10 years ago, today, my beloved dog ko ko past away. He lived to an ripe old age of 16 years. It was difficult to go with him to the vet but we knew he would not stand the chance against the pain and cruelty of cancer.
We took him down to have his one last walk in the familiar neighbourhood. Then sat in the car of Bee Leng's uncle car, the man he was familiar with.
Reaching the vet, I was given a choice, to stay with him till his last breath or let the assistant bring him in. I decided to stay with him, remembering the advice of a good friend. The act was swift, the poison was deadly, silently deadly. He rest on my arm. I could not hold back my tear. The vet was kind enough to place a box of tissue for me to do my last rite for him - to cry, to express how much I miss him, and I would miss him. I took off his collar, something we could remember.
The many memories stayed while I left his body behind.
10 years ago, and the moment still etched there, not removed by times or covered by other memories.

I was asked, for one word to describe my journey so far as a Principal. One word came to my mind - meaningful. I could hold the hands of teachers, students and parents when they needed help and support (metaphorically).
But I must also say, the going really get tough. I really need God's grace to journey on. The verse that blessed me today is found in Nehemiah 8:10 "... the joy of the Lord is your strength." Praise God... for sustaining my tired soul.

Labels: joy

Today, I prayed and encouraged the volleyball boys before their National games. I told them the verse "Yet those who wait for teh lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:31). I told them that as wait upon the Lord, He will gives us strength and that they will literally soaring when I took picture of them in the earlier games. They will caught 'floating' in the air when they striked and defenced. I told them the image God has given since I join St Hilda's Sec has been that of a soaring eagle.

At the indoor sports hall, I saw the verse on the wall. God's way and word is indeed powerful.

Praise God!

Been a long while since I blogged. Have been planning to write my first day being Principal. It was a smooth going day, until when I came out of the washroom, some boys told me a volleyball player was injured and that ambulance was on the way.

I went up, toghether with the medic , to the Sport hall, and saw this boy lying there, with the feet bent at a very unnatural angle. Thankfully, the medic were attending to him. I must confess I wasn't sure what to do except utter a prayer for him. He is very brave. Not a single drop of tear in his eyes. At least from my naked eyes.

When the medic wanted to put the splint on this leg so that they could move him, they left him breath in the sleeping gas / pain killer. I requested for something to let his head rest on and start wiping his seat with a towel near him. Also stroking his hair to comfort him.

A senior medic asked me, "Your son huh?".

I replied, "No, but they are all my children." God reminded me, through this question by the medic, that indeed, He has called to see all my students as my children. If I keep to this thought, I know my future decision will be right.

Dear Lord, thank you for helping me to remember your calling for me as a Principal, to do my best for my students, as they are my children. Help me to be worthy of your calling. Amen.

It has been 1.5 months since I joined St. Hilda's Sec. God has been good in guiding me. There is much to learn and the learning has been steep.
First is to learn about the people I work with, their strengths and areas to grow. Their motivations and needs. What excite them? What make them drag their feet?
THen the strategic planning tool - Balanced Score Card. Useful but take a while to learn it. Detailed and comprehensive.
There are also the stakeholders like parents and the Church.
Not forgetting the school compound! I got 'lost' by turning the wrong turn.
Do I love the people and the culture? YES! I am enjoing it more each day. I think there are many good and praise-worthy things. But there are also areas I can contribute to make it even better. Thank God that I can contribute.
I pray that I will continue to be used by Him to bless lives, many lives and even beyond.
I watched City Slicker. And the cowboy, Curly said something very useful, "The secret to life is, ONE thing.'
For me, is to love God, and others.