Thanksgiving

The Good Friday holiday brings a respite from busy workdays and hectic schedules, and I'm just glad that I have more time to myself and my closed ones. Spent the day(s) reading a variety of non-related news articles, finishing up Driven by Eternity and pondering about the issues that will hit me as I am at this crossroads of my life, peering over the edge of the cliff with anticipation and excitement for what the future holds.

Like what one senior HR manager told me, the decisions I make now will affect what I do for the rest of my life. I suppose that applies in spiritual terms as well. The things that I do and perspectives that I adopt now on earth will affect how I spend eternity.

Have been thinking about many things recently; like how I managed to (somewhat) finish strong in R/JC with the God's amazing&abundant&unceasing grace, like how many JC mates have crossed my path but diverged thereafter, how the relationships with JC mates and P/L mates differ etc, what His plans for me will be in 5,10,15 years's time.

In many ways I am a product of Singapore's education system: I have been tested and assessed in so many ways: written tests, informal assessments, personality tests, SPAs, project work. I suppose I have to thank it for helping me come out of it with an enquiring mind, to read The Straits Times and get the distinct impression that I am reading propaganda articles (especially those by the political editor, Chua Mui Hoong, who talks about the PAP), to know well enough that I have the opportunity to scale the social strata if I have enough drive, determination and verve in me to do it, etc. However, although I believe that there is equality of opportunities in education, public perception of elitism appears unchanged, and that is the reason why self-sufficing elitism still perpetuates the system. Somehow there is a distinction between 'pure-blood R/afflesians' (eg. RGPS-RGS-RJC) and 'half-blood R/afflesians' (sorry I have read too much of Harry Potter). It is not direct or confrontational, but rather subversive, a subconscious thought that lays dormant in the recesses of one's mind. I suppose this somehow affects the manner in which we perceive people and their social 'status' in school, or their networks which grants them more opportunities.

I am simply recording my observations of the happenings around me, which is why I don't necessariy have any particular point to make about the above paragraph. :)

I have also endeavoured to make this blog, as far as possible, an un-photoblog. Being the voyeur that I am, I've come across many many blogs in which the authors post up glamourous pictures of themselves, their friends, the food they eat at restaurants and other random things. No need for that, I feel(this is my personal opinion). Somehow it makes the blog entries more surface-skimming, superficial, and simply punctuated with many smiley faces.

The reason why I placed a counter on this site, was to monitor the number of blogsurfers that traverse this place. I suppose I will be quite comfortable in having a small/regular number of blog-visitors/friends here, but not too many. That's why I usually end up locking private entries which I fear may be read by undesired visitors /spammers. Then again, there's no such thing as a 'private blog' (a certain MP said that and took his word back). I suppose i have to balance between the narcisscism of seeing my voice in materialized virtual print and the privacy thingy. Ok, lor :P

All of the above seem to have no direct relation with the blog title, but here's something that I want to be thankful for. Many a times I've felt that I am really undeserving of His grace/love/blessings, since I am such a _____ person (fill in the blanks haha). But God has been good and hears my prayers. I shall learn to go deep, look far and ask big in this year, to really see and receive His calling for my life, and fulfill it to the best of my capabilities, by His spirit.