecture for RE4802 Real Estate Development, I entitled the revision lecture "The Last Lecture". I name it such because it was my last lecture for the semester. Also, for some students, it will truly be their last lecture in the university as they are graduating this semester.

I also shared with the students my posting on the Last Lecture (http://happyvalley-prof.blogspot.com/2008/11/last-lecture.html) in the discussion forum. At the end of that posting, if you recall, there was a reflection question: Consider what would be your last lecture. What wisdom would you impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance? If you had to vanish tomorrow, what would you want as your legacy?

Several students, to my surprise, responded and I was truly encouraged by their deep and insightful reflection. One in particular caught my attention and I have obtained permission to share it here:

I agree that education is indeed one of the most life-transforming careers (for ourselves and the people whom we impart to) and yet its value has often been undermined. Of course, not everyone would have the call and passion to teaching as a career, but I believe that in our life, we would have many opportunities to impact and influence the people whom we meet, and that itself is a chance to educate, to deposit something into someone and make a difference, no matter how direct or significant.

.

If I were to share something for my last lecture, I would encourage people to have a single passion to live by, not to waste our life. There's this song by John Lennon, 'Nowhere's Man':

He's a real nowhere man

Sitting in his nowhere land

Making all his nowhere plans

For nobody

Doesn't have a point of view

Knows not where he's going to

Isn't he a bit like you and me?

We only get one pass at life, and it would be a tragedy to see ourselves wandering aimlessly without knowing the essence or purpose for our lives.

.

I hope that we won't be a nowhere's man and will live our lives with passion and purpose, not to have a minimal life but to live it to the full (well.. I can't and wouldn't want to define it here for you, it's for you to discover for yourself how would you not want to waste your life). Have that kind of single-minded commitment to your purpose and be prepared to take paths of risk and sacrifice. Live a life that counts, with passion and purpose!
And with regards to what I would like to be remembered for, I hope that I would have made a difference in as many people's lives as possible. It's about the lives I've touched and how much value I've added to them, through believing in them and giving them opportunities to grow in character and understanding and building them up. I believe that relationships are one of the key reasons why we are on earth. At our deathbed, no one would recall how much profits I've made for my company but it will be the people around who really matter.

So, I hope that my legacy would be one that people can remember me for the difference I've made in their lives. There is nothing more satisfying than that to me :)

Do It Anyway!

I came across this beautifully written poem in a book I was reading the other day. I googled on the internet today to find out who was it's author. Originally entitled "The Paradoxical Commadment", it was written by Kent M. Keith when he was just 19 at Harvard College in 1968.

The poem was made famous by Mother Teresa, who engraved it on the wall of the children home in Calcutta, under the heading Anyway.

People are often unreasonable, illogical 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 false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

Johnny Appleseed - The Apple Evangelist

“John Chapman is a hero for our time - his philanthropy, his selflessness, his Christian faith. Chapman was also America’s first environmentalist.”

– Bill Jones

John Chapman (1774-1845), aka Johnny Appleseed, was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He became an American legend, largely because of his kind and generous ways, ... , and the symbolic importance of apples (source: wikipedia).

Most of what’s known about Chapman comes from accounts left by the many settlers who welcomed him into their cabins, offering the famous appleman/evangelist a meal and a place to sleep. In exchange, his hosts were happy to have Chapman’s news (of Indians and Heaven, of his own fantastic exploits) and apple trees (he’d usually plant a couple as a token of his thanks).

There was, too, the sheer entertainment value of a guest who was, literally, a legend in his own time.

• To a pioneer laboring under the brute facts of frontier life, confronting daily the indifferent face of nature, Johnny Appleseed’s words and seeds offered release from the long sentence of ordinariness, held out a hope of transcendence.

Johnny Appleseed preferred to spend his nights out of doors… a vegetarian living on the frontier, he deemed it a cruelty to ride a horse or chop down a tree; to punish his own foot for squashing a worm, he wore no shoes, even in the snowy winter. He liked best the company of Indians and children. The Indians regarded Chapman as a brilliant woodsman and medicine man.

Johnny lived everywhere and nowhere. He was constantly on the move, travelling in Autumn to Allegheny County (in western Pennsylvania) to gather seeds, scouting nursery sites and planting in the spring, repairing fences at old nurseries in summer, and wherever he planted, signing up local agents to keep an eye on and sell his trees, since he was seldom in one place long enough to do that work himself…

• Like a shrewd real estate developer (which is one way to describe him), Chapman had a sixth sense for exactly where the next wave of development was about to break. There he would go and plant his seeds on a tract of waterfront land (sometimes paid for, sometimes not), confident in the expectation that a few years hence a market for his trees would appear at his doorstep. By the time the settler came, he’d have two- or three-year-old trees ready for sale... In time he would find a local boy to look after his trees, move on, and start the process all over again.

Johnny was apparently the only appleman on the American frontier pursuing such a strategy. It would have large consequences for both the frontier and the apple. He was an agent of domestication. With every cider orchard he helped plant, the wilderness became that much more hospitable and homelike. It was said that his millions of seeds and thousands of miles changed the apple, and the apple changed America.

By the 1830s John Chapman was operating a chain of nurseries that reached all the way from western Pennsylvania through central Ohio and into Indiana. He died in 1845, leaving an estate some 1,200 acres of prime real estate.

Chapman saw himself as a bumblebee on the frontier, bringer of both the seeds and the word of God – of both sweetness, that is, and light.

Chapman’s ability to freely cross borders that other people believed to be fixed and unbreachable – between the red world and the white, between wilderness and civilization, even between this world and the next – was one of the hallmarks of his character and probably the thing that confounded people about the man, both then and now.

source: The Botany of Desire

Below is a Walt Disney movie clip on Johnny Appleseed.

part 2

Hidden Courage

“There is a seed of courage hidden, waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow.” - Book 1, Chapter 8. LOTR

Have you ever wondered why our favorite stories tend to include an ordinary person overcoming great odds to accomplish something extraordinary? It is because the capacity and desire to be heroics reside deep within each of us. Whilst we may avoid risk, and death and passion through our culture of affluent, the seed of courage remains within. We are reminded of its presence when we watch a nice guy named Rocky Balboa beats the arrogant champ, Apollo Creed. Our hearts thrill when a young inexperience Luke Skywalker destroys the plans of the mighty Darth Vader. From a simpleton named Forest Gump to a braveheart name William Wallace, we love to see the unlikely underdog beat the odds, hoping our own heroics nature would emerge if facing a similar challenge.

Frodo felt himself overtaken with great fear… Hope seems gone, but rather than despair, Frodo found a seed of courage rising within… Bravery grows when facing desperate dangers enabling even simple hobbits to emerge victorious from great hazards… Drawing upon a bravery he didn’t know he had, Frodo remained to face whatever would come in order to free his company (friends)… Often, over the course of his adventure, he would be confronted with the choice between self-preservation and self-sacrifice, and as in this instance, pushing through great fear, Frodo repeatedly chose risk over retreat in order to accomplish the heroic quest he had been called.

Of all the peoples of middle earth, none enjoyed comfort life more than the hobbits. They slept longer, ate more frequently and partied more merrily than others. A race better suited to friendly chats than deadly perils. A big part of why Frodo’s courage is so inspiring is the contrast to its culture. His upbringing nurtured the pursuit of happy ease not glorious adventure… But the quest of the ring showed everyone that even the smallest least likely person was made for more than comfort and safety. We were made to be heroic.

No matter how hidden it is, each of us have been given a seed courage to overcome fear and apathy in order to play a heroic part in the scenes of life.

The most renown true story reflecting this reality is that of a boy named David. A young shepherd with no military experience, David volunteered to confront Golliath, the might giant of Gad. All of Saul’s men, including David’s older brothers, had refused the call to fight Golliath. But David knew that his life was more than about his personal safety and that sometimes, the smallest and least likely are called to do more than any expect they can do. And so he raised his hand when others wouldn’t, gathered five smooth stones and confronted the enemy of good and the rest, as they say, is history.

Spiritual: Living by faith includes the call to something greater than cowardly self-preservation. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). It is the invitation to water the seed of courage found deep within your heart. It inspires the passionless (dulled by comfort and ease) to resist the urge to place the personal safety and preservation above the call to adventure and instead to be come a hero.

Reflection: We were made to be heroic.

source: Finding God in LOTR

Wrong Way Riegels

During my sabbatical in the US, I learnt to appreciate the game and rules of American football. The fact that university teams could have stadiums bigger than some of the biggest soccer teams in England still amazes me. At the end of the season, the more successful college teams earn the right to play in bowl games. And one of the most colorful bowl games is the Rose Bowl Game, which is played on 1 January of each year, between the Big Ten and the Pacific-10 conference representatives.

The Rose Bowl Game is accompanied by the Rose Parade, which featured magnificent floral floats. We attended the parade at Pasadena, LA in 2005.

The Rose Bowl Game also contributed one of the most memorable moments in the college football history. Roy Riegels played for a team in the Rose Bowl years ago (1929) that had the ball in its possession right at the goal line about to score. Riegels got hit and got turned around. He didn't realize what had happened, but he started running in the wrong direction. He ran 99 yards in the wrong direction. He was tackled on his own one-yard line by his own teammates to keep him from scoring two points for the other team.

Riegels said that when he was tackled by his own teamates, he got up angry and began to chew his teamate out: "Why in the world did you tackle me?" Then he realized what had happened. He realized he almost scored for the other team. He may have cost his team a score because they were about to score at the other end of the field. He said that he was so embarassed, so humiliated, so disgraced... After a while halftime came. The players came in and gathered in small groups all over the dressing room just whispering. He said he just knew everyone was talking about him. He said that he was so discouraged and so much in despair that at that moment, he thought he would never leave the dressing room alive. He didn't want to live another day.

Then the coach came in and gathered the players around him. Roy said the coach looked right at him and pointed his finger at him and said, "Roy, when you go in this half ..." Roy was crying. "Coach, I can't go in. I may have cost us the ball game. I have embarassed the team. I have done a stupid thing. I can't go in."... He said the coach... came over to him. He put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Roy, remember the game is only half over".

Good thing is, Riegels came back to be team captain the next year, led a successful life after college and is now in the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. The play is also credited with bringing increased popularity to college football. Roy said that the hand over his shoulder at that most desperate moment in his life literally save his life. Roy went one to become an outstanding high school football coast in the western US, but it was because in the darkest moment of failure, there was one who cared enough to put his arm around him and say, "Roy, remember the game is only half over."

Son of Encouragement:

"You may have stumbled. You may have fallen. The game is not over yet. God's grace is big enough to lift you up".

source: J.T. Draper

What Trails Do You Leave?

file photo: Kodak moments with JY & ZK (Christmas 04)

Every person has the power to make others happy.

Some do it simply by entering a room;

others by leaving the room.

Some individuals leave trails of gloom;

others, trails of joy.

Some leave trails of hate and bitterness;

others, trails of love and harmony.

Some leave trails of cynicism and pessimism;

others trails of faith and optimism.

Some leave trails of criticism and resignation;

others trails of gratitude and hope.

What kind of trails do you leave?

- W.A. Ward

photo: Greenword Furnace State Park, Happy Valley (2007)

I'm a University Professor

I received an e-mail from a student from Vietnam today. Glancing quickly at the heading of the e-mail, I thought it was strange to receive a "Happy Teachers' Day" greeting at this time of the year. Apparently, Nov 20 is Teachers' Day in Vietnam.

"Boy, am I glad that I’m a university professor!"

- Randy Pausch

Below is a shorter video clip of an interview with Randy

[ remember to stop/pause the IMEEM music in the background ]

Below are some inspiration I noted from watching Randy's Last Lecture.

A mentor once told him, “it’s such a shame that people perceive you as so arrogant, because it’s going to limit what you’re going to accomplish.” Randy's comment, "what a hell of a good way to say, 'you’re being a jerk'."

The same mentor told him, "You’re such a good salesman, … you might as well be selling something worthwhile, like education."

The reason you all should be professors:

Enabling the childhood dreams of others!

That’s the best gift an educator can give – to get somebody to become self reflective.

The best way to teach somebody something is to have them think they are learning something else. His goal was to develop a program whereby million of kids learning something hard whilst having fun!

Most of what we learn, we learn indirectly... We can learn from our students.

Give the kids the chance to have some kind of excitement putting on a show for people who will then become excited about it. That’s one of the best thing you give somebody – the chance to show then what it feels like to make others people excited or happy.

photo: Retail Seminar at Suntec City (2005)

One final quote from the desk-top calendar, "We can't help but get the best from our students when each day we're giving them the very best of ourselves."

The Last Lecture

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” — Randy Pausch

“The Last Lecture” is a series of talks where university professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them.

Randy Pausch (left), a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture on September 18, 2007. Unlike other speakers, Professor Pausch didn’t have to imagine it as his last as he had had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lively, energetic and funny lecture he gave — “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”— wasn’t really about dying. Instead, the lecture was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (as “time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think”). It was about living a full life.

Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon. It has been watched on youtube by more than 7.8 million viewers. The lecture was expanded into a book which has sold more than 3 million copies. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all, for generations to come.

..

If you have some time, do watch Randy’s last lecture…

-----------------

---------

--------

.

Initially he was hesitant to give the lecture… but in the end he decided to give the lecture, because it would be an opportunity to create something for his children to watch when they were older. He wanted his last lecture to be part of his legacy to his children. In the preface to his book, Randy writes,

"I knew what I was doing that day, under the ruse of giving an academic lecture, I was trying to put myself in a bottle that would one day wash up on the beach for my children."

....

reflection: Consider what would be your last lecture. What wisdom would you impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance? If you had to vanish tomorrow, what would you want as your legacy?

Sources: http://www.thelastlecture.com/ & http://www.dannold.com/

When it's All Been Said and Done

In the midst of turmoils surrounding him, a psalmist declares,

"God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way. And the mountains fall into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam. And the mountains quake with their surging. Be still and know that I am God... The LORD Almighty is with us; The God of Jacob is our fortress (Psalms 36:1-3; 10-11).

Scary, isn't it? The way the financial crisis in the US is unfolding, that is! All through yesterday, my wife was so worried about her insurance savings with AIA. Should she terminate the plan or not? I even received an e-mail from a professor from down under who jested that the way things are developing, he would have to work to 100 to recover his pension fund assets.

photo: scarecrow, Ohio, US (2007)

I am reminded of an e-mail a concerned student sent to us when we were still in the US last year. Attached to the e-mail were links to three video clips on youtube. In each clip, an expert was seen giving his prediction on the future of America. If I recall correctly, in one of the clips, a financial guru made a prediction that the US financial markets will go into a major catastrophy by year end (2007). He went on to say that the downfall will be worst than that experienced immediately after Sep 11. And the only event that could trigger this would be a terrorist attack on the US soil on a very very massive scale! As a result, my student was very concerned for our safety and sent us the e-mail asking us to consider leaving the US.

.
The following e-mail from the concerned student came about one month into our sabbatical in the US:

Dear Sir, Is it possible for you to be back? I have a very bad feeling about you being in the States right now!! I am very afraid that these prophecies could turn true. I believe they (terrorists) are striking New York. My eyes kept on twitching like it never did before.

After discussing over the content of e-mail with my wife, we replied:

Dear ...., I would like to thank you for your concern about our safety in US. Yes, I agree with you that the threat of terrorism is ever present. However, after discussing with my wife, we do not feel the necessity to go back. We both feel that dangers and death are undeniable certainties in our earthly life. As Christians, we hold the belief that heaven is a much better place than earth. As we are assured of our place in heaven, death is not really a lost to us as we are just moving on to a better place.

Hence, “if we perish, we perish”... Hope you are doing fine with your studies. Take care and keep in touch.

Well, 2007 came and passed! The timing and the cause may be off, but the US financial market is indeed in a major meltdown now. One by one, the giants are falling down. No one would have ever foresee the demise of Lehman Brothers, AIG, Merrill Lynch, ...
Whilst my wife and I can't say that we are prepared to die, we did discussed some years back, how we would like our funeral to be conducted. We both agree that it would be a celebration of our life and we each selected a song, our so called "funeral song".

Mine is a entitled, "When It's All Been Said and Done," sung by Don Moen. The tune is solemn but nice. But what I like most about the song is that the lyrics are very meaningful. Hence, it is not only my 'death' song, but it has also become my life song!

When it's all been said and done

There is just one thing that matters

Did I do my best to live for truth?

Did I live my life for you?

...

When it's all been said and done

All my treasures will mean nothing

Only what I have done

For love's rewards

Will stand the test of time

....

Lord, your mercy is so great

That you look beyond our weakness

That you found purest gold in miry clay

Turning sinners into saints

....

I will always sing your praise

Here on earth and in heaven after

For you've joined me at my true home

When it's all been said and done

You're my life when life is gone...

There is a recording of this song on Youtube. Be patient, wait for the song.

To play video, please click below but remember to turn off or pause the background IMEEM music first.

.reflection: there is just one thing that matters!

Prepare to Die?

“Everyone knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes it.” – Morrie

photo: Arlington, US (May 08)

A few days ago, it was reported in the local newspaper a Chinese celebrity, who is very popular with the aunties in Singapore, has a leukemia relapse. Dongfang Billy, as the celebrity is known, was quoted that he is prepared to die. He has started to make preparations for his funeral. In particular, he said he would host his own funeral and has made a DVD for this.

The story reminds me of an international bestseller book. Recommended to me some years back by Hsueh Shan, one of my former students, it has since become one of my all time favorite books.

Written by Mitch Albom, it recounts his time spent with an old professor, as he was dying from ALS (also known as Lou Gehrigh’s Disease). The memoir, based entirely on recorded conversations between Albom and Morrie about life’s most important lessons. The conversations usually took place on a Tuesday, hence the title of the book, “Tuesdays with Morrie”. If you have not read this highly inspirational book, I strongly recommend it.

On the fourth tuesday, Morrie and Mitch talked about death!

Mitch: “Did you think much about death before you got sick?”

Morrie: “No, I was like everyone else. I once told a friend of mine, in a moment of exuberance, ‘I’m gonna be the healthiest old man you ever met!’... Actually, everyone knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes it. No one really believes they’re going to die. If we did, we would do things differently.”
.

Mitch: “But everyone knows somebody who has died. Why is it so hard to think about dying?”

Morrie: “Because most of us all walk around as if we’re sleepwalking. We really don’t experience the world fully, because we’re half-asleep, doing things we automatically think we have to do.”

Mitch: “And facing death changes all that?”

Morrie: “ Oh yes. You strip away all that stuff and you focus on the essentials. When you realize you are going to die, you see everything much differently… Learn how to die, and you learn how to live…

Mitch: “So, we kid ourselves about death.”

Morrie: “Yes, but there’s a better approach. To know you’re going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time. That’s better. That way you can actually be more involved in your life while you’re living.”

Mitch: “How can you ever be prepared to die?"

Morrie: “Every day, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, ‘is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?’ Well, the truth is once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.... the truth is if you really listen to that bird on your shoulder, if you accept that you can die at any time – then you might not be as ambitious as you are… The things you spend so much time on – all this work you do – might not seem as important. You might have to make room for some more spiritual things.”

Mitch: “Spiritual things?”

Morrie: “You hate the word, don’t you? ‘Spiritual.’ You think it’s touchy-feely stuff. Mitch, even I don’t know what ‘spiritual development’ really means. But I do know we’re deficient in some way. We are too involved in materialistic things, and they don’t satisfy us. The loving relationships we have, the universe around us, we take these things for granted.”

What kind of counsel is this? Why is this man, Morrie, saying such a thing? Is he in some kind of depression syndrome? No, not at all. Swindoll wrote,

.

"One blast of its (death) awful breath transformed all values. Instantaneously, priceless things had become worthless. Worthless things had become priceless.... Death gives you that kind of wisdom. Those who live their lives suffering from a terminal disease usually demonstrate a ramarkable degree of wisdom inthe way they spend their time. It is amazing what happens even to one's conversation!"

.

There is a scripture in Eccles. 7 that supports this; "it is better to to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting." In other words, visiting a funeral parlour is better than gorging oneself at a banquet, or a 30-minute stroll through a graveyard is better than an entire afternoon at a carnival..Why? Because we seldom forget a stroll through a graveyard and what we learn there about the great men and women who have shaped lives. Sure, it's frightening, but it's amazing how much perspective is gained when we get a glimpse of life from the back door.

.

reflection: "when you realize you are going to die, you see everything very differently"

.

source: C.R. Swindoll (1985) "Living on the ragged edge"; Mitch Albom (1997) "tuesdays with Morrie".

Joseph, The Dreamer

Is there a difficult conflict you must face again and again? Don't give up when you know what is the right thing to do because persistence is usually rewarded.

.

The path to a dream is paved with sacrifices
and lined with determination.

And though it has many stumbling blocks along the way

and may go in more than one direction,

photo: state college, USA

... it is marked with faith.
It is traveled by belief and courage,
... persistence and hard work.
It is conquered with a willingness
.... to face challenges and take chances,
.... to fail and try again and again.
Along the way, you may have to confront
.... doubts, setbacks, and unfairness.
But when the path comes to an end,
..you will find that there is no greater joy
..... than making your dream come true.

- Barbara Cage

.

HIStory: The story of Joseph is well known to many. Recorded in Genesis 30-50, the story has been the focus of at least one broadway show and several Hollywood movies. One of Jacob's 12 sons, Joseph was the favorite son. However, his brothers hated him because of his pride and youthful arrogance. They plotted to kill him at first but changed their mind and decided to sell him to slave traders. Perhaps you can identify with one or more of these hardships Joseph experienced: he was betrayed and deserted by his family, exposed to sexual temptation, and punished for doing the right thing; he endured a long imprisonment and was forgotten by those he helped.

.

Where most would have failed, Joseph not only survived his ordeal, but he prospered to become the second in command in all Egypt. Through this story, I learnt that suffering, no matter how unfair, can develop strong character and deep wisdom. Joseph didn't allow the injustice to turn him into a bitter person, but instead, he came out of the ordeal a better person. In each situation, Joseph didn't spend much time asking "Why?", but his approach was "What shall I do now?".

photo: baptism @ Garden Hotel (Sep 6, 1986)

Spiritual: Also known as the Dreamer, Joseph had a clear knowledge of God's design on his life. The scripture tells us that "and those who met him recognized that wherever Joseph went and whatever he did, God was with him." .

..

Inspired by his true story, I decided on the name "Joseph" when I was asked to consider taking on a Christian name during my baptism.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th USA President (1861-1865)

One of the most significant sites we visited during our recent visit to Washington DC was the Lincoln Memorial. It was built to commemorate Abraham Lincoln, which is regarded as one of the greatest presidents in the US history.

No one in this country has received more praise and many Americans would argue that he is the greatest American who ever lived. Leo Tolstoy, the brilliant Russian historian, said this of Lincoln,

"The greatness of Napolean, Caesar, or Washington is only moonlight by the sun of Lincoln. His example is universal and will last thousands of years.... He was bigger than his country - bigger than all the presidents together... and as a great character he will live as long as the world lives."

What made Lincoln so great? His assasination, indeed the first US President to be assissanated in office, made him a martyr. Lincoln is also credited for preserving the union of the American states. If not for Lincoln's determined and resolute leadership, the nation of America, as we know today, would have been divided into two countries - along the north-south divide based on the pro- and anti-slavery camps. Lincoln also signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which led to the eventual abolition of slavery in the US. As he signed the Proclamation, he told colleagues who witnessed the act:

“I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this paper. If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.”

.

As a person, Lincoln is generally personifed with the classical values of honesty and integrity, as well as respect for individual and minority rights, and human freedom in general. Often depicted as a burdened man on whose shoulders weighed the concerns of the states, Lincoln is the only president whose entire tenure was bounded by the parameters of war. Because of the civil war, Lincoln’s constitutional duties as commander in chief superseded normal presidential activities. He devoted most of his efforts to shaping the union army aims, mobilizing armies, devising strategy, goading commanders, and holding together a fractious coalition of radical republicans, moderates, War Democrats, and border-state unionist who supported the war (souce: wikipedia). Even Lincoln himself once confessed, “I am the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not one cheerful face on earth.”

Asked what was Lincoln's greatest characteristic, a historian answered, "His ability to bring out the best in other people, especially among those with whom he worked in the White House." He went on to describe the personalities and enormous egos of the men in Lincoln's cabinet:

Several of them had contested Lincoln for the presidency, and each considered himself superior to the president in both intellect and ability. Because they had been political rivals and harsh critics, Lincoln could have shut them out after winning the presidency. That's what most politicians do. But he did just the opposite: he recognized their talents & knew they had something of value to offer, so he asked them to serve their country during a time of great crisis - the Civil War.

Lincoln was not only the greatest president but also the most humble. He didn't care who got the credit. He just wanted to serve his country. And in doing that, he served the diverse group of men in his cabinet. He pointed out their strengths, told them he and the country needed them, and thanked and praised them often. In short, he brought out the best in them. A 900-page book, Team of Rivals, the result of ten years research by Doris Kearns Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize winning historian, captures the essence of Lincoln's humility, integrity, empathy, and servant leadership. She says that Lincoln's real genius was revealed:

"through his extraordinary array of personal qualities that enabled him to form friendships with men who had previously opposed him; to repair injured feelings that, left untended, might have escalated into permanent hostility; to assume responsibility for the failures of subordinates; to share credit with ease; and to learn from mistakes."

Source: Hal Urban, The 10 Commandments of Common Sense