Why We Need To Learn To Defend Our Faith

Hubby sent me this piece by Catherine Deveny of The Age.

CD can have a pretty heavy, aggressive writing style sometimes, like that of someone bent on a mission to destroy.

Her antithesis would be Stephanie Dowrick, who has a column in GW Magazine.

[SD is an ordained Interfaith Minister and author who writes reflective pieces on kindness, self-awareness, goodwill to all men - you get the idea.]

In her article, Catherine talks about how she grew up in a Christian household. She now proudly declares herself an atheist.

One para in particular caught my eye.

I think she's got it right on when she says Christians can sometimes get defensive and evasive when asked questions about our faith that we cannot readily answer.

"I question some of my progressive, believing mates about if they believe in Noah's ark, the Immaculate Conception, Adam and Eve, the Resurrection, even heaven, and they squirm a little and try to change the subject.

They get vague, defensive and then start muttering something about faith and mystery and a power of love that unites us all.

Sure, it would be easy to torture them, but they're adults and it's their life.

I just can't see why it's so difficult to have a rigorous discussion about it."

I can see why an atheist (or anyone else) would question the credibility of the Christian faith when we who profess to believe cannot give a decent, reasoned defence of our faith.

After all, the apostle Peter himself tells us in 1 Peter 3:15-16:

15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Being a believer is not just a matter of faith.

It is also a matter of engaging the thinking, reasoning mind that we have been blessed with.

Our faith is rooted not in myths and legends but in historically proven and provable events.

Some accounts in the Bible - Creation, The Great Flood - may seem to be completely at odds with what scientists have been telling us for years.

This is where we need to learn to distinguish facts from interpretation.

Two people can be presented with the same set of facts and arrive at different conclusions - because they are viewing the matter through different lenses.

These lenses are the starting point of the reasoning process and represent our values, beliefs, biases and prejudices.

Nobody can claim to be truly impartial or objective.

Not even atheists, who believe there is no God.

That in itself is an assertion, a statement of belief.

(You might even say atheism is a religion in itself.)

Our life experiences, upbringing, the learning and working environments we are exposed to, the culture of our times...all these are factors that influence why we think the way we do.

If you want a reasoned, rational way of looking at the issues raised by Catherine (Noah's Ark, Adam and Eve), I would highly recommend these resources:

• The Answers Academy course presented by the folks at Answers In Genesis
• The resources on the Creation Ministries International site.

Whom Do We Serve?

Another marvellous message from the principal of Heathdale Christian College.

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No matter how talented or successful we become, we all need a strong dose of servanthood.

As you pursue your God-given destiny, be careful.

Don't be so focused on what you love to do that you neglect what needs to be done.

A 3 a.m. nappy change isn't exciting, nor is garage sweeping.

Visiting someone who is sick may not come naturally to you.

Yet the sick need to be cared for, garages need sweeping, and nappies need changing.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.
Mark 10:45 NIV

Lessons From The Valley of the Shadow

A dear friend sent me this wonderful testimony by Tony Snow, once President Bush's press secretary.

I hope it inspires you too.

God Bless,
Serena

TONY SNOW’S TESTIMONY

Tony Snow was a television commentator who eventually became President Bush’s press secretary. He had several bouts with cancer and he lost his battle this past weekend. Last October, during the midst of his illness, Tony Snow shared what spiritual lessons he had been learning through his ordeal.

Blessings arrive in unexpected packages – in my case, cancer. Those of us with potentially fatal diseases – and there are millions in America today – find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God’s will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence “What It All Means,” scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.

The first is that we shouldn’t spend too much time trying to answer the “why” questions : Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can’t someone else get sick? We can’t answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.

I don’t know why I have cancer, and I don’t much care. It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence : We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.

But despite this, or because of it, God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don’t know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our creator face-to-face.

Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere.

To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life – and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth. We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many non believing hearts – an intuition that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might and faith to live fully, richly and exuberantly – no matter how their days may be numbered.

Third, we can open our eyes and hearts. God relishes surprises. We want lives of simple, predictable ease – smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see – but God likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance and comprehension – and yet don’t. By His love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise.

“You Have Been Called”.

Picture yourself in a hospital bed. The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away. A doctor stands at your feet; a loved one holds your hand at the side. “It’s cancer’” the healer announces.

The natural reaction is to turn to God and ask Him to serve as a cosmic Santa. “Dear God, make it all go away. Make everything simpler.” But another voice whispers : “You have been called”. Your quandary has drawn you closer to God, closer to those you love, closer to the issues that matter and has dragged into insignificance the banal concerns that occupy our “normal time”.

There’s another kind of response, although usually short-lived, an inexplicable shudder of excitement, as if a clarifying moment of calamity has swept away, everything trivial and tiny, and placed before us the challenge of important questions.

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing through the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes, shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow but only about the moment.

There’s nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue – for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we could offer and the most we ever could do.

Finally, we can let love change everything. When Jesus was faced with the prospect of crucifixion, He grieved not for Himself but for us. He cried for Jerusalem before entering the holy city. From the cross, He took on the cumulative burden of human sin and weakness and begged for forgiveness on our behalf.

We get repeated chances to learn that life is not about us, that we acquire purpose and satisfaction by sharing in God’s love for others. Sickness gets us part way there. It reminds us of our limitations and dependence. But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy. A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones accept the burden of two peoples’ worries and fears.

“Learning How To Live”.

Most of us have watched friends as they drifted towards God’s arms, not with resignation, but with peace and hope. In so doing, they have taught us not how to die but how to live. They have emulated Christ by transmitting the power and authority of love.

I sat by my best friend’s bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends and at least one priest. Here was a humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He retained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. “I’m going to try to beat (this cancer),” he told me several months before he died. “But if I don’t, I’ll see you on the other side.”

His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn’t promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity – filled with life and love we cannot comprehend – and that one can in the throes of sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms.

Through such trials, God bids us to choose : Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don’t matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do?

When our faith flags, he throws reminders in our way. Think of the prayer warriors in our midst. They change things and those of us who have been on the receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it. It is hard to describe, but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you feel a surge of the Spirit. Somehow you just know : Others have chosen, when talking to the author of all creation, to lift us up – to speak of us!

This is a love of a very special order. But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate the wonder of every created thing. The mere thought of death somehow makes every blessing vivid, every happiness more luminous and intense. We may not know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable touch of God.

What is man that Thou art mindful of him? We don’t know much, but we know this : no matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us who believe, each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place, in the hollow of God’s hand.

Learn, Unlearn, Relearn

Being a part of the church worship team has been an incredible time of learning.

My classical training has been helpful in that I can sightread and work out chords and stuff.

Sometimes, though, it has been a bit of a hindrance, because when you are part of a team, different considerations apply.

You have to know when to play and when to hold back.

You can't play like a soloist or play the synth as if you were playing the piano.

Especially if there is another pianist involved, one who is extremely gifted and who can play anything and any genre.

The worship workshop we had 2 weekends ago has been a catalyst of positive change for the worship team.

Today was the first time we played under new leadership, and I think I'm not the only one who felt it was a change for the better.

Team morale was high.
The music flowed better, even though we had just piano, synth and bass guitar. (No drums - amazing!)
The girls sang really well, and the bit in the Hallelujah chorus when the instruments died away and it was just voices was BEAUTIFUL.

Afterwards, we had a debrief (a first!) and talked about what worked and what didn't.

I was relieved to know that the music director had some positive things to say about my playing. That's a huge encouragement, considering I'm not a seasoned keyboardist and am still feeling my way around the synth.

Thank you Lord, that however old I get, there is always something new to learn.
Keep me flexible and nimble so that I never stagnate.
Amen.

If You Don't Ask, The Answer's Always No

I'm reading You Inc. (How to attract amazing success into your life and business) by John McGrath, one of Australia's top selling real estate agents.

I love this section of the book where he tells of how he once randomly said to the facilitator of a conference he was attending, "I'm so glad to be here and to be listening to all you guys. I wish my team back home could listen to them straight from the source."

The facilitator said, "Well, why don't we ask them?"

At this point, John panicked and started trying to back out. He hadn't really intended to go anywhere with his idea. It was just something he felt at that moment.

So he tried to get out of his idea by saying, oh, these guys are too busy and too important to come.

But the facilitator wouldn't let him get away with it.

His point was: The delegates might be too busy, but John must give them the opportunity to say yes.

After tea break, the facilitator announced to the conference, "John has a request."

John was very embarrassed, but he stood up anyway.

The result was the first real estate training conference of its kind in Australia. Since then, John's company has gone on to organize similar conferences every year, and his company is now the largest real estate trainer in Australia, with a dozen top real estate experts from all over the world presenting.

Action Challenge:

What things are you holding back from saying or doing because of fear that the other person might say no?
Give him a chance to say yes.
Ask the question.
You never know what might happen.
The outcome could change your life or business in an amazing way.

How Fred Got His New Job

Here's a great story to inspire you in your career.

By Stanley Bing, writer for Fortune Magazine.

This is a story of a guy named Fred who dared to see himself as something bigger. And because he did - because he was able to take that leap of faith - he made a good thing happen. Those who dare to imagine sometimes get what they want. Those who don't never do.

We had been interviewing people for a mid-level management job for, say, five months. If that seems odd to you, then you haven't run a department where every position represents the cumulative function of six that existed before.

Choose the wrong person, and you enter a zone of dysfunction not all that different from having a debilitating disease. Ever have the flu but still have to go to the office? A bad hire is like that.

You see a lot of talented people when you're in this process, but within six seconds - not seven or eight- you know whether the person in front of you is going to be somebody with whom you can sustain a ten-minute conversation.

The only thing I look for is whether the prospect of doing so makes me feel like falling asleep. I am not being metaphorical. Since I was a child, whenever I feel anxious and trapped, my eyelids get heavy. You can see how much I like the whole enterprise, then. And yet it must be done.

One day, deep in the darkest part of this tedium, Fred knocked at my door.

Fred has worked for us for a long time, as long as I've been here, in fact. He's a good guy and a reliable, creative player. Never saw him as a manager, though. There are many like that, actually. Put them on a horse in the middle of the phalanx and they fight with gusto and brilliance. Put that horse at the front of the column and they lead the squad by a circuitous route into the swamp.

Fred stood in my doorway and said, "You found anybody for that manager slot yet?" And I thought, "Oh, no." I like Fred. I don't want to hurt Fred's feelings. "May I come in?" said Fred.
"Sure, Fred," I said.

"I've been thinking a lot about this job you're trying to fill, and I think I could be pretty good at it," said Fred. He had a file on his lap, and he opened it. "I think there's an organizational issue at the center of the problem this job would address," he continued.

I noticed he wasn't nervous. Usually Fred seems a little nervous to me, and this was sort of interesting.

"We have a good team here," he continued, "but we don't communicate enough. We're each in our own silo. I think I know everybody here very well. I think I have their respect." He did. And he had put his finger on the reason we had created this new post. People working in silos seldom produce as much Excellence as those who pull together, or Quality even.

"I've been here for a long time," Fred said. "And I'm finding that thinking about even the possibility of getting this assignment has energized me in a whole new way."

He stopped and looked at me with very big eyes, eyes gleaming with ambition and hope. And I saw the fire in his belly.

In cartoons a hungry wolf will look at a sheep in the meadow, and for a moment the cute, woolly creature itself will disappear and in its place will stand a juicy lamb chop. This is pretty much what happened when I looked at Fred. He himself vaporized, and in his place I saw a solution, and an end to interviewing.

"Okay, Fred," I said. "We have a couple more people to see, but I assure you that I'm going to think very seriously about what you've said."

"That's all?" said Fred, and I realized another thing: Thanks to his length of service, Fred and I knew each other well enough already to have attained a certain informality. "I have a lot more to tell you about if you want to hear it," he added, staring down at his file. "No, Fred," I said. "I like what you've shown me today. Let me just think about things a little."

For about a week I thought. I told a couple of people what had happened.

"For goodness' sake," they said, "give Fred a shot."

So you'll have to excuse me. This job I do is not always fun, but occasionally I get to do something that makes somebody happy. Sometimes the answer to your prayers is right under your nose.

Hitting The Books Again

The lifelong learner is at it again. :-)

I have just enrolled in a Diploma of Professional Book Editing, Proofreading and Publishing with the Australian College of Queensland.

It's a home study course, which means I can achieve my objectives without having to attend classes outside the home.

To enable me to really study and get the most out of this opportunity, we plan to put J in childcare twice a week.

This is subject to us qualifying for Family Tax Benefits in the new FY, because childcare is costly here (at least $1k pm!) and we couldn't afford it on one income.

I've had people ask why I'm doing this course when I'm already a working editor/proofreader. My point is that what I've learnt from doing is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

To be able to pitch for bigger projects, I must position myself with confidence, and I can only be confident about what I know well. I can't be hazarding guesses or I won't inspire confidence in future clients.

So it's about skills upgrading, which is something I passionately believe in anyway.

The bonus in all this is that the VIC government and the school I'm enrolled in are actually sponsoring my course (otherwise I couldn't afford the commitment at this time of my life). I'm doing the course with a government grant called the Parents Return To Work initiative, and an additional subsidy from school.

I don't have to put in a cent of my own, just the hard yards.

And that's not a hard thing to do when you're doing something you love. :-)

I had a quick look at my course materials and was really excited to see they've included a copy of the Macquarie Pocket Dictionary of Australian English.

My course tutor is a lady who runs her own editing and proofreading business from her farm in country NSW, in between watching the lambs, calves and grass grow.

How inspiring's that?

Busting 2 Barriers In A Day

Have you ever felt afraid to try something new and just kept finding excellent excuses to put it off?

Two of my biggest challenges as a fairly new P-plater are: one, driving on the freeway by myself; two, tanking up at the petrol station by myself.

This past Monday, I accomplished both.

My friend Annie likes to remind me that I need to be pushed into a corner before I'll respond positively to a new challenge.

She's right.

The only reason I busted out of my two Fear Zones was because of a serendipitous conversation.

Chatting with a fellow mum at school, I casually said perhaps we could arrange a play date over the coming hols.

She said sure, why not, and then remembered that she was hosting a tea party for another little girl who is her daughter's best friend and also a classmate of Beth.

She said would Beth like to come to the tea party? It would be after school on Monday.

I thought, why not, and said "Sure!".

Then I found out this lady lives in Point Cook, 10 km and several suburbs away.

I've never driven out of the Werribee/Hoppers area on my own, and I tell you I was terrified.

Not only that, it being Monday (day before fill-up-the-petrol-tank-cheaply day), the needle on our fuel tank was running dangerously close to 'E'...

That meant I'd have to take the car to the petrol station by myself.

I seriously contemplated backing out of the party, but then thought, that would make me such a loser. I mean, who pulls out of a party just because they don't know how to fill up the car?

So I summoned up my courage and drove to the Safeway petrol station after playgroup and queued up behind another car.

I tried to recall all the steps CA normally takes (which just float over me when I'm the passenger) and - surprise! - no one stared or honked or did anything to make me feel conspicuous. I managed to put in $20 worth of petrol, which CA assured me was plenty for the journey to Point Cook.

At school, I bumped into the mum of the little girl who was to be the main star of the tea party. At the risk of sounding like an idiot, I confessed that I wasn't sure I could find my way to Point Cook on my own, or find my way back if the party ended late (cos I have poor night vision).

She kindly offered to direct the way by driving ahead of me slowly.

Which she did, so getting to Point Cook was a breeze.

We all had a lovely time at the party.

There were pink helium balloons, pink Cinderella plates and napkins, and HEAPS of food.

I later found out it was a surprise birthday tea party for Maddison, whose birthday was two days after!

Anywayz, as the evening got on and it started getting dark, hubby called and asked, "Where are you?"

He knew I was going to be in Point Cook and was worried I wouldn't be able to see my way home in time. (It's winter so it gets dark around 5 pm.)

I promised to go home right away, and hung up.

Maddie's mum noticed my increasing anxiety, and suggested kindly that perhaps we should get going.

How grateful I felt!

Driving home was again as easy as keeping an eye on the car in front, because again Maddie's mum was there to lead the way.

I was so pleased to find myself in familiar territory sooner than I expected.

Now I know Point Cook is really only just beyond the Old Geelong Rd/C701, which makes it fairly straightforward getting from here to there.

The next time I have to drive into Point Cook, I won't be as nervous.

Thanks Margaret!! You're an angel!

And thank you Lord, for once again stretching me and making me grow.

The Circle of Life and Faith

This past week, as CA was preparing to deliver his first-ever sermon, he reflected on how zealous he used to be when he was a new believer.

I think all believers face the same struggle.
Our life journey seems to mirror our faith journey.

We start off full of passion and zeal, spending hours studying the Bible and evangelizing to our peers. This is also usually when we are single and still schooling.

In midlife, we get caught up in career, family and finances. For some of us, our faith becomes more a matter of keeping up with routine rather than engaging in anything that might rock the boat.

Then at the tail end of life, when the kids have grown and left the nest and we have a bit more time - and when perhaps we encounter illness or some other major life event - we turn our attention to our own mortality and once again renew our allegiance to the One who made us and to whom we must return.

"Not Religious, Just Righteous"

I love this little slogan that was printed on the funeral bulletin of N, who passed away a week ago.

It summed up his attitude towards church, God, and what it meant to him to be part of the community of believers.

The slogan also gave me cause to pause and ask myself:

What is my faith really about?

Is God still in my weekly rituals of Sunday worship, Thursday night band practice and the various church-related things I get involved in?

How real is my faith?

Dare I call myself a practising Christian, or have I become like the Pharisees that Jesus condemned, more concerned with the appearance of religion and shunning the revolutionary, life-changing effects that being in a relationship with Jesus entails?

In Bryan Patterson's FaithWorks blog, he writes that Bruxy Cavey (author of The End of Religion) suggests the teachings of Jesus were actually anti-religious. What Jesus came to establish was a subversive spirituality outside the boundary markers of traditional religion and in the process He made religion itself obsolete.

It is a reminder to us that God is more than church, more than the comfortable routines and practices we blithely participate in in His name, more than committee meetings and choir practices and fundraising for new church premises.

True religion is about doing and being.

Which is better, to give or to receive?

The Scriptures say, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

And indeed, giving is the more comfortable thing for most of us to do. It is consistent with our family upbringing and with cultural norms. We feel good when we are the givers. Perhaps we even secretly congratulate ourselves on how noble and altruistic we are.

In this week's message, Pastor Paul Blacker points out that there is another side to the question of giving and receiving.

How do you respond, he asks, when someone - for whatever reason - wants to bless you or help you in some way in a spirit of generosity?

Are you embarrassed?

Do you make a polite protest that you should not receive the gift (as those of us who are Asians are wont to do!)?

Do you try to give it back, or refuse to accept a shout (i.e. a treat) when out for a meal?

This is a very real issue, and one we ourselves faced this week. A dear friend went home after a month's stay with our family, and surprised us with an amazing love gift.

Pastor Paul explains that just as we are sometimes challenged to give for the sake of others, so too, we may be challenged to receive a blessing from another.

There is a profound lesson to be learnt here.

It's about the circle of life, about how so much of life functions in pairs of opposites.

Yin and Yang. Black and white. The tide ebbs and flows. The moon waxes and wanes. The sun rises and sets. Death and life. Good and evil.

So too with giving and receiving.

The LORD may inspire you to bless this person at this time through an act of giving.

At another time, the LORD may inspire someone else to be the channel through which His grace and generosity can touch you.

So is it better to give or to receive?

Does it even matter?

I remember some years ago our home church PLCMC had this motto: Blessed To Be A Blessing.

It is God who blesses, in order that we might be a blessing to others.

If today we are called to receive, let us do so with glad and thankful hearts, recognizing the true Source of the blessing, and rejoicing with the giver in this opportunity to partake of His grace.
If we are called to give, let us do so with glad and thankful hearts, knowing that it is God from whom all blessings flow.

Teaching Music As A Home Based Career: The Next Phase

I've just gotten one step closer to my goal of teaching piano authentically and profitably.


For me, being authentic and being profitable are equally important in starting and sustaining a home based business.


Being authentic is about passion and principles, being true to what I believe in, and having the courage and confidence to communicate those beliefs.


It's about translating the love for music into material and methods that any beginner can relate to, get excited about and start using right away.


A Diploma in Piano Performance is a good first step, but I believe it takes so much more than a paper qualification to make the leap from musician to teacher.


At the same time, when you're in business, it obviously has to be profitable, otherwise you might as well call it a hobby.


That's taken me a long time to get my head around. I confess I'm guilty of feeling that creatives shouldn't get mixed up with money and materialistic pursuits. Weird, huh?


Recently, a good friend sent me the URL of a US-based piano teacher/TV presenter who has created his own system of teaching piano teachers how to make lessons fun, inspiring and relaxed.


I liked what I read on the site so much that I signed up for the Teacher Certification track right away and sent off for the materials.

Waiting for the package to arrive took on the dimensions of much more than another parcel from abroad. I had just taken a firm step towards my goal of teaching music as a home based career, and the parcel's arrival would help make that a reality.

I took to checking the mailbox every day.

Finally, it arrived.

As I unwrapped the package and started looking through the binders and books, my friend and I started batting ideas back and forth.
How should I use the material?
How soon can I get through the material so that I can start teaching?
How can I leverage on my experience + my knowledge + the knowledge and ideas of others to create my own successful home based music business?

Can't wait to enrol my next student. :-)

Career Tip: Before You Leave That Job Interview...

...Ask for the job!

That is the advice of job search expert Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?

In this article published on whotv, Bolles says: "It doesn't seem to matter how you ask for the job. That is to say, the actual words don't seem to matter. It can be something simple, like: "Can you offer me this job?"

Or something a little more elaborate, like, "I believe that I have both the skills and the experience to do the work we have been discussing, in a way that would benefit your organization a lot. Can you offer me this job?"

Most job counselors and career books advise interviewees to ask, "So, what is the next step?"

Bolles does not recommend this, because it places too much control in the hands of the interviewer, who may not be good at handling this sort of situation.

Bolles says that almost all job hunters who follow his advice invariably report back to say they thought his suggestion wouldn't work, but they asked anyway, and the employer said yes!

The Forbes One Billion

I came across this thought-provoking article by Jeffrey Sachs in consumer advocate Neil Jenman's newsletter.

It appeared in the Aug 2007 edition of The Forbes 400.

The Forbes One Billion

The FORBES ranking of the superrich is a valuable and entertaining public service. But it's missing something. We need a Forbes One Billion for the other end of the scale--the superpoor.

If journalists spent as much time studying the lives of the poor as they do gazing at the rich, it would help us all keep our heads on straight. We would marvel at a world economy strange enough to sustain such gaps. We'd learn not to blame the rich for the poverty of the poor, but we'd also learn not to blame the poor themselves. Blame is a primitive response. Entrepreneurship is a much better one. The Forbes 400 could do an amazing job to help The Forbes One Billion into the world economy.

Read the rest of the article.

What happens to the sheep if you strike the shepherd?

Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.
Zechariah 13:7

In a recent bulletin message, my pastor shared the following statistics based on the Fuller Institute's research of the church in America.

1500 pastors leave the ministry every month due to moral failure, burnout or conflict in the church.

94% of pastors felt under pressure to have the "ideal" family.

90% of pastors felt inadequately trained to cope with the demands of ministry.

81% of pastors suffer marital problems due to insufficient time together.

80% of pastors and 84% of pastors' wives feel unqualified and discouraged.
70% of pastors feel that they have lower self esteem now compared to when they started out in ministry.

70% of pastors do not have someone they can confide in.

63% of pastors suffer marital problems due to congregational problems.

50% of pastors would leave if they could make a living doing something else.

40% of pastors reported having a serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.
37% of pastors confessed to having been involved in inappropriate sexual behaviour with someone in the church.

34% of pastors' marriages end up in divorce.

33% of pastors belive that ministry was a hazard to their families.

5% of pastors felt unable to meet the needs of the job.

Some questions to think about:

To what extent are these issues mirrored in your church and mine?

How are we as members supporting our pastors?

How should we as members be supporting our pastors?

My pastor's question is: What impact do these high levels of dysfunction in pastors have on the effective and dynamic life of congregations they are called to lead?

He writes:

"If the pastor is not on top of the game vocationally, relationally, devotionally, spiritually and personally, then, a church is going to suffer.

Sadly, the Christian church is riddled with examples of effective ministry which loses its way, and as a result the whole congregation suffers.

Moral or ethical failure is often the issue most focussed on when a ministry crashes and burns.

But usually that ministry starts to unravel a lot sooner than the time when a personal moral failure manifests.

If the key disciplines of prayer, Biblical reflection, a personal walk with God and a developed practice of regular accountable fellowship with other leaders are not in place, it usually is just a matter of time...

If the perpendicular dimension of relationship with God is not properly practised and maintained, then the horizontal aspect of ministry on the ground will inevitably come under pressure and ... fail."

He ends with this exhortation which I commend to all of us:

"Tend to the matter that matters most - the vital link between God and self. If this is right, the challenge of being an agent for God will be undertaken with vigour and joy."

Let's be joyful, energetic agents for God!

The Breath Of Life

Had an interesting conversation with a friend this week.

We were talking about how ego will drive some people to do anything to hang on to their attitudes, beliefs and habits, even when these prove self-destructive or harmful to loved ones.

My friend volunteers with the Women's Prison Fellowship back home. She shared about the time she challenged the inmates on how they were wasting their time in immoral activities， 只 为了 争一口气 (to fight for a breath, meaning to win at all costs for the sake of pride and to prove a personal point).

After all, she reasoned, our lives are not ours. We are alive because God made us alive. He breathed the breath of life into Adam and Eve, and they came alive. Ditto for us. Conversely, we are all one breath away from dying. All God needs to do is to take away our ability to breathe, and that's the end of us. If our lives are on loan from God, why spend our energies fighting to prove that we are right and that things must go our way?

All flesh is like grass, and all the glory of man is as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower fades away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.

Today's headline: Jobs Must Go

Jobs must go to rein in inflation: Rudd
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says an increase in unemployment predicted in last night's Budget is an essential part of the strategy to rein in inflation, and can partly be blamed on the global economic slowdown.

What should be our response to such reasoning?

I believe the Government's approach merely reinforces the fact that employment, in the traditional sense of working for someone else, should not be one's only means of making a living.

I am not advocating that people ditch their jobs and work for themselves.

There are many factors to consider before one makes such a major decision.

Not everyone is suited to self-employment or to being a business owner.

However, people should certainly start thinking of alternative ways to make a living, because with so many uncontrollable external influences, it is simply unwise to put all your career eggs in one basket.

There are so many ways to make a living outside the 8-to-5 box, especially if one has access to the Internet.

If you haven't started, today's the day to start planning for your future.

Considering self-employment or a home based business?

Read this 16-point checklist to evaluate whether self-employment or a home based business is right for you.

Am I Ambitious?

Dictionary.com defines an ambitious person as "a person who wishes to rise above his or her present position or condition. The ambitious person wishes to attain worldly success, and puts forth effort toward this end".

Recently, I was reading an article about ambitious parents who overstimulate their kids with all sorts of extracurricular activities. One parent bought her son a PDA to help him keep track of his schedule. He's involved in baseball, football, basketball, swimming, etc. He is 10 years old.

Beth leaned over, saw the headline and asked, "Are you an ambitious parent?"

I paused.

How do I answer?

If I say yes, should I feel bad about it? Does being an ambitious parent make me one of those scary Asian parents who push their children academically and send them to private schools and drive up house prices in the school zone?
If I say no, does it mean I'm lazy and lackadaisical and setting up my children for underachievement?

At this point, Beth goes to jazz and tap class, Chinese class and Yamaha keyboard class. Her Saturdays are mad. We have to schedule our activities around her class times. But last I checked, she loves her ECAs. Okay, maybe not the Chinese class. Yet. We read the 南瓜青年 story (a weird tale, that one) the other day and she made me tell it in English!

She's been begging us to send her to swimming classes. We keep putting her off, telling her she's got quite enough to do now that she gets extra homework from her teacher.

Sometimes, Beth frets that she doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up.

I tell her there's plenty of time and plenty of options. Besides, Mummy's nearly 38 and still isn't quite sure she's in her dream career. Not a particularly inspiring role model, huh?

So am I ambitious as a parent?

I suppose it must be yes. I have dreams and expectations. I also have a good idea of my children's abilities. I want them to have every opportunity to explore those abilities and see where they lead. It's all about possibilities and potential and finding out how far one can go. I don't think I'd be the sort of parent who takes a "bo chap/anything also can" attitude to my children's development. I would want to have a say in how they're getting on, to help if I can, and to find help if I must.

Just because a person is inclined towards one field doesn't mean she has to become a professional in that field. There are so many ways to use a God-given gift.

What I do stress to Beth is that God gives gifts for a purpose, not just for our pleasure but also to serve others. If she's a gifted reader, there must be something God wants her to do with her gift. Perhaps she could encourage her friends to read good books, or she could read to the littlies (like J)?

So yes, I am an ambitious parent.

I hope to raise ambitious children. As opposed to children who can't be bothered to learn and to make the most of their blessings.

I am still learning all the nuances of what ambition means. As the girls go through the school years, I am certain there will be ample opportunity for our family to find out together.

What Jobs Are There For Parents Returning To Work?

Every so often, news of rising interest rates, inflation and fuel and grocery prices sparks a mini-panic in the household and anxious scanning of MyCareer and job websites.

Is it time for me to go back to work?

If so, what sort of work should I look for? Or rather, what sort of work am I qualified to do after 3 years away from the workforce?

If I go back to work, should I work part-time or full-time?

If J goes to childcare, will she fall ill often and will I miss out on witnessing her developmental milestones?

If Beth goes to after-school care, will I be able to keep up with what goes on at school?

What about my duties as a volunteer reader with her class?

What about my duties as playgroup assistant on Mondays?

And on and on.

Re employability, it is a known fact that skilled migrants face certain barriers in getting employed in Australia.

Some of it has to do with lack of familiarity with the local work culture. There's also the language barrier for those from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Employers tend to prefer hiring those who have local work experience. A chicken-and-egg problem, obviously.

Fortunately, there are places to go for help.

One suggestion that comes up often is to do volunteer work to gain local experience.

I remember reading the story of Rosalind, a Malaysian with a PhD who kept getting bounced back at job interviews. The fact that she was highly qualified was no guarantee of her getting a job, much less one commensurate with her qualifications and experience. She was advised to do volunteer work with a non-profit organization that helps migrants settle into life in Australia. She did that. Eventually, she was offered a paid position.

Another strategy is simply to revise your expectations and start over at an entry-level position.

This might be a bit hard to swallow if you're a graduate from the world-class Little Red Dot. But if you see it as a temporary hiccup and a way to get your foot in the door, it might just be a bit more bearable.

We know of graduates from the Philippines who work at fast food restaurants and factories for an hourly wage. (The average hourly wage in the retail sector is $20.) One friend, who used to work in banking back home, is now taking a course in IT to retrain for a new career. At entry level, of course.

There's the Singaporean IT Project Manager who migrated here without a job, and spent the first 5 months of his new life stacking shelves and delivering the local paper in all kinds of weather, while waiting to hear from prospective employers.

Another Singaporean we know took 2 years to find a permanent job.

Definitely humbling, stressful...and character-building.

A career development practitioner that acknowledges this issue faced by migrants is Associated Career Management Australia. Their website has a category titled "Migrants".

"Often important cultural differences are missed by migrants which can mean ongoing barriers to finding that vital career position. Your counsellor will coach you to understand and avoid these negative and potentially career threatening issues.

We provide intensive support at all levels to ensure that migrants’ employment applications conform to Australian standards, and that their applications are directed to employers, agencies and/or organisations that will treat applications from people from non-english speaking backgrounds simply on merit only."

Definitely something to consider if you are planning to migrate to Australia without a job offer.

Not sure if you should migrate? Too many factors to consider?

Use this decision making software to help you prioritize what's most important.

You'll see and decide with greater clarity.

Internet Connections

Once in a while, I get a comment on my blog(s).

When it's from someone I know, it tells me that someone is actually taking the trouble to keep up with what's going on in our lives.

Considering how hectic everyone's life is, that's really nice.

But sometimes, the comments come from complete strangers, who just happen to be surfing the Net, come across my blog, and decide to leave a comment.

Recently, I received an email from a lady back home, someone I don't know. She was surfing for information on delivering a baby at the Werribee Mercy Hospital (where I had Jordanne), and found my blog.

Amazing, when you consider there are at least 165 million sites out there, according to Netcraft's April 2008 survey.

The Internet certainly has a way of bringing down barriers and bringing people closer. The world feels somehow smaller and friendlier when two strangers find they have something in common and take steps to become acquainted.

That's cool as, in Aussie-speak.