restorative.coach@gmail.com has shared:

Informative editorial from Fast Company.
Source: fastcompany.com How Resource-Strained Cities Can Save Water BY Ariel Schwartz, Today Los Angeles, Houston, and Phoenix are three of the biggest cities in the U.S, and also the most water-constrained. In order to survive increasingly unpredictable temperatures over the next century, these cities--and others like them--will need to get creative with their water use. In honor of UN World Water Day, Dow Water and Process Solutions has offered some tips, (PDF) for city planners and entrepreneurs on how to save wate...

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A trend tip from Adrian Tan

Hi, I think you'll enjoy trendwatching.com's monthly Trend Briefings. Their current edition features CITYSUMERS, and the countless ways brands can innovate for demanding urban consumers around the globe. For more, just go to http://www.trendwatching.com.

Enjoy!

This message was sent to you by www.trendwatching.com, on behalf of Adrian Tan (restorative.coach@gmail.com)

Where Your Heart Is

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." - John 15:5 (NASB)

Where your heart is...

I guess it all comes down to where your heart is.

It's there your thoughts and feelings all begin;

But if you never give your heart to Jesus

You'll never really have a part in Him.

If your treasures are in heaven

Then your heart will be there too;

And the things you say and do will show Christ's love.

But if your treasures here on earth

Tell me where your heart will be.

You'll never have a part in things above.

If your mind's set on the Spirit

And you're walking in God's light

Then the watching world will see Christ's love in you.

But if your mind's set on the earth

And the earthly things you do

In poverty you'll live your whole life through.

I guess it all comes down to where your heart is.

It's there your thoughts and feelings all begin;

But if you never give your heart to Jesus

You'll never really have a part in Him.

Courtesy of John Cherbourg

Know the Majesty of God

Psalm 93

The Majesty of the LORD.

¹The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
²Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
³The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
The floods have lifted up their voice,
The floods lift up their pounding waves.
⁴More than the sounds of many waters,
Than the mighty breakers of the sea,
The LORD on high is mighty.
⁵Your testimonies are fully confirmed;
Holiness befits Your house,
O LORD, forevermore.

Letter to my children / Thank you Gmail :)

My Dearest Favourite Children

I have created email addresses for each of you, so that in the event of your need for some level of privacy, you will be able to send emails to these emails.

I thought that email addresses like that would be very useful when I head to the Carterets, as it would allow our family members to do more than just email each other, but we can maintain chat lines, talk to each other on video and upload documents on the Google website. At present, technology on Gmail video is only restricted to only one user. So we will do with what we can. When one of us is separated from the family, we can use either pupa and moma's account. Alternatively, we can talk to each other via video individually.

I understand that we can also make free or very cheap calls to locations under GMails coverage. Calls are free to the USA and Canada presently.

At present, I am sitting in my office and at around the tail end of our write-ups. I am researching materials for my part when I go down to the Carterets. This involves coaching the school of entrepreneurship, family life, developmental matters and spiritual life. God willing, our team will raise enough money to make a move to the Carterets. The only way I decently talk to you online via email, video or chat is when I get to Buka, Bougainville. This place is the 5 hour to 15 hour ocean crossing we have to make to get to civilization :)

I am always grateful to God for taking care of each of us. more importantly, I treasure each and everyone of you. You are God's gift to me.

Since the Lunar New Year, each of us have gone through the Lord's dealing in our lives. I find that moma and I have become more loving, patient and understanding. I am sure, both of us, would really love our kids to be brought up to date in terms of what God is doing. Overall, everyone is improving in one way or other. All of us are on the same journey, travelling parallelly, growing in one area or other...which is good.

i have created your passwords and will pass it to you individually when we log in together tonight.

Sifting Like Wheat?

Early yesterday morning, I heard the word "sifting" in my mind and was moved to read Luke 22:31,32 once again.

The portion of Scripture concerned our Lord Jesus Christ informing Simon Peter of Satan's demand for permission (Great to know that even he has to be civil before God when it came to engaging Simon) to sift Simon like wheat. I was even more encouraged that our gracious Lord did not end with the rather scary news, but added on the following life-giving words which Dr Luke faithfully included in his account, "...but I have prayed for you, that you faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." What powerful words of truth!

Subsequently, we see how within a few hours, Peter would deny our blessed Lord three times before the cock crowed (how specific). The devastation Simon experienced within must have been agonising. Yet as fast as it took to cut him down to size ( a few hours), I was so elated to see how fast God moved to restore him.

Despite the blow to his ego, we witness Simon's steady progress. Prophetically, it took our Lord's Resurrection to do that! Life comes out of life! From running to the empty tomb to his marvel at what had transpired there to his personal encounter with our Lord at village Emmaus to his subsequent divine commission to tend to the lambs and sheep (John 21), I learn that God never rejects broken vessels and small beginnings.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know, He holds the future

And life is worth the living, just because He lives...

Thank you, everyone, for walking this walk on the Road of Life with me.

...Because Poor Foundations Are HAZARDOUS for our health

In this picture found at bikermajor.com, we see the sombre picture of buildings in various phases of collapse after an earthquake. I do not know how what the actually casualty rate is like, but one can be sure that the damages incurred and experienced must have been very significant for the residents and their loved ones.

The very first subject in this blog was "We Are Laying A New Foundation". I had gone through a rather trying experience the past 3 years and this blog actually chronicled the actual events and all the players in that particular episode of my my life. I eventually erased the content as part of the closure I sought....leaving only one solitary phase as the first topic for a long time. It took me a while, but I'm glad to be back.

That articular event which took place three years ago, was only resolved this year. While it may not have been the best way to resolve, it did bring closure and relief to the parties involved.

What was the problem in the first place?

A serious lack of foundational truths, values and principals which kept a potentially great organisation from flourishing and performing its intended role and purpose in this generation.

This lack of a proper foundation opened the organisation and the people it was meant to protect, nurture and mobilize to numerous controversies, scandals and attacks within and without. It would simply be a matter of time before people would decide to leave and seek out safer places to thrive in.

At a time when I was first got involved with them, I even asked the then-leader of the organisation if there was a governing instrument , eg. Constitution, Bye-Laws, etc to safeguard the interests of the organisation and he blatantly lied to me that there was none and that the management in place was weak (that was true). Interestingly, he was eventually exposed for trying to manipulate the Constitution to his benefit and the management somehow tagged along because they highly respected him and valued his insights. Here was a case of someone trying play chess with those who had placed their trust in him. That game did not pan out well in the end.

It is said that if we tell someone an untruth loud enough and long enough, that person would soon believe it lock stock and barrel...and pass on that lie to others. A case of indoctrination and denial?

Today, the organisation is a shadow of itself, but largely, there are signs of life, renewal even. Hopefully, they will learn their lesson and learn well from history. However, like someone once said, the lesson we learn from history is that we never learn from history. Let's hope for the best.