I think I am gifted with positive thinking. Not many people can be as positive as me.

Few months ago, my other half decided that he has enough of working. He got a tidy sum from an earlier company and then, he started a new job. But one fine day, he phoned and told me he has enough of tax evasion tactics and such. He said that is his last day of work. He had worked with foreigners and to them, black is black, white is white. Then, in the new company, they go for gray and hubby is not someone who bends forward. Both of us are compatible because we have our own principles and nothing can change that.

So, that’s it. We are one happy couple who have plenty of time, and no money. Well, I think most women would freak out at the prospect of not having a steady income. But me? I was so happy that I get an errand boy, a breakfast supplier, a companion for my little boy, a trusted guardian for my older children when they go to school and finish school and most of all, an adult to keep me company at home.

The last few months, he has been busy with either his dying bro-in-law or now, helping his widowed sister with the paperworks of transferring properties. Do you know that even a miserable, broken old bike needs lots of paper works to be cleared before they can sell it? So, he is not entirely shaking legs now.

As for money, God blesses abundantly. We have no worries on that part. Whatever we need for the older children’s education were taken care off. We have savings, a home, two cars, no loans and no mortgages. Money comes in other way, i.e. my online income. Previously, we never touch my income. Now, I am so secured knowing that my income are growing steadily and those are enough to allow us to maintain almost the same lifestyle.

Most of all, now that he is around, I have the chance to pursue what interests me. I hope to spend the time to do something that pleases me. I can comfortably leave my little boy with hubby while I get out of the home for a few hours each day. In fact, this is such a blessing for me.

No one can understand what freedom is until they can just step out of the house without worries about the kids. I never knew this opportunity will come so soon. I will make the best of it. The hubby never says when he will go back to the rat race. He is enjoying his daily hike up the Penang hill and spend the rest of the day with the love of his life, my youngest boy. Then, when the older children are back from college or school, they have their boys’ stuffs to do.

Me? I am so thankful that I can devote more time to serve the church. I am mostly a ‘yes person’ now if people looks for help. That is priceless, the ability to say yes when the Lord calls. I hope to have a few more months with this same arrangement.

This post may be sensitive to some people. As usual, you have been warned. If you wish to read, I am most happy to share my thoughts. It is my personal thoughts, based on my personal experiences. And when I give prior warning in a post, it means, no one gets to disagree.

Many years ago, Father Stephen gave a homily about being Christians and being rich. Some people have this idea that Christians are supposed to be those poor souls, penniless and always giving away everything they have. But Father Stephen said that it is not wrong to be rich and being a Christian.

A lot of people are often chasing after money, prosperity and wealth. They will do every kind of things to gain it. Even in the Bible, during the pagan time, the people will worship and offers things to the god they perceived in order to be blessed with good harvests and lots of money. Just look at the kind of promises the new age are offering. Things to change your luck, things to put in your house to give you better luck and etc. If people mention about such and such thing can improve wealth, a lot of people will follow blindly and hope to get rich.

So, how do I see this issue on Christians and prosperity? I am quite the expert on fengshui because once, I was one of those people who tried to do things to get better quality of life. Today, I don’t ‘play’ with these things anymore. However, there are of course, certain things that I still respect because it is pure common sense.

One of Jesus’s reminder is :

“Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Luke 17:33)

Life here is not merely being alive but rather the kind of lifestyle we live. Sometimes, we have to leave part of our lifestyle to live life fully. When we stop chasing after wealth and concentrate on other things, we find more happiness. Right now, I see with my own eyes, the life of some people who are so engrossed in making a lot of money and in the process, ended up with huge debts and a breaking down of the family. Living life to me today is to be close to God and to live life the way I am guided by the Holy Spirit. In this case, follow what my heart tells me to do because the Holy Spirit dwells within us.

And one of the promise from Jesus is :

Luke 19:26
“I tell you that every one who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”

Now, it is a comfort to me because even if I am already blessed, God will continue to showers His blessings on me because He has trusted me to build His Kingdom. Jesus told the above parable (story) of the generous person having more, being given more. Meanwhile those stingy, selfish people who guard closely their own wealth, will eventually lose it all because they failed to live.

Therefore, back to the title…..are Christians prosperous? Yes. They are. Christians are the lucky lot who will be showered with God’s blessings when they put other needs above their own. For it is only when they are blessed with financial richess, overflowing joy and happiness, abundant love and other good things in life, then only they can spread these blessings on others.

So, if there is any one Divine Being who can gives you lots of prosperity, happiness and love, it is Jesus Christ and His Divine guide.

I did something crazy last night.  It is one of those impromptu, my heart tells me to do so - kinda thing.  It could possibly change some parts of my life or it could end up with nothing.  But whatever it is, when I hit the ‘Send’ button, I do wonder if I am over exaggerating or am I for real? I kept wondering to myself, “Doh…woman, are you for real? Are you putting yourself in a basket and boasting or what?” You know…it is one of those things where we need to convince people who have never met us about the things we have done.

So, I wrote an email to someone about me. I sent it even though I was hesitating. I do not know how she will perceive it. What the heck…..If we want to apply for a job, we need to boost up our CV. Here, I am not applying for a job nor I need a CV. It is merely what I had done before and all I am asking is some guidance from her. Still…doubts do set in after I sent it.

But as usual God is great. Today, someone appeared. And I knew right there and then, God is certainly not laughing in my face. If that someone choose to trust me, come to me and showed me his emotions, I know that God too trust me that I am special in some way. Not everyone has the same kind of welcoming warmth like me. I feel blessed that I am friend with a person like him. My hugs for him, the closeness I felt when I held his hand during the Lord’s Prayers, my whispers to him that his mom too is in the Lord’s Heavenly Kingdom can only come from the Holy Spirit.

Without Him, I am just a cold, distant stranger like most people. Probably, I wouldn’t even want to sit near him. With Him in me, I am the hurting person’s comforter. Thank You, Lord. I walked a bit taller today because I know You are listening and entrusting me with things to do, however menial it is.

The Summons lyrics

Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.

Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.

In Your company I’ll go where Your love and footsteps show.

Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

The little signs are sometimes hard to be noticed. But if we have some faith that whatever we asked will be answered, then, we can see them coming.

Today, Sunday 29th June 2008 is the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. I have lector’s duty and hence, had spent a full week going through the lives of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. (yayaya, I take my duty very seriously) During the long week, I have many questions. The more I read about Peter and Paul’s lack of faith, cowardice, reluctance and over egoistic nature, the more it puzzles me why Jesus chose to put them in such significant positions.

I know many people of other faiths just lurrrrve to rub it in that our Bible has been ‘butchered’ by them yadda yadda yadda bla bla bla…. But you know what? I actually love the humor of it. Of course, as a Christian, I do not doubt that the Bible is the Word of God, handed down by the prophets since 4,000 years ago, from Adam. And it ended with Jesus, the Son of God.

The humor is how lucky we Christians are. Here are two examples of the most human of humans in Peter and Paul. They had their shares of running away from God, doubting, denying Jesus, losing the faith when Peter was trying to walk on water and so on. And we Christians therefore, do not have very high standards to try to live up to. Because ultimately, we know that with God’s grace and with some faith, we will be doing fine, just like Peter and Paul.

But what I love most about their examples is how God can transform this fisherman and this slayer of the early Christians to be where they are. Saints. And secretly, I know if I compare myself with the original fisherman in Peter and the original Saul (before he is name Paul), I am not doing too bad either. I will get there someday. With God’s grace.

So, tell me, aren’t you so glad that we have Peter and Paul as our role models? Aren’t we so lucky that we didn’t have to be saints in the first place to be saved by the Grace of God? God will pick us up, regardless, if we believe in Him.

Here is something which I copied from The Herald which will help us to get closer to the Saintly Paul which all of us should emulate.

A prayer to the Apostle Paul

Glorious St. Paul,
Most zealous Apostle,
Martyr for the love of Christ,
Give us a deep faith,
A steadfast hope,
A burning love for our Lord
So that we can proclaim with you
‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.’
Help us to become apostles
Serving the Church with a pure heart
Witnesses to her truth and beauty
Admist the darkness of our days.
With you we praise God our Father
‘To Him be the glory, in the Church and in Christ Now and for ever.’
Amen

June 28th 2008 to June 29, 2009 is the Pauline Year.

You may ask, “What’s the big deal?”

Well, you see, I do not know where I got the misconception that it is ‘not ok’ for me to errmm…indulge in gambling once in a while. I thought that I shouldn’t. For five years, I have never touch it. I also have not been to casino for a while now.

I was brought up in typical Chinese home where gambling is part of life. Before I can count, I can gamble. Before I know my ABC, I know how to spell Queen, King, Jack. Before I know the shapes, I know what is spade and diamond. I guess I know red and black from the cards too.

My mother used to buy those illegal tontos lucky numbers. It probably was just a few Ringgit each time. It was part of daily life.

Then, when I converted to Christianity, I believe our luck does not work the way I used to believe in. I believe in God’s will. Rich or poor, leave it to God to decide. So, I never play around with luck anymore. For five years, I didn’t touch it.

Over the years, my hubby too has been influenced by me. He no longer ‘deposited’ the weekly money with Da Ma Cai, Toto or Magnum. Only on special occasions, will he bother to make the trip to the three locations.

So, the other day, I had this little chat with someone and he told me it is not a sin to gamble provided….(well, I have the ‘law’ but I shall not justify gambling with it).

I told myself. In that case, the first lottery peddler to approach me will get my money.

This morning, while having breakfast, a nice Indian boy approached me. It is not the regular grubby looking lottery peddlers who are pesky. This is a nice, well mannered little boy who wished me, “Good morning auntie, do you want to buy lottery?”

So, I bought one. I have forgotten how much a lottery ticket costs too. And I do not even know where to scratch and win. The ticket looks so foreign to me. Doh….A ticket costs RM3, btw.

The first prize is RM3 million.

It is RM3 million or nothing for me tonight. Because the draw is today, 29th June 2008. Nice…. I don’t need to wait several weeks before I become a millionaire. I am going to be a millionaire tonight. Or I just helped a nice little Indian boy happy with the RM3. Wonder how much commission he gets?