ADVOCATE *Inspired by the caller last night

I WANT TO BE brave enough to advocate for people who are stigmatised, discriminated and labelled.
That's what my profession upholds, and I'm ashamed by how timid I can be when it comes to advocating.

I am afraid of disagreeing... esp to those who appears harsh and self-righteous.
But I know I'm owing these pple when I don't speak up for them...
I know if I had spoken up for them, It'll make a whole lot of difference in their lives.

Oh, yes. I do have success story.
Juz one. -.-
I'm glad I have done it and able to convince the other party.
I used the soft approach of cos... reasoning kind of stuff.
(You wouldn't wanna see me lobbying, would u? I'll prob end up in another place.)


Everyone deserves a 2nd chance. (Incl. myself, You and YOU!)
I will still bring up the Yellow Ribbon Project, even though it's not what I'm focusing here.
It's bec of our unfair stigmatisation and labelling that these ex-con are unable to Reintegrate and start a new life.
Face it. It's OUR fault here.
(Despite other issues of them going back to their old ways, I must say that these are completely two separate issue. )
*Support the Yellow Ribbon Project k!!*


Similarly, we tend to discriminate and label people in our daily lives.
Yes. They may be people who had made grave mistakes in their lives, but that doesn't give us the right to stigmatize them.
They are already bearing the consequences. Can't u see?

You might not know by just labelling/stigmatizing them, you have already IMPRISONED some, DISABLED some and KILLED some.
I believed your intentions are otherwise or You have probably simply overlooked.
But pls, even if you have no passion in helping these people, STOP putting huge stones infront of them.
What good does it do to you when you see them fall flat on their faces again? To PROVE that you are right in what you have said?


BTW, Jesus Advocated for Sinners too!!! Of cos Sinners who r willing to change and be a follower of Christ.
So, WWJD when he sees pple being discriminated and labelled?
He stood up, Advocated for them by forgiving their sins and stopped pple from condemning them.
And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."


**********
Let's give them a 2nd chance kkkkkk......

I Love my Students

It's probably gonna be my last teachers' day this year. Hence, I'm taking special notice of it.
Not the gifts of cos (though I hv the intention of posting them some time later ;P), I'm more particular of the impact that I've made in their lives.

So, I have concluded that...

I'm pretty successful. ;D

I love my students (including those I'm tutoring),
AND
They LOVE me. ;P

"A hundred years from now,
It will not matter what my bank account was,
the sort of house I live in,
or the kind of car I drove.
But the world may be different
because I was important
in a life of a child."
~Kathy Davis~

*It was a 10 mins long goodbye today at the entrance of Charis centre cos it's the last day of work for the year. Even though I told them I'll be back next year, I shared the same feelings as them. Thks for all the hugs, goodbyes, I like u, I miss u, bu she de kind of stuffs... but Argh, I hate goodbyes.


Tt's prob Y I shun frm all these for a long long time ever since THEN. I make sure I keep an appropriate protective personal space, to be safe. I choose to be analytical rather than emotive. But well, I can't stop yrself frm 'feeling', can I?


^^The person who appears strong is in fact vulnerable. No matter how much u try to cover up, U KNOW u r still who u r.

Thank You, Lord. (Part 2)

I've got my placement in MCYS Child Protection Unit (Investigation)!!!

It is unbelievable! It seems completely hopeless... and then, God granted me with it.
On the spot when the staff announced it, the first thing that came to my mind was to thank God.
Well, it seem like a small thing... yeah, it actually is... But I simply felt so pampered by God.

Juz like what some of my classmates have commented, everything is so rosy for me now. If they were me, they'll be extremely delighted.
YES. Praise the Lord for tt!
It's TOO rosy that I find it hard to believe it as well.
Well, of cos, it's not simply bec of the placement thingy.
They've seen in my life, from small to big things, God has appeared to plan it out nicely for me.
When it seems impossible, God has made things possible.
And I'm always progressing steadily into diff stages of life without much hiccups.

Yup! I'm extremely thankful for all these, and also thankful that others are able to see U thru the wonders that U have done in my life. :)

Thank You, Lord.

Today marks the end of my study life...

Basically it's just end of classes... I still have 3 more months of placement and after tt, it'll really be THE END of the course.

It was unbelievable how I've been through all these... and all I can say is: Praise the Lord!

Firstly, it was the finances...
how on earth am I going to fork out $42k? But guess what God has planned for me... VCF funding of 30%, Lee Foundation funding of close to 30%, Love gift frm Charis, Insurance pay out (Juz in time), Lots of tuition kids, Increment of tuition fees by parents, and support frm Mummy ;)
It was stressful when I work out my finances every mth too. But I've managed to scrimp and save till I've still got some money for occasional buffets... and most importantly, Savings. ;P

Secondly, it was the crazy life style...
For a normal day when I have work and class, it was 7am-3pm work, 4.30-6pm tuition, 7pm-10pm class... @.@
Other days when I dun have work, I got to do my assignments, give tuitions, and class...
For some days when I dun have work and class... I will do my assignments and give tuitions.
Other than work and classes, I still have to juggle church life, friends, and relationship.
It was seriously crazy, I tell u...
but things got so much better this semester due to a change of system. Fewer number of classes! I was able to breathe... a little more. ;)

Then, there were the assignments...
Endless of thousandsss words essays makes me nausea, even the thought of it now. I guess I can even publish a thick book with the number of essays that I've done.
With the limited number of hours that I have, I've learnt to be efficient. When the others have so much free time, while mine were all packed with other commitments, I've learnt to work within my means and hold on to what I believed in.
God pulled me through and I did well (in my eyes)!

Lastly, it was the classes itself.
The stressful presentations and the freaking role-plays are the scariest thing in my entire study life. It was like throwing someone who can't swim into the sea... But it's all over now! I've attended all of them, and I survived! And..., I will still freak out in role-plays. -.- haha.

Anyhow, I've made it... Praise the Lord!