Shortlisting careers

A moment of startling clarity just struck.

Was - once again - looking up the requirements for gaining a VIC practice cert.

Was it because of C's email informing that his boutique law firm has been acquired by WP and that he will henceforth be with WP?

Was it because G suggested yesterday that I might not like law but I might be good at it?

Anyway, after looking up the Law in Vic website and comparing College of Law vs. Leo Cussens Institute vs. ANU, I came back to a suggestion hubby has made before - becoming a Migration Agent/Lawyer.

In AUS, one does not need to have a legal background to become a registered migration agent.

However, you do need to have a Grad Cert in Migration Law and Practice, which at the moment is offered by only two institutions: ANU and VU.

At ANU, the course is offered full-time (20 weeks) and/or part-time (40 weeks) and costs $9600.

The VU course costs $9226 and is offered off-campus and face-to-face. You can do the course full-time (4 subjects in one semester) or part-time (1 or 2 subjects per semester).

ANU also offers a Grad Dip in Legal Practice, which allows direct admission to the bar. The Grad Dip has three parts:

Becoming a Practitioner
Professional Practice Core
Elective Stream A/B

It's like re-doing the PLC. Not exactly an exciting prospect. :(

The course fee for the Grad Dip in Legal Practice is $6525.

I am inclined towards the Migration Law route because it's more focussed, which removes my anxiety about studying more than one subject at a time.

From a humanitarian point of view, it also gives me a way to do my bit about an issue of great relevance to AUS as a nation: how to deal in a humane and sustainable manner with refugees and asylum seekers such as the Christmas Island boat people.

The Grad Dip in Migration Law leads to two possible career options: becoming a migration agent or a Migration Lawyer.

The requirements for registration as a migration agent have been tightened though, so getting the Dip is not all there is.

There is a knowledge component (you have to be an Aus lawyer or Grad Dip in Migration Law diplomate) and a language component (IELTS/internet-based TOEFL/evidence of successful completion of 'A' levels AND Bachelor or higher degree).

What a lot of hoops just to forge a new legal-related career.

Still...it's exciting - after all this dithering - to finally be seeing some (possible) light!

PS. Since writing this post, I discovered through the VU website that there are other short courses I may want to explore:

• Cert IV in Training and Assessment (Justice and Legal Sector)
• Cert IV in Govt (Court Services)
• Grad Dip in Notarial Practice

Teaching music to an adult learner

Just finished third keyboard lesson with my student.

Am feeling...relieved? thankful?...that the lessons have gone well so far and that she's enjoying them.

Today, we worked on chord structure and inversions, and she played four simple pieces on her own for the first time: Twinkle Twinkle, Jingle Bells, Are You Sleeping, Row Row Row Your Boat.

Wow.

At the start of the lesson, my student mentioned that she'd had a massive migraine the day before.

So we prayed together, offering up her migraine as well as the day's lesson.

That's what I love about working with fellow believers: we're on the same page and share similar values, which expands our options and solutions.

Time flew by really quickly (always one of my worries: what if the lesson drags and we finish earlier than planned?) and when we next looked, 45 min had gone by and she had to go. The lesson was meant to be 30 min long.

Better that than the reverse situation any time!

This Christmas madness

I have a confession to make: I don't like Christmas.

Even though I am a believer in Jesus Christ.

Or maybe because.

There's something about Dec 25 that makes everyone just a little crazy. What's with the long queues in the mall, not enough parking places, songs about winter and snowmen and reindeer that have no relevance to us in the Southern hemisphere, decorating trees and having a houseful of people over for Christmas lunch/dinner, and buying presents not just for one's own family but relatives and friends' children?

We're not living on the edge of poverty, but if we have to keep up with the way Christmas is done here, we certainly will be in danger of it.

I thought we were pretty bad in SG, the way we used to stress over what to get our CG members' kids. Each family would buy for the kids of all the other families, and we're not talking simple things like a box of chocolates. Kris Kringle didn't exist.

Here, I thought we'd finally escaped the consumer trap of buying presents and giving for the sake of giving.

But my girls have been the recipients of so many gifts from unexpected quarters that even though we have no intention of buying into the Christmas frenzy, we are now looking at their rapidly growing pile of presents under our little tree and wondering, how did we get to this? Is it right to have so much when others are struggling? Would anything change if we gave away some of our gifts? (Indeed, I made this suggestion to Beth and she was surprisingly receptive.)

When Mum gets mad

Find myself getting angry over little things and big things.

When my kids interrupt me while I'm online/reading/enjoying some quiet time...

When my kids refuse to get out of bed/get dressed/brush their teeth, which makes us late getting to church/class...

When the kids give me a hard time and hubby isn't around to help (cos he's out helping someone else, which makes me feel resentful but also guilty that I'm so xiao3 qi4)...

When hubby comes home and I want to update him on what's happened during the day, but find myself getting annoyed because of the extra effort it takes to explain who's so-and-so or why something has happened...

Being the sole breadwinner, he's never around to take the kids to school or pick them up. He doesn't know their teachers except when he meets them at the parent-teacher interview. He doesn't know about their friendships and social interactions, or who the mum/dad of our child's friend is, except at birthday parties.

That gives me mixed feelings.

I am happy and proud that I have a good, close relationship with my girls. I love knowing their friends and their friends' parents.

But being a SAHM with no steady source of income also makes me frustrated, resentful and underachieving.

Yes, I fell into this path, and allowed it to continue for five years.

In this time, I have tried my hand at affiliate marketing, internet marketing, freelance writing, proofreading and copy editing, career coaching.

They have resulted in the acquisition of new life skills and an insight into how others do it, but not much in extra income. The "I did it, and so can you" promises of many a marketing ad have not brought similar results in my bank balance.

I am still lacking the critical elements: a sound business plan, a good marketing strategy and a team of experts to advise me.

It sounds all too hard, or maybe I'm too soft for the entrepreneurial path.

Perhaps I am made to work at a steady job in an organization and be happy with it, not hanker after what is not mine.

Which is a pretty depressing way of saying I have come Full Circle, and discovered that I was on the 'right' path all along, and should have just stuck with it.

When God leads worship

Sunday's worship was amazing, and I know I wasn't the only one who felt that way.

A couple of the Team 3 ladies (we haven't settled on a name for our team yet) who led the singing were in tears, and we agreed that God had been present in a very powerful way.

One of the ladies remarked that this is the reason why our team came together. I said jokingly to her that it was a good thing I didn't look at her or her fellow singers while I was playing, or I might have cried too!

The drummer told me I had played really well. And I know just what he meant. I thank God for His anointing, because I can feel the difference when He's there guiding my fingers.

Towards the end of the service, as the Holy Spirit took over, I had this strong urge to just let go and let my fingers do their thing without me consciously watching out for changing keys and sus chords. There was such an incredible sense of release and joy, of oneness and gratitude, of being in the moment and flowing along with the rest of the team and the singing of the congregation.

Wow.

Putting in the hours

Two sessions of playgroup aren't a lot.

But I reckon over the past two Mondays, I've honed up my communication skills, organization skills and social skills more than would have been possible if I'd said no to relieving the regular playgroup coordinator.

And I've confronted my fears (what if I can't unlock the church? what if I don't lock up properly? what if I can't manage on my own? I don't know how to talk to kids), overcome them and experienced God's providence.

As Filipino preacher/missionary Bo Sanchez says, you have to put in the hours (10,000 is Malcolm Gladwell's recommendation) if you want to get better at anything. And the best way to do it is to say yes to every opportunity that comes along.

The fine print I missed

Hubby and I are on a $29 Cap plan with '3' for our mobile phones.

My conversation with iPrimus customer service yesterday inspired me to take a closer look at our latest bill.

I'm trying to see if there's any way to cut down the monthly cost.

And here's what I discovered: the plan requires a minimum spend of $29 per person per month. If you spend more than that, they credit you the difference (you get rewarded). If you spend less than that, you get charged (penalized!).

Not only that, our plan actually has a $150 cap limit that includes $100 of international calls.

Which we've never used.

We've always just bought a $10 ICC and used it up till it expired, if we didn't remember to recharge it before.

Hubby spent only $10 last month and was charged $18 for breaching the minimum cap requirement.

I spent $34 and received a $5 credit that brought me back down to $29, so I actually benefitted.

Two options going forward - either use hubby's mobile to make international calls to SG to get up to the $29 cap, or ask '3' how we can downgrade hubby's plan.

We've had the plan for more than a year and this is the FIRST time I've actually bothered to scrutinize the plan.

All we've ever focused on is paying the bill on time (and this goes for all our other bills).

Until now.

Simple Savings

Yesterday was one of those productive days where I got down to ticking off things I'd been putting off for ages.

First thing in the morning, I rang the lady who runs the Kumon Centre in HX. I had left her a message on Monday but hadn't heard from her. I normally don't follow up on calls; I hate talking to answering machines and I try not to call someone if I can because I just can't handle the interaction. But for some reason, I thought I'd try and see if I could get through to her.

And she picked up!

The result was we had a very friendly and informative (for me) chat and I had most of my questions answered. We are booked in for a parent info session on Monday and Beth will sit a diagnostic test to see where she's at with her math. [Math ability is generally poor in Aus and I'm hoping Kumon can help Beth get an edge as she gets older.]

The next thing I did was to compare energy supply rates using GoSwitch and SwitchWise. I finally went with the supplier and plan that will save us $269 a year on a Loyalty Saver plan (the same retailer has an Easy Saver plan that would save us $270, but requires us to lock in a contract for 2 years, and I wasn't sure I wanted to do that).

The retailer is supposed to call me to confirm details.

Finally, I filled out an inquiry form on iPrimus, our broadband and home phone service provider (another way of avoiding direct contact!). I wanted to ask about their VOIP Lingo service.

The customer service officer called me back within the day, talked me through the options, answered all my questions, and after analyzing our monthly spend, actually advised me to downgrade to a cheaper plan so we could save money.

Instead of the $87+ we currently pay, we are switching to a plan that costs $59.95 with no change to our home phone or broadband usage, and with line rental included. So we get to enjoy a savings of $27+ every month. And it cost us nothing, just a couple of minutes on the phone.
Wow.

That's not all. The same guy suggested we look at the SIM Saver mobile phone plan that would allow us to retain our numbers while spending less on phone calls and texts.

It was a bit of info overload at that point, so I said I would look into it at a later time.

In all, we're looking at saving potentially $593 pa. Awesome.

The only thing that tops that is going through my insurance policies and writing up a table for my financial planner so he could review them and advise on the best strategy for the future.

I ended up writing three letters to my respective insurers asking questions and informing them (in some cases) that I wanted to surrender the policies. That should free up some cashflow to be redirected to where they are most needed.

Taking charge of where our money is going is so empowering!

Faith in action

A follow up on earlier post about Faith vs. Action.

Have emailed Good News Lutheran to request a school tour. Received an acknowledgement email yesterday and hope to hear from them soon. After that we'll have a chat with the principal and hopefully get all our questions answered so we can submit the enrolment form.

Have been dropping hints to Beth that she may be transferring out of Heathdale in two years' time so it won't be such a massive shock when it happens. I know she'll grieve over the separation from her friends and her comfort zone, but kids are resilient, and we've tried to highlight the positives: the $ saved could go towards holidays (RACV Royal Pines is still high on her list of favourites).

Other ways I can think of to cushion the blow: regular play dates with her Heathdale friends, Good News Gang on Wed (which is attended by GNL and Heathdale kids).

Last night, I finally got round to reading up on the ASG terms and conditions to get a grip on what we signed up to when we enrolled the girls in '07. More importantly, I needed to know how we would benefit and when.

The good news: when Beth turns 13 (Year 7), ASG will send us the amount of projected benefit ($4k+). The amount goes up every year until Year 12. Then when she starts uni, she is entitled to a scholarship benefit of $1k - 2k for 3 years. Same for Jordanne, except her benefits are more because she enrolled at a younger age.

It's good to know we'll get some help with school fees (esp if Beth's still in a private school and not at Suzanne Cory or on a scholarship to Westbourne Grammar, which is our best-case scenario) five years from now. Which means the years of financial stretch are actually just Years 4, 5 and 6 (2012 - 2014).

Still, at $6k pa for 3 years ($18k), that's still a huge outlay compared to GNL's $2700 x 3 years ($8100).

Imagine how much more good we could do and how much more we could give for God's kingdom with the savings.

Why should a good Christian education have to be prohibitively expensive?

My God is a big God!

Just received the 2011 school fees list.

Suddenly, Good News Lutheran is looking very attractive. At $2700 for Prep to Year 6, it's half of what we're paying. Imagine how much we could save. Even at Year 7 and 8, the fees ($4500) are still less than what we're paying.

I like how GNL charges the same rate for all years of primary school. Heathdale's adopting a similar system for next year - fees are the same for Prep to Year 4, Year 5-6, Year 7-8, and Year 9-12, respectively.

Woke up extra early today and sat down at the computer thinking of alternatives and solutions to the Heathdale problem.

Was reminded of a Bo Sanchez article I read yesterday. Bo says when our fears are big, it means our God is small. But if our fears are small, then it means our God is a BIG God.

Which when you think of it is so obvious.

Our God is above all gods. He is the God of the universe and every created thing. He made the world and everything in it. Nature shouts His glory. He made people with diverse talents, personalities and abilities. He made the human brain smarter than any computer. He heals, transforms, creates miracles, blesses, forgives and loves. In Him we live and move and have our being.

If He wants us to remain at Heathdale, He will make a way where there seems to be no way. He will provide the funds, the ideas, the job opportunities, the passive income streams.

And if He wants us to transfer to Good News Lutheran, He will take care of our fears and guilt, and Beth's sense of sadness and loss.

My part, as I continue to pray and wait on Him, is to ACT. Faith does not mean just sitting back passively waiting for things to happen. Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:17) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (2 Tim. 1:7)

God has given me a sound mind, attention to detail, legal knowledge and creativity. All these things I offer up to Him as hubby and I navigate this new challenge in our lives.

How to expand your territories by Bo Sanchez

From http://bosanchez.ph/5-steps-on-how-to-expand-your-territories/

Key #1:

Believe You’re Bigger

It’s common fact that we only use 10% of our brain’s capacity.

Can you believe that? We’re wasting 90% of what God has given to us!

I believe God has given us more capacities than we think we have.

The ultimate crime is that we belittle ourselves.

We think we’re insects, so we live an insect life, but actually—we’re giants!

Because of this, I believe you can earn a ten times more than whatever you’re earning right now. You can help ten times the number of people you’re helping now. You can serve ten times more than whatever service you’re doing now.

Don’t limit yourself.

You’re bigger than you think you are.

Key #2:

Be Consistent With The Fundamentals

Every morning, I enjoy time with God.

Every morning, I chew on His Word—the Bible.

Every morning, I pray, “Lord, let me love every person I meet today.”

Every morning, I read my life mission, my list of dreams, and my annual goals.

And throughout the day, instead of exposing myself to bad news, I digest good news available around me: I voraciously read inspiring books and listen to inspiring audio talks.

Every night, like a little boy, I kneel beside my bed and thank God for His blessings of that day.

In other words, the reason why I live such an exciting life is because I’m boring.

I’m monotonous.

I’m repetitive.

I do the same basic things again and again and again and again…

I now realize that the reason I can do all those thrilling, exciting, exhilarating stuff is because I do the boring basics every single day of my life. Everyday, I’m grateful. Everyday, I think positive. Everyday, I love. Everyday, I select what I watch, what I read, what I listen to—and stick to what can make me grow. Every single day.

The more I live on planet earth, the more I agree with Jim Rohn when he said that “There’s really nothing mysterious or magical about success. Success is simply the consistent application of fundamentals.”

Be boringly consistent when it comes to the basics.

And in time, you’ll find exciting success knocking at your door.

Key #3:

Focus On Your Core Gift

I have very few talents. Honest!

I don’t know how to cook, how to dance, how to write a computer program, and how to solve the Rubix cube. I don’t know how to do geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. I’m totally lost in chemistry, physics, and biology. I also can’t fix a leaking faucet or do carpentry or repair my car.

But this is what I can do very well: Communicate.

So I focus my entire life on that one thing.

I write well and I speak well. Period.

And I delegate everything to people who are better than I am.

Ask yourself now: What is my core gift?

I have a general rule I follow in my life: I don’t like complicating things just to impress you. So instead of giving you 329 psychological questions filled with scientific babble to discover your core gift (so I could impress you on how intelligent I am), let me just boil it down to 2 very simple questions. Stop reading this book until you answered both of these questions.

· What do you enjoy doing?

· What are you good at

For some of you, it’s technology.

For some of you, it’s teaching.

For some of you, it’s selling stuff.

For some of you, it’s cooking.

For some of you, it’s music.

For some of you, it’s advanced trigonometry. (Yes, I’ve heard there are such strange creatures walking on the face of the earth.)

Key #4:

Build Your Network

My wealth isn’t my money.

My real wealth is my network of friends.

Personally, I don’t think anything great is accomplished without a team.

Even Jesus had a team around him.

A few months ago, I was reading about the interesting world of horse-pulling competitions.

That’s where huge horses the size of elephants pull massive concrete blocks behind them.

Did you know that the grand champion horse could pull the incredible weight of 4,500 pounds? If the average weight of a Filipino is 140 pounds (which happens to be my weight before I eat my breakfast), that means this super horse could carry 32 Filipinos—without wheels! That monster could pull me, my wife, my kids, my parents, my siblings, their spouses, their kids, and all my in-laws combined.

And the second placer horse can pull only slightly lower than the first placer: 4,400 pounds.

That was when the organizers got curious. If these two horses pulled together, how many pounds could they carry? Could they pull 8,900 pounds?

They harnessed both horses and were shocked with the results.

Both horses, when pulling together, carried the mind-blowing weight of 12,000 pounds. That’s 85 Filipinos.

My message? Teams are powerful.

Alone, I can do a lot of things. But with my team, I don’t add but multiply what I can do.

I keep networking. I circulate. I meet people. I build bridges.

So I surround myself with a bunch of people who have impeccable character and fantastic skills. I network with Mentors, Preachers, Administrators, Accountants, Programmers, Lawyers, Financial Wizards, Multi-millionaires, Media Experts, Businessmen, Architects, Engineers, etc…

And everyday, I constantly expand my team.

Key #5:

Create An Autopilot System

Every time I enter into a project, I always do it with a team around me. Never alone. And I choose my team well.

I have a very simple criteria: I choose men and women who are humble (teamplayers) and who are experts in their field. In other words, I search for impeccable character and fantastic skills.

And together, we create a system for the project that’s replicable and duplicable.

In other words, it’s got to run on autopilot without my direct supervision.

Here’s my ideal leader: If I appoint someone to be project head (or organization director or business manager), and after six months, I don’t want him to bother me anymore except for major directional issues. If he still bothers me for tiny matters, I’ve chosen the wrong leader—or I trained him wrongly.

If You Love, The Universe Opens Up To You

Here’s what I’ve learned: Love is limitless! It has no boundaries.

I do what I do because I want to love people.

Each morning, I wake up and ask myself, “How can I bless people today?”

And so I stretch. I go just a teensy bit beyond what I think is my limit—and my capacities expand—because I want to bless the world.

Post-interview thoughts

Just returned from my interview.

The interviewers will have to go back to Church Council with what we discussed and work from there.

For myself, I gained a better appreciation of the work our pastor and Op Shop manager currently do that is unmentioned but nevertheless necessary - answering the phone, manning the book shop, answering queries on funeral and baptism service fees, organizing wreaths to be sent to funerals of members...

There will be even more work next year when the church is in transition, as records and minutes have to be archived and documentation put in order for the big move.

And there are things being done by various volunteers which can be consolidated under my job description, as well as things that need to be done but which no one is doing.

It'll be interesting to see how God uses my talents.

Possible Job Opening

Am off to have a chat with R&J about the admin position at church.

Have no idea what direction the chat will take and how I should answer. It's been AGES since I've had a job interview, if you can call it that.

Will just flow along with things and pray that God gives me a clear mind, wisdom and discernment to make choices that please Him and fulfil His purpose for me.

The Preacher In Blue Jeans

Discovered Filipino preacher and entrepreneur Bo Sanchez's blog tonight and haven't been able to stop reading.

I watched the latest video on his Preacher in Blue Jeans site and was fascinated to see his audience was standing throughout his sermon.

He writes so simply, so authentically so powerfully.

And I agree with just about everything he says. He affirms what I already know and believe, and he does it with great conviction, clarity and persuasiveness.

Even though I've never met him, I like him already.

Now that's the power of a truly magnetic personality.

Career options for mums

Was chatting with a school mum recently.

She lamented the difficulty of finding a job that is close by enough and only during school hours, so she can drop off and pick up her kids and not have to use after-school care.

Can't fault her selection criteria; it's identical to mine.

J goes to kinder next year for three days a week at odd times, which will throw my daily schedule out of whack. It definitely narrows my job hunting and training prospects.

I was looking at an Integration Aide course by Monash Uni starting Feb 2011.

The requirements aren't tough: 8 lessons x 6 hours (9am - 3.30 pm).

The cost is manageable compared to most other courses I have in mind ($950).

Whether I will want to work as an Integration Aide when I've done the course is another issue. Hubby, though, would much rather I do something with greater financial prospects:

• migration agent (course cost: $9600 through ANU College of Law Grad Cert in Migration Law)
  
• conveyancer (course cost: $6350 through Swinburne Uni of Tech TAFE Dip of Financial Services - Conveyancing)
  
• property agent (Brian Mark prefers its prospective agents to do the Agents Rep training through them)
  
• (and the latest) franchise owner.

One factor in favour is that the course is conducted so close by - the uni is using the Civic Centre on Princes Hwy.

All that's missing is to find someone who's happy to ferry J around if her kinder session coincides with a lecture, or babysit her if she's got a kinder-free day but I have a lecture to attend.

Possibilities: the occasional childcare centre on Mossfiel Drive, family day care, my neighbour down the road, various church friends who have volunteered to help out with babysitting when needed.

"Misty" (Awesome Youtube Tutorial)

The Courage to Challenge

From this week's church bulletin:

Dear God,
If I am completely honest with you, for some reason I am reluctant to share my story of faith with others.
Most times I prefer people to catch my faith rather than for them to comprehend it through a conversation with them.
This week I ask Lord that you will use my life as an example but also as an explanation of what you have done in and through me by Jesus Christ.
Help me to trust you to do the work of changing people's lives.
It is not my job to change people, just to challenge them.
Your Holy Spirit working in and through me and on those who you are speaking to through me is the one who makes the difference.

How did my pastor know what lies heavy on my heart this morning?

Last night, I denied the Lord.

I had a non-believing friend over for dinner.

As we were about to tuck in, my husband indicated from across the table that I should lead the prayer of thanksgiving. Everyone bowed their heads, even our guest. I was stunned, thinking my husband must have made a mistake. I frantically gestured to him that we couldn't do that because our guest was not a believer and it would be rude to impose our faith on her. There came a few tense moments as we gestured back and forth, causing an air of uncertainty on my part as to what was the right thing to do, and on the part of the rest. They must have wondered, what was going on? In the end, I said a lame "Tuck in!" and everyone fell to the meal.

But at what cost?

On reflection, I could easily have given thanks the way we usually do at home, and perhaps our guest would have gone along with it, accepting it as the custom of our family.

It would have spoken volumes of our faith.

Especially when there was a plaque on the wall behind me declaring "Christ is the Head of this house, the Unseen Guest at every meal, the Silent Listener to every conversation".

For the sake of courtesy and not wanting to offend, I forfeited the opportunity to give glory to God and to declare my affiliation with pride.

The whole night long, I was mortified over the incident. I asked God's forgiveness for my lack of faithfulness, for fearing men rather than God.

I feel God's quiet rebuke and admonishment but also His generous compassion and forgiveness. In response, there rises in me a determination to rise to His challenge, to share my life and my faith without apology and without fear.

God grant me the ability to stand up for His name from this moment on, so that I will never again sell out Jesus for fear of someone else's opinion.

The Second Song

A new song came to me from God yesterday, Wed 13 Oct 2010.

Two songs in one week! What are the odds? But with God, nothing is impossible.

I had started out by setting myself a challenge to write a song around our home group Bible study theme for the week: A Praying Church.

The study verses - Phil. 4:4-9 and Acts 4:23-31.

The Philippians song, Do Not Be Anxious, was written on 11 Oct and finalized on 12 Oct. Videos and story here.

The Acts song is called The Song of Peter and John.

I was so inspired by the courage and eloquence of Peter and John when hauled before the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law.

Their alleged offence: teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

Two uneducated blue-collar types who had been with Jesus and seen Him crucified and resurrected, going out to share boldly with anyone who would listen.

When asked in whose name they preached, they refused to back down even though they had just come out of jail and were being offered the chance to avoid getting on the wrong side of the law again and to stay below the radar.

How many of us today, if asked to pipe down on our personal beliefs and values and to stay low, would dare openly challenge the authorities?

My song is based on two particular verses:
¹²Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

"Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. ²⁰For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Strong words spoken by strong men.

Enjoy...

Song of Peter and John

Lyrics: Acts 4:12, 19-20

Composer: Serena Low (as given by The Songwriter on 13 Oct 2010)

Verse
Salvation is found in no one else
There is no other name
Under heaven given to men

Salvation is found in no one else
There is no other name
By which we must be saved

Chorus
Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's eyes
To obey man rather than God
For we cannot help
Speaking of what we have seen and heard
There is no other name
There is no other name
By which we're saved

A New Song

It's been 24 years since I last wrote a song.

I was very active in songwriting between Sec 2 and Sec 4 at RGS. Took part in the National Songwriting Competition for Schools and RGS Night, had my own singing group (The Amateurs!) and even won a couple of awards. Writing songs was fun, and a great way to channel some of that adolescent angst.

Then...it stopped in JC. No songs came. The inspiration just dried up. I told myself that God giveth, and God had taken away ('blessed be the Lord' was a bit harder to admit though).

Over the years, I've kept up with the piano at a recreational level, playing for church and for pleasure. I enjoy some Kevin Kern-esque moments and what some friends call tinkling (the ivories).

Then yesterday, it happened.

Just like that, the flow started.

I was reflecting on Philippians 4: 4-9 (because it was the study verse for our group bible study) and wondering if there was a way to put some of the words to music.

And this is what He gave me.

Praise be to God the creator and author of all things good!

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

Lyrics: Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Music: Serena Low (as given by The Songwriter on 11 Oct 2010)

Verse

Do not be anxious about anything
Do not be anxious but in everything
By prayer and petition
With thanksgiving
Present your requests to God

Chorus

And the peace of God
And the peace of God
That surpasses all understanding
Will keep your hearts
Will keep your minds
In Jesus, in Jesus

Verse

Do not be anxious about anything
Do not be anxious but in everything
By prayer and petition
With thanksgiving
Present your requests to God

Chorus

And the peace of God
And the peace of God
That surpasses all understanding
Will keep your hearts
Will keep your minds
In Jesus, in Jesus

Repeat chorus

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen

About the song

The song starts on a minor key (to reflect the listener's current discouraged state), builds up energy at the bridge (when the writer suggests how we can handle our anxieties), then rings out triumphantly in a major key at the chorus, loops back to the verse and chorus, repeats the chorus and ends in a four-fold Amen inspired by the ending of Benediction (The Lord Whom We Love) as sung by Budak Pantai (my fave SG acapella group) on their Budakumentary album.

Here's the short version, which was the fruit of the first day's work...



And here's the full version, which was created today!

Doing nothing with my law degree?

Took Beth along to visit with an artist friend today.

She was impressed by the studio at the back, by our friend's numerous paintings which made her home a veritable art gallery, and by her treasure trove of Little Red Riding Hood stories.

I was touched by the stories behind how the paintings came to be.

Towards the end of our visit, our friend asked what were my career plans. Had I, for instance, considered what was required for me to become a solicitor or legal assistant?

This was rather confronting for me, as I had just had to articulate and defend myself on the same subject last evening at the church's newcomers' tea. One of our pastor's break-the-ice activities was for each person to talk about our past and current careers.

It is not that I have nothing to say on the subject. It is just that doing it exposes me once more to my fears, insecurities, self-doubt and lack of confidence. I feel the enormous weight of my law degree and eleven years of work experience and how it must (might) look to outsiders who for various reasons may conclude that I should/should not return to fulltime work.

It is not that I stand on one side or the other of the SAHM fence. I struggle all the time with self-identity and financial concerns. Who am I when I'm not being a mother and wife? Is this all I can do with my talent, time and skills?

If only there was money to be made every time I write an article or blog post or tell someone about the organic products I use, my life would be perfect.

"All the things I could do/If I had a little money/It's a rich man's world"

The reality is that whether I choose coaching or writing or the law, it's all about high-touch marketing, putting yourself out there, being visible and making an impact.

None of which I'm good at.

Money Money Money

Just arranged ETF for school fees and council rates.

Tomorrow is deduction for ASG and home and contents insurance.

Gas deduction is next Wed.

Payday is next Thu.

Had to redraw from home loan AGAIN.

Can't wait for 2011 when J will stop going to daycare and we can put the savings ($230 a month) back into the mortgage.

Traffic stats 2 years on...

Just checked in to my page to view this month's traffic.

I actually haven't done anything with the site for a long time, so it's great to see that traffic continues to grow notwithstanding.

I'm beginning to see the power of the internet and how a one-time-effort can lead to organic growth. Amazing.

Complex Mother-Daughter Relations

My mum and I have always have a fraught relationship.

I grew up determined NOT to be like my mum. There was nothing she could say to me that was helpful, because (I felt) she had proven herself to be unreliable, tactless and overcritical.

Tonight, a strange thing happened.

We were having one of our occasional long-distance chats (I can't bring myself to call once a week; it's just too much) and I asked Beth to come on the phone and say thank you to Grandma for the stickers and other presents she had recently sent the girls through my cousin who went home for a visit.

Beth shook her head fiercely.

"I am only going to say four words," she announced.

And she did.

"Thank you for the stickers," she said - WITHOUT so much as a "Hello Grandma".

Okay, so that was five words.

My mum was upset. I was mortified.

My mum started to lecture me about Beth's manners and how she felt hurt that she had gone to all the trouble to put together the gifts for the girls, and here was Beth not even greeting her properly.

Then she started to suggest that I was failing in my maternal duty of disciplining my child.

At which point I cracked.

I cried. I sobbed. I blubbered. I said we'd been struggling with Beth since she turned 8 and she just wouldn't listen and she was so stubborn and though I scolded, nagged and lost my temper, it didn't change things etc etc.

Which is when the conversation took a curious turn.

[It's not the first time my firstborn's faults have been laid at my door. I reckon about 90% of the time, Beth doesn't want to talk to Grandma, and if she's forced to get on the phone, she says as little as she can. When Grandma does encounter Beth in a good mood (i.e. chatty, willing to have a conversation), I count it a lucky day.]

The mum I thought had nothing relevant or helpful to say suddenly became my ally and counselor.

First, Mum apologised for misjudging me.

Then she offered all sorts of advice - don't lose my temper, don't hit in anger, use the soft approach, get help from Beth's school teacher, don't give up, get spiritual guidance, keep praying, read the Bible with Beth. She assured me she would be praying for us.

She was practically gushing with the milk of motherly kindness, even sharing a touching account of Uncle Jerry's eulogy at his dad's funeral (his dad, and Aunty Eve's dad, passed away on Fri morning). Apparently Uncle J - our family ophthalmologist - used to be a bit of a challenge when he was a boy, skipping school and getting up to mischief and being something of a black sheep compared to his obedient, well-behaved siblings. He said his mum had no patience for his nonsense; it was his dad who was the patient one. He even said that if he had a son like himself, he would denounce him, which made his listeners laugh.

Perhaps that was Mum's way of telling me not to give up on Beth. In which case it was pretty powerful. I have to take a long view of things and remember that this is just one step in our journey with Beth. If I give up now, who will be there for her to guide her back on the right path?

Spoke with hubby after chat with Mum. He thinks part of Beth's problem is that she hasn't found herself yet. She's completely self-absorbed and needs something bigger than herself to engage her. I randomly mentioned asking Paul about local missions, perhaps an activity our family can commit to (monthly?) that puts us in contact with disadvantaged families and allows Beth to see other children her age who are genuinely doing it tough.

Something like how Pastor Edmund Chua in SG takes his family of four to India and other less developed countries every year during school hols to do mission work.

I googled EC and finally found his family website: http://www.e4chua.com.

A most worthy role model for all of us.

FB Fan Stats

Am learning to detach from FB fan numbers and to allow for variations.

The first time the number dropped by one, I panicked. What had gone wrong? Why had someone dropped me off their Like list? On and on I went, doing vicious loops in my head.

I am now practising the art of detachment.

When I first click on the 'Adverts and Pages' tab, I take a quick breath and picture a number in my head.

Funnily, about 90+% of the time, that number is exactly right.

Today's count is 107, and I'm wondering: where have all the new people come from?

It strikes me as supremely ironic that during the period that I've deliberately absented myself from FB, the numbers have actually crept up by themselves with no frantic effort from me.

The Early 40th Present

Was the beneficiary of an act of kindness and generosity today.

I'd been the middleman in a long and protracted case of miscommunication and admin oversight involving a ONE Group customer and the company. While trying to resolve the problem for the customer, she ended up receiving an extra bottle of Ambrosia Essence, a premium product of the company worth over $100.

She asked if I could return the bottle to the company for her; if not, she would take care of it. I said I would handle the return, because I felt I was (rightly or wrongly) responsible for the mix-up.

I emailed ONE Group today to explain the situation and ask if there were any forms to fill before I sent off the bottle.

I received a very nice note from the Returns Officer saying that I could have the Ambrosia Essence with the company's compliments, as their way of thanking me for my honesty.

You really do reap the good you sow...even when you're not expecting it.

Had been planning to buy the Ambrosia Essence for myself as I've read so many positive testimonials about it. Now I've received it for free - it's like getting an advance birthday present. Thanks, God! :)

Car Boot Sale #3 (Sept 2010)

Had an amazing, inspiring, educational day today.

Went without expectations and even with a little dread. Did I want to sit around for 4 hours - again - trying to look busy and cheerful even when there are few passersby?

As it turned out, I had interesting, deep conversations with the lovely ladies running stalls on either side - Fiona and Karin.

It was unexpected cos I'm an introvert. I don't get my energy from talking with people, especially people I don't know; socialising can be mentally and physically draining. I need to be in a certain mood and head space to want to reach out and make that connection.

Today, I tried to focus on the other person and just flow along with the conversation.

It's what Michael Oliver calls Natural Selling, except I had made a decision not to think about selling or what was in it for me. So I managed to avoid one of those potentially costly faux pas: constantly glancing sideways to see if anyone was stopping by my stall. The result was that I was able to give the other person my fullest concentration and respect and acknowledge what they said instead of making presumptious comments.

The outcome? A meaningful connection, a sharing of life stories, and the seeds of future friendship were sowed. One lady ordered two items off me, my Sale Of The Day. The other gave me plenty of useful advice about selling, based on her retail experience. She told me I am friendly and have a nice smile, and that a business is often built from word-of-mouth referrals.

I was blessed also to have my 3 yo come along for company. She is a social magnet, with the kind of personality that has strangers saying how cute/gorgeous/adorable she is. She certainly kept herself busy. I had brought along a preschool activity book that she worked through for a while. We had muffins and shared a sausage. Then her friends the Sawyer boys came by, and she was off to play, get carried around and learn Snap.

I am particularly grateful for the unsought blessings: the gentleman who wandered by with his 6 mo baby girl quietly sitting in her pram, who shared about his digestive problems and intolerance to wheat. I was able to give him info about Fast-Tract and In-Liven. Turns out he teaches at Beth's school. The world has just grown smaller - again.

Our home group member Jenny, a fantastic cook and very organized, efficient lady, brought a friend by to see my stuff. She did all the sales talk for me, emphasizing how little she has to use because one pump is all she needs, and how she loves the pump bottle that the foundation come in because it clearly shows how much product is left in the bottle; as the bottle gets used up the marker rises. That's something I had never thought about and can now use for my next marketing exercise. Must thank her for the kindness and favour.

All in, my third Car Boot Sale has been a SUCCESS in every way.

Ahead and Relaxing

It's been a long time since I was able to get a newsletter out in advance. For some reason, I normally write it a week before the 1st of the month.

Have just sent in my Oct newsletter to the queue for publication on 30 Sep. One month in advance. Yay!

Traffic stats review for Career-Change-Confidence.com

Number of visitors in August - 971 -whoa, highest ever since the site started! :)

Average: 32 visitors a day

I'd love to claim that as a SUCCESS.

PS. Checked stats today and the number's up to 1006!
Where did they all come from?
That's AMAZING!
*victory dance*

He's not like us (Thank God)

He accepts you at your worst
He is hoping for the best
Jesus loves you
Jesus loves you

He will never ever leave you
He will never forsake you
Jesus loves you
Jesus loves you

He is proud of who you are
He has faith in who you'll become
He's not like us
He loves you just because

Brokenhearted
Do you want your healing?
Oh trust again
There is love in His right hand

What I wish I had the Charisma and Courage to do

To shout and praise God uninhibited, unconscious of what people might think or say -

"What does that woman think she's doing? Is she trying to draw attention to herself?"

"Is that Serena dancing and jumping around on stage?"

Even King David was mocked by his first wife Michal when he danced down the streets praising God in just a loincloth.

Not a good look, we would say here.

But if the Spirit suddenly overcame you and you felt you could burst if you held it in anymore, wouldn't you do as MWS does in this video?

Watch him brim over with barely contained glee, like he's just discovered the greatest secret in the world, and take everyone along for the ride!

Dare you and I do it?



Gotta let the world know
Take it to the streets
I'm gonna dance and sing
And let out a shout of praise!
Hallelujah
The river is rising!

A Song for the Struggling - Help Is On The Way by Michael W Smith

Love this song.

Have posted it on FB and sent the clip to Kathleen, our missionary in S Africa. Feel strongly that her children (the ones at the orphanage she works at) need to hear it and claim it for themselves.

A hairdresser I can go back to

Tried a new hairdresser today: Woodville Cutting Edge @ Woodville Shopping Centre (Warringa Crescent, HX).

What led me to give it a try was a positive review of the place on the WOMOW website, where customers give a business a good or bad review based on their personal experience. When I called to find out the rates, I was quoted $27.50 for a wet cut (i.e. they dampen your hair, cut it and blow dry it - no shampooing).

My hairdresser was Brooke, who gave me this new look. I wanted something that would give me the option of keeping my hair long; she recommended long at the sides and shorter at the back, with a side fringe. She suggested I get my hair straightened as well - at a total cost of $40 - to get the maximum benefit from The Look.

Took me a few hours to get used to my new image, but I like it now. :-)

BEFORE

AFTER

PS. Golly, I sure look my age: wrinkles, crow's feet and all! Guess I am well and truly middle-aged. LOL

Times of Refreshing

Am letting myself be spiritually refreshed listening to Michael W. Smith(MWS)'s A New Hallelujah DVD while typing this.

I love this one which he does with Israel Houghton -

He sees your tears
He fights your fears
Hold on
Help is on the way
Help is on the way
He said he'll never leave you or forsake you
Stay strong
Help is on the way
He said he'll help you
Just reach out and take his hand

As a musician and an introvert, I really admire musos who play brilliantly and through their body language send out the message that they LOVE what they're doing. Like Michael our drummer at HXUCA - and MWS and his band.

Wish I could be less inhibited and more unafraid to express my joy and praise. Why am I so afraid to be myself??

TV for believers

A dear friend from my primary school days told me about a YouTube video in which Eric Moo talks about his Christian faith - wow!



In it, he sports a new look which I thought was platinum blonde (eew!).

Until I heard him talk about growing out his white hair over a period of 3 months and how God is the best hair stylist.

The more I listened to him open up about his personal challenges and make fun of himself, the more I thought: he seems a likeable sort of guy. I must admit I've never particularly liked him even though I enjoyed some of his xinyao songs. Maybe his rather kiam-pa face and early arrogance and all that goss involving Jazreel Low have prejudiced me somewhat.

Or maybe he's a different Eric from when he started out.

In the process, I discovered a new TV channel for Christians: GoodTV. Am going to check it out often.

Xinyao From The 80s - Another Song, Another Sad Love Story

I Get To vs. I Have To

Love this article I read in Runner's World.

Instead of saying "I have to", say "I get to".

Instead of -

I have to clean the house, I have to fetch the kids from school, I have to go to work,

say -

I get to make my house clean and tidy for my loved ones and guests.

I get to fetch my kids from school and listen to them chat about their day.

I get to be paid for a job I enjoy doing and to help with my family's finances.

Because somewhere out there is a mum who would love to do what you do, even the most trivial and mundane stuff, but can't because she is fighting cancer and has just months to live.

When you say "I have to", you feel grumpy, stressed and resentful at all the burdens you have to manage.

When you say "I get to", you feel grateful, appreciative and have a positive perspective.

The Simple Savings Challenge

Beth and I looked through the Simple Savings website last night.

It was fascinating to watch her scroll through the tip sheets and actually take in the info.

I think I know what I want for my 40th: a subscription to the Vault! It costs $47 and gives you access to ALL the tips suggested by readers over the years.

I'm getting excited thinking of all the $ that I can save if I just start implementing some of the tips. Maybe I won't have to go back to work at all!

I've been resisting buying things that I just happen to see at the supermarket, and to make do with what I have in the freezer/pantry/fridge. Yesterday, I spent just $28 on meat and nuts at Tasman Meats, our supply for the week. Hubby loves the cashew nuts, yay. For dinner last night I made chicken soup using one of the chicken carcasses (3 for $1), plus carrots, potatoes, garlic and a tin of organic cannelloni beans.

Unfortunately, hubby has not caught on. He still buys potato chips and cookies and Dip-Its just because he happens to be near ALDI when Beth goes to jujitsu on Mondays. Oh well, better one of us spending than two!

For afternoon tea, I made a batch of banana-blueberry muffins from the overripe bananas in the fruit bowl, and added ALDI blueberries. They tasted good, although Beth wanted to know why the muffins were all sunken in the middle!

Today I made scrolls using frozen puff pastry, tinned fruit, almond meal and crushed peanuts. All from stuff I already had in the pantry and freezer. Note to self: make sure fruit is completely drained so it won't make scrolls all soggy!

Earlier in the month we trialled Aussie Farmers Direct. Love the convenience and being able to support the farmers, but the prices!!

Am staying away from those money-suckers Safeway and Coles as far as possible, and making ALDI our pitstop of choice. Hubby once found Excel study guides at $2 cheaper than our usual bookstore.

With ALDI you have to be vigilant because the specials change all the time and once they're sold out, you miss out. Anyone who wants to save $ has simply got to make ALDI their first choice for groceries and staples. Every time I leave the checkout and examine my docket I feel SO happy, like I've spent my $ well and lived responsibly. Very important when you're a one-income family with kids!

Getting Off FB

I am taking an indefinite FB break.

It's madness, like being on a treadmill that you can't get off. I can spend hours reading other people's postings but never being able to catch up with all the energetic Facebookers who use it to market their products and services and every now and then announce that they are now at 1,555 likers or whatever.

Wish I could do the same, and believe me I did try for a few months, but it's exhausting and the results are not guaranteed. I haven't made a single FB sale, although my fan count is now a healthy 102.

The only people who buy from me are still people I know personally.

Maybe that's the way for me: just keep talking to people and being myself and suggesting organic solutions where appropriate.

Where I Would Rather Live

Visiting Bundoora last Sunday made me think about why we chose to settle in Hoppers Crossing and where we might have lived if not for the fact that my cousin lives here. Hubby and I agreed that we would never have settled in HX.

We took the kids to Bundoora Park after church. They had a great time trying out all the different playgrounds (there are three at least), visiting Cooper's Settlement where they cuddled guinea pigs, watched other kids ride ponies, tramped around the barn with ducks and chooks, and had tea at the Farm Cafe.

Afterwards, we drove around the La Trobe Uni campus. How much has changed! A few minutes in the direction of the M80 Metropolitan Ring Road is the new University Hill development: a mix of housing, retail and office units. You could live, work and shop there, wow!

The open space across from BM Guesthouse - our home for a whole month when we first arrived - has been beautifully landscaped, and Springthorpe Boulevard, which was then seeing a construction boom, is now completed. Every house looks different from its neighbour, the estate has been thoughtfully laid out and has such a welcoming, aspirational feel, yet there is also a sense of glorious isolation. We are talking about being off Plenty Road and 18 mins or so from Melbourne, but you could be in the country if you didn't know better. Bundoora Square is across the road, and there's a new shopping strip with an Indian grocery store, but within the boundaries of the campus, there are heritage bungalows still used by the Uni. The pond that we used to walk past and watch ducks swimming is still there, and Gresswell Wildlife Sanctuary looks as remote and forbidding as ever, a contradiction in the midst of contemporary upper-class residential living.

From Bundoora, we drove 5 km along Grimshaw St into Greensborough, where we used to enjoy visiting the Plaza and trying out the eateries along the main road. We revisited our favourite Vietnamese restaurant - Linh Linh - with its tacky artificial flowers, painted white bar counter and the bathroom down a flight of stairs.

If I could choose to start over again in Aus, I would live in...Geelong.

It's the second largest city after Melbourne, with great schools, facilities, infrastructure.

It's 40 min to Melbourne, minutes to the beaches, the Great Ocean Road is down the highway, there's a ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento, the gorgeous waterfront and Botanic Gardens, V-Line to Melbourne, Geelong Grammar School. If you want a tree change, somewhere like Highton would be fantastic, with its hilly terrain and amazing elevated views and closeness to the Barwon River. Everything that you need to live comfortably can be found in Geelong, minus the crowding. The best thing about the Geelong lifestyle is driving away from the City when everyone else is trying to get on the Westgate Bridge on a workday.

If hubby and I could find jobs in Geelong, I would gladly consider uprooting again. I checked the real estate prices yesterday and they are still affordable, considering the proximity to water views.

Imagine being able to walk to the beach and enjoy all the green spaces and fresh air and ocean views, but without the Brighton price tag. Now that would be a seachange worth considering.

How NOT to run a market stall

Had my second crack at running a market stall today.

While I had mentally psyched myself to detach from the outcome and to just make this an exercise in gaining exposure and developing conversation skills, it still felt GALLING to sit there for hours with people just swishing by with barely a glance at my table.

Some bypassed it altogether.

Perhaps the worst was having people actually STOPPING to look at my products - while I was across the room having a chat with another stallholder, and unable to get away for fear of being rude!

Cost of hiring stall: $20
Time spent packing, setting up and unpacking: 1 hour (assume $40)
Time spent at market: 4 hours ($40 x 4 = $160)
Revenue: $xx
Nett revenue after subtracting cost of my time: $ -xxx :(
Gain from embracing fear, trying something outside my comfort zone and chatting with strangers and friends: PRICELESS

FB Experiments

A week after enlisting help from other FB users, the fan count is up to 86.

Amazing.

Am having fun checking out other biz pages and posting favourable comments about their products and services.

Perhaps I am more suited to building up other people's businesses rather than flogging my own.

Chatted with hubby today cos he was home sick. He asked me the usual pointed questions about business plans, working for others vs. working for self, how much $$ return I was getting on my marketing efforts etc. Felt depressed and low for a while and talked to God about it on the way to pick up Beth.

Have no answers for now but am praying that He shows me what He would like me to do.

Work for someone ...again? Maybe it's time to dust off the CV and start looking around. A part of me looks forward to interacting with like-minded professionals in a nice office somewhere in the Big Smoke.

And having spending money to call my own.

How To Succeed In Biz As An Introvert

I've written on this subject before, but today, I learned another valuable lesson.

Every introvert who wants to succeed in marketing herself and her biz needs an extrovert on her side.

Mine's Steph Davy of Learning Ladder. We've known each other for about 6 months now, mostly with me buying books off her for my kids and as birthday gifts. Recently, she became a Miessence customer and I was so thrilled, especially as she loved the products enough to say so on FB.

Disillusioned by my meagre 'like' numbers on FB, I put out a general call for help yesterday and today added 11 new likers, most sent by Steph. I think her friends alone accounted for 8 of those likes.

Such is the power of leverage.

Will have to do more work to find out how to apply this latest revelation.

Am I Wasting My Time Being A Writer?

If something I desire does not flow to me naturally, does that mean I am not meant to have it?

And if so, does that mean pursuing it would be a waste of time and energy and I should instead be focusing on what I naturally do well?

This thread came out of a long Skype conversation I had with my uncle yesterday.

He observed that while my passion lay in writing, I do not seem to be profiting financially from it, because marketing is not my strength. I may need to team up with someone who is a natural at marketing.

Point taken.

Guess it all depends on how I want to measure my success.

If being a successful writer means being a well-fed one, then I am definitely in the category of the starving artiste who needs a regular day job to pay the bills. Ouch.

But if being a successful writer means doing what I love, being happy and fulfilled because of it, and enjoying the occasional affirmation from a grateful reader, then regardless of how many zeroes there are in my bank balance, I guess I am a successful writer.