A little about Pride. Resource is from Romans (The Heart Set Free) – by Gordon Ferguson (Chapter 1. Page 33).
When “those right side” increase, there is a high tendency for Pride to increase as well.
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First 1.5 month in MOL
Blessing
Thank God for his blessing to my career. First of all, for giving me a good senior. He is helpful. He always responded when I asked him for help. He has helped me in many way, like to fix the bug and gave me many advices and sharing his experiences about software development. Indeed, I learnt a lot from him.
I am thankful to be given a chance to handle one big part of the project. Even though, this project does not require me to build one from zero because there was an existing system already. This project I’m handling requires me to “re-customize” it. Nevertheless, I’m grateful about it especially when I recall back my support job function in my previous job.
During these moment, I also want to thank Bill Wilkinson from http://www.aspmessageboard.com/. He has helped to fix a lot of stuff all these years especially in Classic ASP. He really gave his heart to help people and his respond was so quick that it is as if I was chatting with him. If I have a chance to meet up, I want to thank him face to face and treat him a good meal to show my appreciation to him all these years.
The module I am doing now is a Customer Care module. When one day, I reflected upon it, I felt so encouraged because my previous company is mainly doing CRM system (Customer Care System and CRM System are the same, just different term). In fact, they are the leader in CRM. Even though, it was just a short period (three months plus) working in Entellium, that duration gave me an idea how world class standard of a CRM looks like. This helps a lot in design my current project. I can make use of previous job’s experience and knowledge. I think it is rare to have your previous job’s experience related to the current one. In fact, both also done in Classic ASP. And I don’t know about it until I joined this company!
Presentation and Stress
On 17 July 2007, few of us went to our client to present the system we have developed so far. The presentation was done by by both my manager and my senior. I felt some stress since I knew about that, but the stress increased on that actual day, especially during the presentation. I felt anxious and worry that the system will hit critical bug during the presentation. But, thank God, the presentation went quite smoothly, thought my senior and I notice a minor bug. I felt so relieved after that. The thing is over here, we do not have a QA or Testing team just like the previous company. And, I realize that it is not that easily to thoroughly test the system because there are too many combinations, if I perform a very complete testing. And, I do not have a lot testing techniques. I believe knowing that testing techniques, will able to test the system effectively.
Challenges I forsee
Up to now, I have one focus in mainly one module and there are a few more to go. What I forsee is there are a lot of tough times I need to go through. I see myself having much hard time to learn ASP.NET / VB.NET. The module I’m doing now is done with classic ASP, while the rest of the module is expected to be done with VB.NET and I am very new to VB.NET. In fact, I have never done any application with it. I think by the end of my probation, things are easier for me. Hope and pray that I can survive until that time. I started to feel very tired of working for this project at this time.
I also forsee that problem of support and maintenance for both Classic ASP and ASP.NET 1.1. Pretty scary when think about it. Hopefully, I don’t have encounter much problems from these two friends.
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Old Covenant vs New Covenant
Covenant
It is defined as agreement or promise between two or more parties. Example, God would never again destroy the earth with a flood (Gen 9: 8-17).
Old Covenant
Old Covenant also can be called the law of Moses (Mosiac Law). God gave the Israelites some laws after they are out of Egypt. But, no covenant has been made because a covenant is made when both parties agree with it. Old Covenant was made during Moses’ time in Exodus 19, as the Israelites agreed to obey God. In verse 5,
Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said,” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
The book of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deutronomy consist all the Mosaic Law.
Some common area from Mosiac Law:
- Observing Sabbath.
- Circumcision and strict diet.
- Feast or Festivals. Example, Passover.
- Offering, Sacrifice or Tithing. Examples, Sin Offering, Guilt Offering.
Prophesy of New Covenant
In Jeremiah 31: 31-33,
“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I too them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, thought I was a husband to them, declares the LORD.
“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, “declares the LORD.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
The Connection – From shadow to light
Therefore do not let anyone judge you buy what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. – Col 2: 16-17
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realites themselves. – Heb 10: 1
Old Covenant is the shadow for New Covenant (Col 2: 16-17). Example, before you see someone, you will see the shadow first (assuming right angle of light).
Old Covenant came first but overriden by New Covenant. Another word, Old Covenant is obsolete now (Heb 8: 13). Analogy, someone wrote a will in 2000 and he wrote a newer one in 2007. This means the old will in 2000 became obsolete.
New Covenant cannot exist without Old Covenant.
Comparison
There are too many differences we can find when we compare Old Covenant with New Covenant. But, I will just focus in the area of access to God.
| Old Covenant | New Covenant | |
| Who can access? | High priest (Heb 9: 7) | Through Jesus (John 14: 6; Eph 2: 18) |
| When? | Once a year (Heb 9: 7) | Anytime |
| Where? | Holy of holies. (Heb 9: 1-7) | Anywhere |
| What sacrifice need to offer? | Blood from animal of no defect | Jesus Christ own blood (Heb 9: 12) |
| Need to offer sacrifice continually? | Yes.(Heb 9: 25; 10: 1) | No. Jesus die once and for all. (Heb 9: 11-12, 25-28) |
Conclusion
Today, we do not need to obey the Old Covenant (Mosiac Law) because it is obsolete. If this is the case, should we never read Mosaic Law from now? Certainly not. Indeed, we should continue to read it but with a different perspective, to understand the purpose of the law, rather than to take it literally. Example, the reason why the Israelites were restricted to strict diet and need to be circumcised due to health reason.
I like how Douglas Jacoby phrased it, “It is not a sin to observe a special day (Romans 14: 1-6), but it is a sin to try to make others do so.”
Resources
Books:
- Shining Like Stars – by Douglas Jacaby.
- Life Application Study Bible (NIV).
Websites:
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Blogging
Blogging has become more and more popular nowadays. What exactly is blogging? Well for my knowledge, is it is another word for online journalling (or dairy). And, I started writing (from now, I will use the word “write” instead of “blog” or “journalling”, which I prefer) way long time ago. I guess since primary school time. But, I only write more when I became a Christian which is nine years ago. Those days (nine years ago), I used my computer to type my journal. But never published. Where got blog website those days?
I started publish my writing ever since I own this website which is since year 2004. This website push me to write, and to write better journal. On July 2006, I have created an account in blogspot. But, you won’t able to read it because I kept it private. Maybe I will copy some from there to this website from time to time.
Writing is a need for me. Writing is where I pour out my thoughts, emotions, my problems, my struggles, my sins, and everything else. This is where I got gut-level real, honest to myself. When I have a good time of writing, I feel good at the end because. I feel relieved, lighter, my thoughts and problems got more organized. And at times, I feel good because I made some decisions towards the situation. I also write to share my knowledge and experience, which hopefully can benefits others. All my personal writing, I put under “Articles” and “Useful Tips” section in this website.
Where I usually write?
Using my Acer laptop, I used to write a lot in Starbuck. In the past, I am cynical to Starbuck. Why pay so much just for normal coffee? And see this as luxury lifestyle and shouldn’t be a lifestyle of a Christian (my self-righteousness)?. But, after awhile and some thinking about it, I realize it is actually “cheap” for me to write in Starbuck. Why I say “cheap”? Because, just with one purchase of drink, I can have free wifi for 2 hours (my average duration), and can do my writing in a safe, comfortable and relaxing ( their Jazz music) environment. Worth it! What a calculative person I am!
But recently, I have changed my spot to Coffee Bean, even though I still prefer coffee than tea and Starbuck’s latte still the best for me. Here are the reasons:
- Health – tea is less caffein compare to coffee.
- Coffee Bean’s Genmaicha tea taste good to me.
- Cheaper – the normal tea in Coffee Bean cost RM7.88, while the plain latte in Starbuck cost RM9.98.
- Loyalty card – Coffee Bean has loyalty card, while Starbuck has none.
- There is a coffee maker in my new company. So, I can drink fresh bean coffee everyday.
So far, I have tried two types of green tea: Genmaicha and Moroccan Mint and one types of herbal infusion: Lemon Chamomile. But for me, the best so far is Genmaicha.
I also write much in my pda phone.
One of the reason why I want to get this Treo 650 pda phone is because of that. When I think about something, it is good for me to write them as fast as possible. So, if you see me pressing those tiny button in my pda phone, I am not playing games with it. In fact, there is no games in it. I have uninstall them already. They are too addictive to me. I’m probably writing.
I also draw
Occasionally, I draw. I will draw flow-chart and bird-view diagram. Besides drawing it on paper, I draw it in a big flipchart board in my house. This tool is good, because I got a very large space to draw the whole bird-view diagram of my life on it.
Two more days. Yes, two more days I will be leaving my existing company, GuocoLand. And I will be starting a new career journey in Entellium Technologies on 12 February, which is around 2 weeks later. It has been one year and seven months here in GuocoLand. Time flies.
It was an exciting journey at the beginning, probably just for the first 6 months. It was thrilling to have a project to work on, eleave, which is a HR leave system. I felt good working professionally with my superior to brainstorm this eleave together. Think, analyze, refine. But, as times goes by, things has started to get tough. Problems came in one by one. (It is too much to explain here and not that good to share in details of some problems). I began to feel not looking forward for the day.
After I completed my eleave, I wasn’t given any new system to work at. I wasn’t sure the reasons. Maybe my superior thinks I’m not competent for another one. Maybe he afraid if I handle another one and if I resign, then he will face difficulty. Maybe the support work are too much at that time. No matter what reasons, I feel that I began to hate my job function more and more. And other problems in life, added more and more anger in my heart. As a result, my heart got more and more harsh. Not just in the heart, but also in my words, as the bible says, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Our words will describe something of the condition of our heart. With this situation, I think I need to make a decision.
I don’t know when I plan to change job but I think maybe around after my confirmation (my probation was 6 months). I remember how I motivate myself with all my self-motivation skills. Last month, I have typed my resignation letter, which is to be given at the right time (means, after I got my bonus). Finally, in the beginning of this month, January, I received my bonus and immediately I tender my resignation letter on the following day. I have started to apply some job since end of last month and more after I tendered my resignation letter.
In the middle of this month, I got a call for an interview. This company is Entellium Technologies. It is a company which provides software for people to use and it’s office is located in Twin Tower, KLCC. From that day until yesterday, I have had 3 interviews for this application. ( Maybe that show it is not easy to cari makan liao now a days. Hehe … ). And at the end, I got the offer for that software engineer position (the name of the position sounds cool but it is just another name for programmer). Thank you God and everyone’s prayer.
When I got my job in GuocoLand, I have some worriness to the uncertainties. “What working environment will be there?” “What kind of superior I will get?” “How’s the the people there?” “What problems will I face?” and some other thoughts. I guess similar thought came me too for this new job. One thought I have is “Will I able to cope with this job?” “Am I competent enough?” I see myself not competent, my programming skills and knowledge. I think I need to work hard for these 3 month probation. Hopefully and with continual prayer, I hope I am able to sustain and cope with this position.
In spite all much stressful and much frustration I have had in GuocoLand, I also have some happy moment working here. I will miss some people there, especially some to treat me like their friend and being kind to me. Another positive side is, I did learnt much too, especially from my superior, his professionalism and also those techincal skills and people skills.
Thank you for reading. Update with you guys next time in the future 🙂