Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

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Improving your Relationships with your Hearing
The "theme" for this week seems to be on "listening" with me hearing 3 friends out throughout the week and the week ends with a sermon on "Building Great Relationships: How to Improve your Hearing".

I think one thing remains clear: how well your relationship is depends on how willing you are to hear the other person out. All of us have struggles and most of us yearn to be heard and to be understood. Listening conveys the message that "we care of the other person" and that he/she is important enough to be listened to.

James 1:19 says: "... take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry"

Do we have presumptions, pride and impatience that stops us from listening to others?

Being Truthful & Genuine
One of my colleagues at work gave me a valentine's day gift, those mini cards that gives a description about your name. Mine speaks about being truthful and how true... my struggle has always been with people who I fear are not truthful with me; I always value truthfulness, genuineness etc in relationships. The book of James in the bible also spoke of being genuine Christians.

Learning Guitar
Started my guitar lesson with my cell group mates today and boy was it a painful experience... ouch! Will try to perservere on...

Let's Just Move On
I wasn't really sure whether my friends are OK following the New Year incident, although I messaged my friend last Sunday and he said that things will be OK once we meet up and laugh about the matter. However, I have yet to hear from his girlfriend for a week now and so decided to sms her to check if she is still upset about the matter. Am glad that she is candid about it and shared that she was still upset about it.

I must admit that the incident has left everyone hurt and I had a part to play for it... Wasn't really keen on pinpointing whose fault it is because it is just no longer important; I value our friendship so much and I am lost as to what to do with our current situation.

I apologized for causing hurt but also asked for understanding on why I reacted the way I did. I am really so glad that we all agree to let the matter rest and I felt that I am heard.

As mentioned, I am not trying to prove that I am right but rather I also had a part to play for causing hurt, just as I had been hurt. Things seem to be OK for now and I am leaving it in the hands of God.