GREET things

Sawasdi! A clasp of the hands and the warmth of a smile....the greetings you receive in Thailand are well known, but it's something we can learn from. Saluations sometimes seem a waste of time, especially when you know the person and the person knows you. Yet, a saluation given by the Thais or the Indians or any culture is something we need to import into our culture. That's exactly where it starts from-culture. If we have become a culture that values only output, rather than input, we're missing a lot. So, let's learn to GREET!

G = Give unconditionally
When we say "hi!" or "hello!" we shouldn't expect anything back in return. We give because we want to bless the other person, because we want to make the other feel special.

R = Relate fully
Don't just extend the hand, or give a faint smile; give it all you have got! make the person feel the warmth that comes from within in that handshake.

E = Extend hospitality
We can choose to just be salutory, or we can really make our welcome cozy like coming back to our own homes.

E = Engage eye contact
The eyes are the windows of the soul. We need to let the greeted know that they are not just passerbys but important individuals who share this journey with us

T = Touch the heart
Need I say more?

SELAH

FLooDs that DrEnCh

It is tragic what the people of Malaysia are going through with the rising flood waters, swirling into their homes and businesses, destroying precious artifacts, mementos, important documents and expensive equipment. I can imagine the anguish, the frustration that many of the people of Malaysia are experiencing. How do we deal with situations like this? How do we deal with the flood of stresses we find piling upon us sometimes? We can't say "I know how you feel"-we don't! We're not in their situation, but we can provide action instead of just mere words of comfort or encouragement. What people need in a time of crisis is a ready solace, a safe refuge where they can gather their thoughts and plan the next course of action. We can share essential supplies with them, knowing that some semblance of normality helps them gain a foothold in the soft mud beneath. All this done with a smile, of care of compassion can bring a rainbow amidst the dark clouds of pessimism that enshrouds them.

The 3 S approach- provide a SOLACE, SHARE your time and your space and SMILE with care and compassion will certainly help bring a ray of sunshine on a flood drenched day.

SELAH

HoPe FlOaTs

Rain, more rain! We never seem to get enough of it in Singapore! Strange people we are.....when there isn't enough of it, we complain-when there is too much of it we continue to complain. Is it our nature to look for points of complaints? I don't think we were programmed to be that way. I believe that when God gave us a brain and the ability to articulate speech, we were given the choice to complain or be thankful. Quite often we choose to complain because:

• it is an accepted response
• it is a common response
• it is a response that allows us to seek the majority and stay within safety

Let us make a switch to thankfulness. Why? because:

• it is a response that ushers in a blessing
• it is a response that makes people see our boldness to make a stand
• it is a response that gets those within the safety of many, thinking

What is your choice?

SELAH

BuZz Words

New Year is always filled with buzz words.....word that we latch on to, words that set the course for a new year, words that give us a sense of purpose in the new year. Here are some buzz words we should seriously consider not just for the year ahead but the years to come:

• TOLERATE- to learn how to accept differences and live amidst diversity.
• PATIENCE- in such a hurried society, we need to really learn to slow down
• REFLECT- how we need to do introspection rather than inspection of each other's faults
• CONTENTMENT- in this age of greed, we need to remember that there are many who are satisfied with simple needs and wants
• LOVE- we need to move away from loving images to loving people

SELAH