Yep, we have barely crossed the mid year mark and now am faced with some challenges - good or bad..
First it's work. Am feeling increasingly unhappy and disgruntled with my work situation.. I think I've already come to the point when I try to detatch myself from my stories as far as I can, as in, if the stories are cut or changed, I'm not so bothered anymore..
So for instance last week when the top 10 under-rated restaurant piece was chopped to the minimal, I didn't make any noise. And even if my album review has been rewritten.. I also left it. But looking at my latest performing arts story, I couldn't help but got upset!
First, the length was cut from 600-700 (which I was told was the length it should be) to merely 300 plus!! And worst of all, it has been rewritten to such a choppy and ameaturish style that for goodness sake, I'd rather not have my byline there!
It's not that they don't have space.. they somehow use the pix real big and more than one too while choose to take away the content.. I really don't know why! Honestly it was not a complicated piece as I actually base it on a press release..
I got infuriated and sms-ed my direct editor on my grouses. And his reply was that this `problem' has been solved as certain sub-editors have been told to lay hands off our Weekend Buzz pieces.. and that mine is not the only problem. Yeah I gather that other colleagues' pieces have been changed too but looking at the content, mine was the worst victim this time!
Sigh. In situation like this, I really want out but unfortunately, my request to be transferred has been refused... without a time frame too.
Ok, enough of work.. which actually has its more share of problems but I shall not devulge here.
Maybe on a more positive note, I will share a bit about what our peer group is embarking on from next month - The Alpha Course.
Went for an afternoon of `training' yesterday at church as I will be continuing as a group leader and all the leaders and helpers are required to know what the course is all about and how we play our role.
Alpha is basically a very useful program where we are to invite our non-Christians or new Christians friends to join.. it covers a series of very interestinng and pertinent topics to explore the Christian faith.. and the intereting thing is, it is not a lecture. We all will watch a video when a topic is raised and everyone is welcome to freely discuss on it.
It is a friendly, non-threatening gathering which has been run in many countries worldwide.. and our church has started on it a year or two ago.
Now, the CCF (College and Career Fellowship) is going to run the program on our Friday night meeting.. and we are starting on August 4, which is less than three weeks away!
We went through some videos for leaders training and although we are all Bible Study leaders, we found out that this is going to be very challenging as we can't use our normal BS leading ways to lead the small group discussions.. We are meant to be faciliator, not one that give the answers and we must respect all sorts of comments and questions asked..
Of course there are things to be read up to prepare ourselves.. but i think for all of us, myself included, one of the greatest challanges will be to invite our friends to come for Alpha. It is especially challenging not because I think most people are against this kind of course but more so the commitment and time factor. Ideally, we would like our friends to join us for 13 weeks - the duration of the course, which includes a weekend away. But this may sound a bit daunting for non-Christians.. but what we hope is at least they could come for the first three meetings, and if they find it interesting, some would continue on...
If you're not a Christian reading this.. just want to say that what we are doing is not to convert people or force anyone to believing in our faith.. I'm sure there would be people out there who are searching for the meaning of life, or even curious to know what the Christian faith is all about... and this is a great opportunity to find out for yourself.
As for me and my friends from CCF, I think to start with, we need to pray hard and to align ourselves with God's will.. to share His Word in love and in deeds..
And for myself, I know I really need to discipline myself and time.. Yes, I know I have said it many times but with not much success... but I just have to do it.. albeit one step at a time! (actually maybe I am not that much of an addict as I just turne on my pc at 11pm today!) :p
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