Thanksgiving: James (20 June 2007)

This week has started on a bad note for me but I would still want to give thanks for the following:

• I give thanks for the pain in my throat disappearing
• I give thanks for the opportunity to reach out to a friend
• I give thanks for good colleagues again; was taking group photo to welcome our new officer and we had a wonderful time staying back after work to take the group photo. We laughed ourselves crazy when we had to take out phone books so the guys standing behind will not be blocked by the ladies in front
• I give thanks for work which has been manageable
• I give thanks for being blessed with a good time of rest from cell preparation last week
• I give thanks for being affirmed when I was asked if I will consider taking up office in the executive committee in a professional association
• I give thanks for being able to complete a few major tasks this week including finishing the report for the planning retreat last month, prioritising of a list of refinements for the electronic volunteer management system I am working on with my IT department now and also finished penning the welcome greeting and coordinating my department photo for our new officers' welcome
• I give thanks to God for my gifting in the area of IT, making it possible for me to work on my professional association's web community and also on my CG blog
• I give thanks for the opportunity to meet up with an old friend from secondary school who was back in Singapore from the States. We met and visited Jurong Bird Park. Was great feeling going back there after so many years. I think the last time I went there was in secondary school.
• I give thanks to God for sending people around me to encourage me on in my spiritual walk and for a friend who, despite have not kept in touch for very long, never fail to send me "devotional" smses, which sometimes speak to me and is so apt for the week's cell group discussion. This week, we have covered the book of Ruth in the Old Testament which spoke or Ruth and Boaz's radical obedience, is like a beautiful water lily coming out of muddy waters, in the midst of darkness in the history of Israel as written in Judges and 1 and 2 Samuel. And the sms came on Monday:
  "Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness Psalm 112:4. God sometimes puts us in the dark to show us that Jesus is the light"
• I give thanks for a prospective volunteer who walked into my office and we spent more than 2 hours talking about working in the social services... it helped me rekindled my passion in working in the social services and made me appreciate my job more