"If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans."

This was the 1st thing I heard when I watched the movie 'Bella' in HOF last friday. Unconciously, I laughed. Its so very true. Many a time, our plans are actually like jokes to God, just as a small kid's plans of doing this and that makes us adults laugh. Thats because God knows whats best for us, and He has already planned it so we can live our best. Telling Him our own plans is like telling Him jokes.

Year 2008 has come to an end. Thats 365 days gone. And thats another 365 days coming again. How was your 2008? Was it superb? Was it tragic? Was it a "to be continued" year? Or did your 2008 end splendidly like curtains falling on a play? Did everything go as per planned? Or did surprises pop out from all over the place? Whatever it is, 2008 is over.

Bringing myself back to the beginning of the year, I really didn't expect much from it. I simply looked forward to going ORD, gain more friendships and to be a better man. But God is really someone that is full of surprises. He knew my 2008 wasn't going to be a simple one, and it certainly wasn't.

For the entire of 2008, I served in one single unit. 36SCE. Gone were the days when I had to run around mindlessly, doing trainings and trainings and trainings. Life as a commander in an operational unit is really different, and I dare say, fulfilling. I have learnt alot about work management, people management and time management. I have also had the opportunities to go to many different places that I probably would not have the privilege of entering had I been a civilian. So all in all, my time as a NSF was definitely exciting, fulfilling and eye opening.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprise to me was the fact that I did not ORD this year. I really didn't expect that. To be offered the contract, and then to accept it, sign the papers and extending my service untill May next year, these things were definitely not in my plan. They were in God's plan. God knew that I enjoyed myself in the unit, God knew that I needed a job for untill I enroll into university, God knew that I was going for church camp next year, God knew that I needed time to prepare myself for university, and God prepared this contract for my sake. Everything was in perfect planning. Under the contract, I will be serving untill May 09, draw a reasonable salary, church camp will be in June, and I have July to prepare for university, enrolment will be in August. God is just so so very wonderful, isn't He?

2008 also saw me knowing many new friends, and they are a great bunch of people. There's Sylvia who joins the "After Service Lunch" group every Sunday with Jeff, Linton and I. And then theres Dixon, Jiayan, Yinglai, Jovin, Aunt Candy, Shawn and Aik Khim who so very graciously included me in their group for dinners and many wonderful times of fellowship. Not forgetting the fact that Dixon and Yinglai always sends me back to where I stay whenever they can. Such wonderful people.

I spent the last day of the 2008 in camp, sitting in the office with 2 of my friends, not realising that the year had ended untill we noticed the massive display of fireworks on our TV screen. One of my friend commented "wah, also don't know count down finish already." Well, I knew, I was watching the 10 seconds going down and then looking at fireworks fly out from the ground and lighting the sky. And I wonder, why do we celebrate? I don't think we celebrate because 2008 was such a bad year that we are so happy to see it over. Well, it certainly wasn't a fantastic year with the economic downturn and natural disasters that happened. But I'm sure we don't celebrate its ending, we celebrate because we believe that 2009 will bring greater things, and we have so much to expect for a new year. Another friend commented "so much fireworks, doesn't even feel like theres an economic downturn loh".

A small sleepyhead brought me all smiles once again by calling me after the countdown and helped me feel the atmosphere of everybody's joy even while I was in camp. That was really really sweet. Thank God for this small sleepyhead. :D

So what will 2009 bring about? 2009 WILL be the year that I ORD, that is in May. It WILL also be the year that I enter into a whole new phase of life - university. I will be enrolling into Nanyang Technological University in August to pursue my Bachelors in English Literature. That will take me a whole 4 years, and I certainly believe that God will bring me through the 4 years with His hand.

And I just know, I just know, that God has so much more installed for the year than I can possibly imagine. Just like what 2008 has been to me, I believe that God will surely come in with surprises that fits into His perfect planning. I shall not have too much plans for 2009, I just pray that wisdom, maturity, sensitivity, friendships, faithfulness and understanding be added onto me, and that at the end of the year, I will be a better man than I am today.

Whatever else, I will leave it to God, because He knows my future better than I do.

Matthew 6:31 - 34

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek ye first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."