The DiSC Profiling is one of the many personality test that's out in the market. One of the more widely used is the Myers-Briggs Personality test, however, it's comprehensiveness tends to turn off people as many are not to excited about filling up a hundred questions. I personally find DiSC to be more practical, and even though it is not as comprehensive as Myers-Briggs, but I find it to be eeriely accurate. Take a online test and find out what your personality is.
http://www.testsonthenet.com/disc/ww-info.htm
To those who have taken the test, why don't post your results in my comments. I've taken the test and scored a high for D and C.
For more info on DiSC, check out this link: http://www.discprofile.com/whatisdisc.htm
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
When silence speaks...
It's funny how sometimes silence can speak more than audible words, and even more interesting is how we ignore these "silent words". Some call these body language, but I want to call it, the language of the heart.
For some people, their heart and tongue are next to each other, but for some others, the distance is like a million miles. And these people, with the distant heart and tongue, struggle in their everyday lives to let people know what they feel. I'm beginning to feel that I'm in this category. Sometimes when I reflect on myself, I find myself speaking some stuff that didn't come from my heart. And there are times when I do try to speak from my heart, it comes up all wrong.
To make things worse, the distance of the tongue and the listener's ear is another million miles, and is another million miles from the ear to the heart. Thus, what goes out from a speaker's mouth, might not necessarily arrive correctly in the listener's heart.
What are we to do then? What am I to do?
I'm glad that in times like this, the word of God brings forth wisdom. James 1:19 says: "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." This now make greater sense to me. Everyone wants to be understood. Everybody wants their point of view taken. But very few choose to understand. Very few choose to see other's viewpoint first. And honestly, I struggle with this. I'm struggle with pride in my heart. This pride rides on the horse of arrongance, pompousness and lack of love.
But there's a way thru this. If we continue reading James, it says in verse 21: "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. " This means that I've got to trust God more than ever. Whether I can understand the situation or not, or "fix" the problem, it's not the main priority. The point that James is trying to make here is "obey God". Obey with whatever knowhow I have of Him. Even when it doesn't make sense. So, in situations where communication fails, I've got to obey God by being "quick to listen, and slow to speak" even when I feel I might have the words of solution to the issue. It's once said that you can't argue someone to the kingdom of God. I now understand that better, and by faith, take that principal to my relationships, that is, "I can't solve problems by merely words". I've got to, even when it doesn't make sense, to trust in God, that even when I have the "right" to say stuff, I should still shut up, and only speak when He asks me too. This, is my struggle.
Reading the lyrics to the song "When you say nothing at all" which was written by Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet, and performed by Ronan Keating and also Alison Krauss, I really wonder whether I can ever reach to that height of communication in relationships, where words become secondary to express feelings, heart and love. I'm a man of words. But as the bible goes, it convicts my heart to tell me that words alone are not enough. And it will never be. Faith in God is what it takes. Faith that He (God) is in the process of making all things right.
"God, make me a man of few words, and the few words that I speak, may it bring hope and life to those who hears it. If it doesn't, then, shut me up for my own good. Amen."
"When You Say Nothing At All"
by Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet
It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word, you can light up the dark
Try as I may, I could never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all
All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old Mr. Webster could never define
What's being said between your heart and mine
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all
For some people, their heart and tongue are next to each other, but for some others, the distance is like a million miles. And these people, with the distant heart and tongue, struggle in their everyday lives to let people know what they feel. I'm beginning to feel that I'm in this category. Sometimes when I reflect on myself, I find myself speaking some stuff that didn't come from my heart. And there are times when I do try to speak from my heart, it comes up all wrong.
To make things worse, the distance of the tongue and the listener's ear is another million miles, and is another million miles from the ear to the heart. Thus, what goes out from a speaker's mouth, might not necessarily arrive correctly in the listener's heart.
What are we to do then? What am I to do?
I'm glad that in times like this, the word of God brings forth wisdom. James 1:19 says: "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." This now make greater sense to me. Everyone wants to be understood. Everybody wants their point of view taken. But very few choose to understand. Very few choose to see other's viewpoint first. And honestly, I struggle with this. I'm struggle with pride in my heart. This pride rides on the horse of arrongance, pompousness and lack of love.
But there's a way thru this. If we continue reading James, it says in verse 21: "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. " This means that I've got to trust God more than ever. Whether I can understand the situation or not, or "fix" the problem, it's not the main priority. The point that James is trying to make here is "obey God". Obey with whatever knowhow I have of Him. Even when it doesn't make sense. So, in situations where communication fails, I've got to obey God by being "quick to listen, and slow to speak" even when I feel I might have the words of solution to the issue. It's once said that you can't argue someone to the kingdom of God. I now understand that better, and by faith, take that principal to my relationships, that is, "I can't solve problems by merely words". I've got to, even when it doesn't make sense, to trust in God, that even when I have the "right" to say stuff, I should still shut up, and only speak when He asks me too. This, is my struggle.
Reading the lyrics to the song "When you say nothing at all" which was written by Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet, and performed by Ronan Keating and also Alison Krauss, I really wonder whether I can ever reach to that height of communication in relationships, where words become secondary to express feelings, heart and love. I'm a man of words. But as the bible goes, it convicts my heart to tell me that words alone are not enough. And it will never be. Faith in God is what it takes. Faith that He (God) is in the process of making all things right.
"God, make me a man of few words, and the few words that I speak, may it bring hope and life to those who hears it. If it doesn't, then, shut me up for my own good. Amen."
"When You Say Nothing At All"
by Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet
It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word, you can light up the dark
Try as I may, I could never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all
All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old Mr. Webster could never define
What's being said between your heart and mine
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all
Monday, June 20, 2005
Confidence
It is said that the three hardest words for humans to say is "I am sorry", and probably the four hardest words for us to say is "I Could Be Wrong". The worst thing is that it is just as hard to say to ourselves as it is to say to others. This then brings me to the issue of "self-confidence". I've learned that self-confidence is needed to get thru life, as there are many out there who suffers from low self-esteem, and find difficulty in getting anything done. But self-confidence can be a stumbling block, if it is not used properly.
Most people obtain their self-confidence from truth. And these truths can come from experiences in life as well as teachings, advice, and resources from other people. Thus lies the issue of the "validity" of these truths. What if we were confident of something that is false?
Without getting into too much philosophy (meaning of truth, reality, bla bla), I've learned that the Jesus is the only truth that is unshifting. Even though we can twist and turn His words to conform to our ways, but we can't do that in sincerity of heart. And plus, if we lean on the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will have the reassurance of God in our lives. What I'm trying to say is this, that even having the "knowledge" of Christ as our confidence can be dangerous. Even with the revelation of what Christ have done for us, we could still have hearts that are not fully surrended to Him. I guess this is probably why the apostle Paul warned the early church to "work out their salvation with fear and trembling". He is not telling us to ask ourselves whether we are saved daily, but rather, to check our hearts and mind daily.
"I could be wrong". When was the last time we asked ourselves this question, especially in the context when we brought forth a certain issue to a family or friend. Even if the issue was about Christ as a Savior, but did we bring forth the issue with love and gentleness, as instructed to us by the Holy Spirit, or did we do it in arrogance and pride? I believe that perfect love drives out fear, and we can still present the gospel in a loving way, without watering down its message, if we were to wholly be dependent on God for our confidence.
Pride brought down Lucifer. Who are we to say that it won't happen to us. May our confidence never be built on our ability to comprehend the gospel or anything else, but may it be on the fact that we, who are unable to save ourselves, have a King that loves us with a love that's beyond comprehension. May our confidence be built of Christ Himself.
"Search me O God, and I will be found. In Your will, is where I will find rest."
Most people obtain their self-confidence from truth. And these truths can come from experiences in life as well as teachings, advice, and resources from other people. Thus lies the issue of the "validity" of these truths. What if we were confident of something that is false?
Without getting into too much philosophy (meaning of truth, reality, bla bla), I've learned that the Jesus is the only truth that is unshifting. Even though we can twist and turn His words to conform to our ways, but we can't do that in sincerity of heart. And plus, if we lean on the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will have the reassurance of God in our lives. What I'm trying to say is this, that even having the "knowledge" of Christ as our confidence can be dangerous. Even with the revelation of what Christ have done for us, we could still have hearts that are not fully surrended to Him. I guess this is probably why the apostle Paul warned the early church to "work out their salvation with fear and trembling". He is not telling us to ask ourselves whether we are saved daily, but rather, to check our hearts and mind daily.
"I could be wrong". When was the last time we asked ourselves this question, especially in the context when we brought forth a certain issue to a family or friend. Even if the issue was about Christ as a Savior, but did we bring forth the issue with love and gentleness, as instructed to us by the Holy Spirit, or did we do it in arrogance and pride? I believe that perfect love drives out fear, and we can still present the gospel in a loving way, without watering down its message, if we were to wholly be dependent on God for our confidence.
Pride brought down Lucifer. Who are we to say that it won't happen to us. May our confidence never be built on our ability to comprehend the gospel or anything else, but may it be on the fact that we, who are unable to save ourselves, have a King that loves us with a love that's beyond comprehension. May our confidence be built of Christ Himself.
"Search me O God, and I will be found. In Your will, is where I will find rest."
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Marriages
Ambrose and Geraldine (I call her Yee Woon) tied the knot on the 28th of May, 2005, approximately about 11:00am (Brisbane time). Standing beside Ambrose as his best man was one of the most memorable experiences for me as I watch and hear him recite his commitment to Yee Woon before God and the congregation. And as Yee Woon recite hers, tears role out from her eyes as she try to contains her emotions, knowing the weight of each word that was spoken.
The wedding was good, the ceremony running without any glitches, with the dinner following the same fashion. But as I come to find out that the planning for this wedding started 8 months back when Ambrose proposed to Yee Woon. Thousands of Australian dollars were spent, as well as tens of people were pulled in for their effort in coordinating this event, which all in all, lasted for just little over 2 hours.
Something crept into my mind as I stood and pondered about all this: Does our "I will" have more "commitment" weighed to it if we were to plan more for the wedding day? I mean, what if a wedding (I'm not meaning Ambrose's) was done without any frills... would that have given it a less "meaningful" association?
This year, I've had the privillege to see 3 couples say their vows before God and before men, to stand with each other thru all the possible calamaties of life, and till death do they part. Up till now, I can still sum up that weddings, when compare to the maintainance of marriages, is still far far much easier to pull off. Though planning for weddings can be tedious (and more than often, they are), but yet many couples do not prepare themselves for marriages. It is then not surprising to see that 1 in 2 marriages in the United States end up in divorce, and also how this trend is slowly creeping into the other countries of the world.
I guess that's probably why the Apostle Paul encouraged the early church to stay single, and only to marry when they cannot control themselves ("burn with passion"). But yet, without belittleling Paul, God's plan for mankind is a wedding, and how Christ will be our bridegroom, and we'll be His bride. Spotless bride. One of God's intention, I believe, is to continue to reveal His love through marriages. And I continue to believe that it is essential for a marriage to be filled with the love of God, because it was never meant to be sustained independent of God, but rather, it is His love that sustains the husband and wife, allowing them to draw love from Him as they love each other and love Him back.
I pray for Ambrose and Geraldine that may their marriage continue to flourish with love for each other as the grow deeper in love with God each day.
The wedding was good, the ceremony running without any glitches, with the dinner following the same fashion. But as I come to find out that the planning for this wedding started 8 months back when Ambrose proposed to Yee Woon. Thousands of Australian dollars were spent, as well as tens of people were pulled in for their effort in coordinating this event, which all in all, lasted for just little over 2 hours.
Something crept into my mind as I stood and pondered about all this: Does our "I will" have more "commitment" weighed to it if we were to plan more for the wedding day? I mean, what if a wedding (I'm not meaning Ambrose's) was done without any frills... would that have given it a less "meaningful" association?
This year, I've had the privillege to see 3 couples say their vows before God and before men, to stand with each other thru all the possible calamaties of life, and till death do they part. Up till now, I can still sum up that weddings, when compare to the maintainance of marriages, is still far far much easier to pull off. Though planning for weddings can be tedious (and more than often, they are), but yet many couples do not prepare themselves for marriages. It is then not surprising to see that 1 in 2 marriages in the United States end up in divorce, and also how this trend is slowly creeping into the other countries of the world.
I guess that's probably why the Apostle Paul encouraged the early church to stay single, and only to marry when they cannot control themselves ("burn with passion"). But yet, without belittleling Paul, God's plan for mankind is a wedding, and how Christ will be our bridegroom, and we'll be His bride. Spotless bride. One of God's intention, I believe, is to continue to reveal His love through marriages. And I continue to believe that it is essential for a marriage to be filled with the love of God, because it was never meant to be sustained independent of God, but rather, it is His love that sustains the husband and wife, allowing them to draw love from Him as they love each other and love Him back.
I pray for Ambrose and Geraldine that may their marriage continue to flourish with love for each other as the grow deeper in love with God each day.
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