Hello Everyone,
thank you so much for your support and choosing to read A Winsome Life! Our current readership stands at 464 and we are expecting to have more and more readers coming to visit our blog in the time to come. Within a short span of 15 days, we have expanded and we have grown a lot, thanks to all you readers out there.

Our Promise To You

We will continually update our articles on A Winsome Life and bring to your attention the most talked about topics in town! Do send us your feedbacks/opinions/suggestions if you have any, to awinsomelife@gmail.com and we will accommodate your requests to the best of our abilities.

When We Hit 500 Readership…. 

We will be giving away 2 Starbucks Card with a value of $10 each to 2 lucky winners! These 2 lucky winners will be drawn from a random pool of people who follows our blog by clicking the “+” sign under the “Follow Blog” column and whom answers the following 3 questions correctly.

The 3 questions are:

1) Name the Core Values that Melvin believes in.

2) Who is Melvin’s Girlfriend and When did They Started Their Relationship?

3) What is 1 Pet that Melvin Keeps? 

How To Participate?

1). Simply click the “+” sign under the “Follow Blog” column, type in your email address and click “Sign me up!” and send an email to awinsomelife@gmail.com with your answers to the above 3 questions. (Do note that entries will only be accepted when the number of hits under the “Blog Stats” Column hits 500!)

2). Please remember to leave down your Full Name, Contact Number, and Address in your email so that we can contact and mail you the Starbucks Card should you be the prize winner.

Terms & Conditions:

1). Only those who follows A Winsome Life and answers the 3 questions correctly are eligible to participate.

2). Entries will only be accepted when the number of hits under the “Blog Stats” Column hits 500!

3). Prize Winners will be informed via email/mobile phone. Prizes will be sent to prize winners via registered mail to the designated address.

4). Decision made is final and all prize winners will be required to submit a photograph of themselves with the prize upon receiving it in their mailbox.

5). Closing date for all submissions will be 30 September 2011 before 2359 hours.

Some Starbucks Card FAQs from the Starbucks Singapore Website

Which are the participating Starbucks Stores in Singapore? 

All Starbuck stores in Singapore, with the exception of our stores located at Changi Airport, are participating in the Starbucks Card program.

What can I purchase using my Starbucks Card?

The Starbucks Card can be used to purchase anything in our store, from your favorite beverage to the latest merchandise.

What are the benefits of using a Starbucks Card?

The Starbucks Card offers you greater convenience when making your purchases. With the ease of one quick swipe, you can use it to purchase anything from your favorite beverage to the latest Starbucks merchandise.

Not only is it convenient to use your Starbucks Card, you will also get to enjoy the following benefits:

Upon activation of your Card in-store:

Enjoy a complimentary handcrafted beverage of your choice (any size)* on us with purchase of any 12 handcrafted beverages (any size)

Purchase any 250g bag of wholebean coffee and enjoy a complimentary brewed coffee (any size) on us

Purchase ten 250g bags of wholebean coffee and receive a complimentary 250g bag of wholebean coffee* on us

*Complimentary beverage or wholebean coffee is based on non-promotional items only.

All complimentary items are valid for one month from the date of issue and are valid from your next purchase.

Upon registration of your Card on-line:

• Enjoy a one-time# complimentary handcrafted beverage on us (any size) when you register your card on-line at www.starbucks.com.sg to protect the balance on your Card.
• Enjoy a one-time complimentary slice of cake on your birthday month* with any handcrafted beverage purchased

# Registration benefits are only credited to the first Card registered. Multiple Cards registered to the same account are not eligible for the complimentary items, however, your balance is still protected.

* Birthday privilege is valid during your birthday month only.
The above privileges will be activated on your card on your next visit to your favorite Starbucks store.

Information & Pictures are obtained from the Starbucks Singapore Website at https://card.starbucks.com.sg/sbux/card.jsp

I woke up feeling really sore and achy in my back and chest but I still decided to head down for service as I gave my word that I would be there.
When I entered the main hall at 0955 and found a seat at the Echo Arena, praise and worship was about to begin. However, I totally had no idea that Dr. A R Bernard was going to be preaching this service and I’m glad he did because the sermon is very relevant for my life right now.

For this service, Dr. A R Bernard taught about Spiritual Growth, what Ages in the Bible really meant and how God lines up specific people around us so that we are able to be positioned in a way that God can bless us in due season. I will only share a little bit about what Dr. A R Bernard has shared on today’s blog entry. If you would like to find out more, you can purchase the entire Sermon from Sermon Vault <– here

Definition of Spiritual Growth

Spiritual Growth is increasing your capacity to know and to experience God by the consistency of studying His Word.

We experience God through worship and prayer and we also experience Him by discerning what He is doing in our world.

The Bible encourages us to grow up because God can only entrusts us with His plans and purposes only if we mature and grow up. God will only give to us what we have the capacity for.

Ages ( or aion in greek) means Periods

When the Bible says it’s the end of the world, the Bible meant the end of a specific time, not the destruction of the planet or world. In fact, the return of Jesus Christ is not the end of the world but the beginning of another period/time. An age is a period of time in history marked by notable events and particular characteristics.

Seasons ( or kairos in greek)

Season is not just a time but a favourable period of time. A season is a favourable time appropriate for a particular person, purpose, or situation. The Bible tells us not to be weary in well doing because in due season, we will reap if we faint not.

These were just some of the key points that I noted down during Dr. A R Bernard’s preaching. After service, most of us headed down to Jurong West Church so that we could witness Chao Han and Kenny’s water baptism. Witnessing their baptism reminded me of my own baptism way back in 2006.  I was really happy that both Chao Han and Kenny took the step of faith and decided to go for water baptism as it truly signifies the beginning of a wonderful journey with Christ. I pray that God will continue to open up the windows of heavens and pour down such great blessings into both Chao Hao and Kenny’s lives that there would not be room enough to contain it!

Kenny Getting Water Baptised By Pastor Yock Kiang

“We Are Called To Be The Salt of the Earth, The Light of The World”

Preparing Kenny and Chao Han for their trials! =P

Kenny awaiting for the salty moment!

A reminder for us to be the light of the world

We are the apple of God’s eyes

Kenny with his Certificate of Baptism!

Hello Everyone,
you must be thinking, what exactly is so special about September 2012?

Well, the answer to that is, I’m going to ORD on 14 September 2012.

Ok, that does not sound really interesting but anyway, from now till then, I have been thinking about many things such as what I should exactly pursue.

Questions, Questions, and more Questions…!

1) Should I further my studies?

You know, there are probably millions of graduates all over the world competing with one another for jobs in the government and private sectors and it seems that the paper chase is probably the key to securing a high paying job. How does an organisation then determines who they should hire? I mean after all, a person with a degree but whom has a lousy working attitude isn’t going to do the organisation any good right? I personally don’t wish to waste any more time studying. So, I guess furthering my studies is not my priority for now.

2) What Career Paths Should I Pursue?

Ok. I have to admit that this has been quite a dilemma for me. I have been offered many opportunities for interviews and positions in the Banking & Finance Industry, Hospitality & Tourism Industry, the MICE Industry, and the Business Administration Sector. While all the positions offered to me were very attractive in terms of remuneration and benefits, I can’t seem to decide on which one I would definitely enjoy doing. After all, I want a career which I am passionate about. The downsides to this path are that I have to answer to a superior and my earnings are pretty much capped at a certain rate.

3) The Entrepreneurial Spirit

Baby and I have been thinking of starting up our own business for sometime now. However, I have to admit that I’m pretty concerned about the Capital and how I’m going to come up with them. Moreover, there were other concerns but honestly, I wonder if $50,000 would be enough for a small start-up? I can’t exactly reveal the detailed plans for now but then again, I wonder if this should be the path I take. The upsides to this path are that I can be my own boss and my earnings are not capped. I remembered my dad saying that starting up one’s own business is better than working for somebody because the satisfaction you get from the result of your very own hardwork is much more fulfilling.

Conclusion?

I really have no definite answer for now. With so many obstacles in the way, I can’t seem to decide on a definite choice. If you have any inputs/word of encouragement/word of discouragement/advise/opinions to share, please feel free to share them with me by commenting on this entry. Like Baby always tell me that I am fickle-minded, I believe I am fickle-minded! Gosh! =X

The Beginnings of A Winsome Life
Hello everyone, I have started out many blogs that are probably not in use anymore. And at times, I wonder if it is really worth the time and money to upkeep and maintain an online web presence. After much consideration and consultation from my CFO a.k.a my girlfriend, we have decided that it would be more cost-savvy for me to use a free platform such as WordPress and then host my own website once I have garnered enough readers.

Some people actually asked me, “Isn’t Facebook good enough?”. And to me, Facebook isn’t really enough. For me to post an article or blog about a topic, I would have to use the Facebook Notes Function which is not exactly practical and lacks functionality. Using WordPress as a platform, I will blog about my daily happenings, the places that I visit, and the things that I do.

Strongly encouraged and supported by my girlfriend, I now present to you, “A Winsome Life- Life is Too Short: Don’t Follow Dreams Chase Them!”