Daily Bread

Exodus 16-24 (3 Days in my http://www.bibleinayear.org/).

What speaks to me most in these chapters is the miracle of Manna that God provided for the Israelites in the desert.

1. Manna was provided just enough for the day - Each day everyone would go out and gather, but somehow everyone would have just enough (Exodus 16:16-18).
2. God provided Manna for each day, it would not keep to the next day, so the Israelites had to go out and collect it fresh each day. (Except for the day before Sabbath, where twice the amount will be provided and the Manna will keep to the next day.)
3. In His abundance, God provided both meat (quail) and manna - a balanced diet of proteins and carbohydrates. :-)
4. In his gracious love, God provided Manna that is tasty - "...it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." (Exodus 16:31).

The daily provision of Manna reminds me of how Jesus taught us to pray "Give us each day our daily bread." (Luke 11:3). It is important to God that we depend on Him daily, yet His provision is more than enough for us. Just like with Manna, He knows what we need and provides for us beyond even what we ask (like with provision of quail), and His provisions delight us (just like the wafers of honey).

This daily provision builds what is most important in God's eyes - a relationship with us. In today's context, this probably speaks of the importance of daily Quiet Time with God - we need to feed upon His Word daily and interact with Him (thru prayer) on a daily basis. I'll be the first to confess that I am still not consistently doing this on a daily basis, and I can see the consequence of not doing so. When I wonder too far from Him, I start to make decisions based on my own will and "cleverness", which tend not to be very wise decisions.

Swimming with Sharks

So I went for my swim test for the NUS Biathlon today, and as expected, everyone (and I mean everyone, including the organisers) is half my age. I usually don't mind being called "sir", but I detected a bit too much of the customary Asian respect for the elderly in the "sir"s after I told them I am 40.

Undaunted, I proceed for the swim test and started chatting with the swimmer who starts after me. A young, well-muscled and tanned chap, he confessed to being a slow swimmer. After more deferential chatter (these kids must not meet middle aged guys very often), Ol' Nitrox was eager to just get going. I mean, I am a big advocate of respecting the old, but I have never been this much on the receiving end before.

1st lap and I noticed that Tanned Young Boy (TYB) who started after me is using the breast stroke - heh heh, I thought, no pressure then. A few laps later, TYB seemed to be catching up (still using breast stroke). Forgeting the ravaging effects of 20 extra years on the body, I pick up the pace, refusing to lose time to someone using the breast stroke. Mid-way and this ol' body is over-heating, I am having difficulty breathing and keeping my heart rate in check. I cannot even think about a smooth stroke anymore. BUT, I am not giving up any time to TYB. I can't really remember much after the mid-point, just a lot of discomfort and threshing around. TYB and I finished the swim test at about the same time (36 mins or so - YES, I passed!), but I could not help notice how he was breathing a whole lot easier than I was as we walked to the changing rooms.

Man, this could be one tough biathlon... Maybe I should go talk to these guys about creating a seniors category...

One Door Closed But Another Door Opened...

Remember how I was kicking myself for missing the Singapore Biathlon? Well, sometimes when one door is closed, God opens up another - the NUS Biathlon. Praise God! He is such a kewl God. Best part is that it is pretty much the same course (just about all the biathlons/triathlons in Singapore are held at the same venue), and the same distance - 1.5km swim, 10km run.

This biathlon is organised by the National University of Singapore, which means I will be racing with young and lithe (read: fast) men/women, but I am thrilled just to be able to do a biathlon as a build-up to the International (Olympic) Distance triathlon in June. Someone's gotta come last anyway! I have not swam 1.5km in the open sea under race conditions before, so this will be a good experience to have before going to the Triathlon.

I will have to take a swim test tomorrow (30 X 50m in 40mins), and though I am reasonably comfortable of passing, you'll never know with these things, so your prayer support is much appreciated. :-)

Oh, and that's one of R1's painting from art class by the way. Pretty good huh? :-)

Here I am Lord, send him me.

Exodus chapters 1 -15, a full 5 days of my http://www.bibleinayear.org/ reading plan. :-) A quick caveat though: the site seems to have missed sending out some emails in the last few weeks, but the website hosts the (personalised) reading plan in HTML format, so with a bit of inconvenience, it is still very much possible to stay on track.

Wow, so much speaks to me, but the experience of Moses at the burning bush speaks to me the most.

Remember that Moses, in his younger days, was so eager to defend his people that he killed an Egyptian (Exodus 2:11-12). Yet, when God called him to be the leader to release his people from bondage, he had just about every excuse for God to send someone else:

1. First he said: ""Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"" (Exodus 3:11). To which God said (and I paraphrase) "No worries, I will give you a sign." Only problem was that the sign is that Moses will lead all the Israelites to Mt Horeb (where the burning bush was) to worship God after he has led them out of Egypt! That's like me asking "Am I really qualified to teach at Sunday School?" and God answering "I will give you a sign: When you have taught Sunday School for a year, you will find that it is very rewarding." God has a sense of humour. :-)
2. Then Moses wanted to know who is sending him (in case the Israelites ask him). And God simply said "I am" (Exodus 3:14). There was no need to explain who He is, because God is the same God that Moses, the Israelites and their ancestors already knew. God is essentially saying "I am God, and that's good enough for you".
3. Then Moses asked "What if they don't listen to me?". And God gaves him the ability to perform signs and wonders - staff turning to snake, healing, and turning water to blood (Exodus 4:1-9). God equips us for the work He has set out for us, be it the ability to perform signs and wonders, or the ability to teach, for example.
4. Even with the ability to perform signs and wonders, Moses argued that he is not eloquent, to which God assured him that it will be Him that is doing the talking, not him.
5. Finally Moses came to the crux of what really mattered to him. He said "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send." (Exodus 4:13). Essentially he is saying "Here I am Lord, but please send him (anyone else but me). This was the point at point God was angered, and He chose Aaron to be Moses' mouth piece (Exodus 4:14).

It strikes me that Moses' reaction is very much like our human nature (I confess that I do behave like that sometimes). When we want to do something in our agenda (in our way), we will run ahead and just do it (compare this to Moses killing the Egyptian because he saw the Israelites being oppressed and wanted to do something about it). But when God takes our ambition to the next level and wants us to adopt His agenda (like God asking Moses to lead His people our of Egypt), we suddenly lose the passion we once had, simply because God is not telling us to do thing our way, instead He wants us to do things His way. When we do things our way (again compare to Moses killing the Egyptian), we tend to think small, and are content with dubious small victories (that often times could even do more harm than good). But when God wants us to do things His way, He is giving us the priviledge to be his instrument to do something BIG (like Moses releasing ALL the Isralites from slavery).

Thus, my prayer today is that we will have the wisdom and discernment to consistently hear God in our daily lives, and when He calls us (and He will), we will say "Here I am Lord, send him me!".

Kicking Myself...

Yes, today I am kicking myself, because I am going to miss the Singapore Biathlon (1.5km swim, 10 km run, 1st March '08) - the registration closed early due to overwhelming response. It would have been such a good work-up to the OSIM International Triathlon too. It wouldn't be hard to cover the distances in one of my weekend training sessions, but I was looking forward to race conditions and especially the open water swim. :-(

While we are on the subject of Triathlons, I have been dreaming of exotic carbon gear since reading about InterBike 2008 in some magazines. Have you seen this super sexy Cobra Drop Bar from Profile Design? Not the lightest carbon drop bar out there, but check out the multiple contoured grips! The best part is that the center clamping section (110mm) has been strengthened to take clip-on aero bars and hence suitable for triathlon use. I wonder if the aerobar with the same name sake (T2+ Cobra) would be the perfect match... The website says that the Cobra Drop Bar will take any clip-on aero bar, but that I am imagining that this particular combination will sure look slick. :-)

Talking about carbon stuff, Mavic have finally made their own all carbon wheels - the Cosmic Carbone Ultimate. Yes, quite a mouthful and even more expensive than ZIPP 404's. GASP!

So as you can see, Ol' Nitrox is very capable of the sin of covetousness. :-) I think I will put up this post just to have a convenient place to oogle at the pictures when I have a few spare minutes. :-))

Back to ground zero, and the Polar service centre has finally called me back to say that my S625X footpod is busted. It costs SGD$180 (USD$126) to replace, so I have decided that I don't really need to know just how slow I am running. :-) I have a few regular running routes and I can guess at the distances so that's probably good enough for a recreational triathlete like me.

Oh, and I have NOT tried the PowerBREATHE either. I have a sneaky feeling that unless I do so soon, this will be another purchase that gets forgotten in the "good intentions" closet. Let's see...

Taking the High Road...

I have decided that I like the picture of R1 & R2 jumping so much that I will use it as a header. :-) The picture somehow lifts my spirit and reminds me to JUMP UP for the Lord because He has given us the freedom to take hold of His unspeakable joy and unshakable peace.

As I go through Genesis 43-50 (another 3 days in my http://www.bibleinayear.org/ reading plan), Joseph's act of grace to forgive his brothers - even though they sold him to slave traders and lied to their father that he was dead - reminds me that it is only God's grace that gives us the ability to take the high road in life. Ol' Nitrox is just like any office worker out there - in my daily work, I meet people who are out to satisfy their personal agenda, whatever the cost to others (and even to the company). These people really make my blood boil, and many times I catch myself reacting in spite when I should really be taking the high road. It is only when I calm down and remember that

1. I work for God and not for men (Colossians 3:23), and
2. He who is in me is greater than he who is in this world (1 John 4:4)

That's when I can stop worrying about what others around me may think about me, and have the ability to take the high road and do the right thing.

There is a very real price to being a Christian at work today. God came to this world to teach us and finally to die for us so that we can catch a glismpe of the kingdom of heaven, so that having the assurance of victory and eternal life, we may be freed from the fears and concerns of this world, so that we can pay the price of being a Christian.

As I write this, a very dear friend of mine in church may well have paid the high price of being a Christian at work. She was chosen for retrenchment after 10 years on the job, and I suspect the choice has more than a little to do with her being the odd one out who does not compromise her Christian values at work. Singapore labour law does NOT require employers to provide any sort of severance pay even for retrenchment, so she is in the midst of a difficult test right now. P, if you are reading this, our prayers are with you, and I praise God that even in such tough times, we can have the certainty that He is in control. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Have faith dear sister, have faith. Be proud that you have taken the high road, and continue to take the high road. It is the only path God has set out for us. Be secure in the knowledge that your steps have stayed on His path, you have not wavered from following Him (Psalm 17:5, NLT) and so like David, you will see Him and be satisfied (Psalm 17:15, NLT). He will be your vindication. He will restore to you what is rightfully yours - your unshakable peace and unshakable joy. Amen!

JUMP!

Somehow this picture never fails to give me a bit more zest in whatever I am doing. :-) Zest that I badly need in my bible reading plan to catch up with the days I have missed so far. Zest that seems to be missing in the morning when I wake up and head to work nowadays (but more on that later).

Since my last post, I read 10 chapters (Genesis 32-42), which is 4 days in in my http://www.bibleinayear.org/ daily reading plan. As always, so much speaks to me in these chapters, but I will focus on what's top most on my mind as I recall the readings. Ol' Nitrox did not grow up in a Christian family, so it is only a few years ago that I started praying that God will make me like Joseph, David and Daniel - men who were blessed with spiritual and material success. As I read these chapters again, the question in my mind is if I can truly be like Joseph?

Joseph went through tremendous ups and downs in his life. Starting as a favourite son, to being sold as a slave, to being the head of Potiphar's household, to being falsely accused and sent to jail, to rising up to be the leader among prisoners, to seeing his chance of getting out of jail dashed (when the chief butler forgot about his promise to bring Joseph's case before Pharaoh), to being rasied to the second man to Pharoah in all of Egypt, to being a blessing to Egypt and all the nations around when there was a famine. Talk about ups and downs! Ol' Nitrox is going thru a small "trough" at work - re-organisation changes are threatening cut my job back to it's scope 4 years ago when I started in the current company. This has been a particularly painful pill to swallow since we have grown the business more than 4 times in the 4 years. But as I look upon the circumstances at work now, the "trough" pales in comparision to any one of the "downs" that Joseph had to go through.

Lord, you have made me to love you with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). So give me the strength to JUMP back from whatever troughs/downs that life brings my way!

I beg your pardon...

... I never promised you a rose garden,

along with the sunshine,
there's gotta be a little rain sometime..."

So goes the song from Lynn Anderson (I love how tall her hair is - they can write both her name AND the song title on it). :-) The slightly younger generation would perhaps associate these lyrics with the song from Kon Kan).

As I read Genesis 25-31 (Days 20-22 in my http://www.bibleinayear.org/ daily reading plan), it strikes me that God's plan for us is often like the words in the song - He never promised us a rose garden either. Remember how God has promised Abraham to give the entire land of Canaan to his desecndants and that they will be as numerous as sand? Well, it was another 25 years of waiting/hoping/praying before Abraham and Sarah finally had Isaac. And what happens when it was Isaac and Rebekah's turn to continue the family line that is supposed to outnumber the sand on the beach? Rebekah was barren and was only able to conceive after Isaac "pleaded with the LORD for his wife" (Genesis 25:21).

Sometimes, we seem to think that because God has given us a vision/conviction or called us to a ministry, that everything should be smooth flowing. Afterall, we are doing His will, right? I mean, when God promised Abraham that he will be the father of nations and his descendants will outnumber the sand on the beach, the last thing I expected was for him and his only son (Isaac) to have difficulties having children of their own. I gotta remember that sometimes, God values the process more than the outcome.

This is perhaps a large part of the miracle of God's process of salvation - the outcome is already decided and known, what's in it for us is the opportunity to learn and to grow into Christian maturity as much as we can, while we are still here on earth. That window of opportunity closes when we die or when Christ returns (whichever is sooner). Sobering thought, isn't it?

Tri Gear Update: Shoes, Tri Shorts, Foot Pod, POWERbreathe!

Yup, got myself some value-priced gear from New Balance again. This time a pair of MR846 which are their stability/cushioning trainers weighing 374 g/13.1 oz. Was very tempted by the MR902 (292 g/10.2 oz lightweight, mild stability control), which are lighter, but decided to go for the more "heavy-duty" choice because I tend to have a heel strike and pronation in my running gait. Thanks to the Triathlon Association of Singapore, I get a 30% discount so the MR846 cost SGD$122.5 (USD$85.75), which is a pretty decent price for a solid pair of running shoes. I have run with these new shoes twice now (12-15km each run), and they feel more cushioned than the M767 that I used to wear. They also seem to breathe better than the M767, but that could be just my over-enthusiasm with new shoes. :-) Although there is a 35 g/1.2 oz weight penelty to the M767, as expected, it is not noticeable - if anything, the new shoes felt lighter somehow on the run (again, this is probably my over-enthusiasm again).
[Please note that the manufacturer posted weights above are based on the "standard" size 9.5 shoes, which are considerably smaller than my 11.5 shoe size.]

As you can see (if you peer hard enough), I also decided to try a pair of Lock Laces. These cost SGD$13.90 (USD$9.73) which are kinda expensive for laces in my books, but every second saved in T2 is one less second to run down, right? :-) So how do they feel on the run? I did not follow the instructions on the Lock Laces website, so I endup up with a rather loose fit which I did not like. Will try the secure method on the Lock Laces site next time. I intend to just get used to the Lock Laces and then move them onto my race shoes - which, if all goes according to plan, will be a New Balance competition shoe or MR902 at the stock clearance discount price of SGD$35 (USD$24.5) - being a size 11.5 in Asia means that there is usualy my size in stock clearance sales at the New Balance center near my workplace. :-)

While I was at the shop, I also got a pair of these value priced (SGD$34.3 or USD$24 after 30% discount) New Balance Tri Shorts that seem to be only for the Asian market. These are the most cost-effective (read: cheapest) Tri shorts on the market and they work pretty well for International (Olympic) distance or shorter. The padding is literally towel-thin, so I would not recommend cycling for more than 50km or so on them (unless you have a fantastic Tri saddle).

On a negative note, my 2 year and 8 month old Polar foot pod (for the S625X) is broken. Instead of blinking, the green LED stays on when it is activated, and the red button needs to be pressed again before it will start to flash. Once it is turned on, there is no way to switch it off except to remove the battery. It also keeps telling me that I am running 5-6km/hr when my pace is closer to 9-10km/hr. It's now with the Polar Service Center and I am waiting to hear what's the damage (warranty lasped 8 months ago).

One last bit of new kit, and I have indeed saved the best for last: the POWERbreathe! This seems to be the latest "miracle product" amongst endurance atheletes and I had the chance to get one at 30% "buddy discount" - SGD$70 (USD$49). I have yet to try it, but this is what the website says:

• 'Dumb-bells for your diaphragm' - Just as you might use weights to strengthen your arm muscles, breathing in through POWERbreathe for a few minutes twice daily, makes your inspiratory muscles work harder - thereby increasing their strength and endurance.


• It is an easy-to-use, drug-free, hand-held device with a comfortable mouthpiece. Within a few days your inspiratory muscles will feel stronger and within four weeks your lung function, and ultimately performance, will improve.

Too good to be true? I will tell you in about 4 weeks. :-)

Rising above the level of kids...

Here's a recent family picture from Mrs Nitrox's brother's wedding. It's not often that we, as a family, are so well dressed, so it's good that someone took a picture for us. :-)

I am at Genesis 19-24 in my bible reading plan. I am so far behind schedule that it is not even funny anymore. These are "loaded" chapters - they start from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, through to how Abraham and Sarah was finally blessed with Isaac and was tested by God (who asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to Him). It is impossible to include all the things that spoke to me in these chapters, but strangely, what spoke to me most was Genesis 21:9 "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing." (KIV).

OK, a bit of context here perhaps: Abraham (and Sarah) finally had their own son (Isaac) when Abraham was 100 years old (Genesis 21:5) - well past their child bearing age. This was also a full 25 years since God first promised the land to Abraham's descendants (Genesis 12:1-4). So to say that Isaac was a REALLY precious child in Abraham & Sarah's eyes would not be an over-statement. When Isaac was weaned, the proud parents had a big party for the baby, and Sarah saw Ishmael (Abraham's son thru the maid Hagar) "scoffing". It apparently so drove her up the wall that she had Abraham drive Hagar and Ishmael out from their home and into the surrounding desert. An event that almost cost Hagar and Ishmael their lives.

So here is the confession time for me. I am also guilty of being driven up the wall sometimes when I see other (older) kids bullying or scoffing at R1/R2. I can't understand how I can get so angry with, esssentially, kids! I have felt that way since R1/R2 were toddlers venturing to the playground. When R1/R2 were younger I have actually told off some kids, even in front of their parents. In the last few weeks, with all my nephews and nieces here in Singapore (4 of them staying with us), I have been cheesed off more than once with some of their rather mild teasing/bullying of R1/R2 (who are the 2 youngest cousins). Even little things like excluding R1/R2 in their games, fighting with R1/R2 for snacks/computer time/attention really ilks me. The logical part of me says "Let them be kids", but something in me just flares up to see my precious R1/R2 being "sidelined". I tend to be a very "hands on" Dad, and sometimes it is hard to do that and still remind myself to stay above the level of kids. I have to consciously remind myself that I am being silly, and make an effort to be the dear ol' Uncle Nitrox to my nephews & nieces. Silly isn't it? I mean my nephews and nieces are such wonderful kids - the problem lies very much with me. Yes, I am embarassed.

Praise God that He has opened my eyes to another area in my life that I have to give up to Him. I have to remember that God comes first. And that means that I have to put my ministry to my extended family (bro/sis-in-laws and nephews) and my friends/neighbours above these minor irritations, and trust that God is partnering Mrs Nitrox and I in parenting and protecting R1/R2. It sure is hard, but with His grace, all things are possible, and I can only get better at it. Praise God!