This new 2012 year will be a year of reflection, consolidation, recuperation and realignment of priorities for me. Since the birth of this fresh and authentic MusikDrama curriculum in year 2007, I have been devoted to developing, upgrading, teaching and training students and teachers alike in weekly classes and school holiday programs. It is a great privilege for me to be a part of the character-moulding and confidence-building process in many of the students and teachers, whose paths crossed mine in these past 5 years. Children have a very special place in my heart. My passion in reaching children started way before the birth of this MusikDrama program. I have always been in connection with the lives of youth even when I was in Secondary school, university and subsequently, taught in a college.
Children are special gifts from God and they are to be nurtured and cherished by hearts that reach out to theirs. I knew it was a journey of the heart when I ventured into education. Teaching in a college with budding young adolescence changing into young adults, was a very rewarding experience. Counselling was an invaluable skill I cherished as I taught the older ’kids’. Moving on to a married life with younger children myself about a decade ago, flung me to enter into the world of toddlers and younger children. I must say that it was the most humbling experience that I have ever had. Plucking up my courage to start a home-based homeschool kindergarten in 2005, was a very challenging, yet enriching experience. Equipping myself with much reading, training and praying, the homeschool was a good starting point to reinforce my convictions to be a nurturer and world-shaker for the future of our society. Most of all, I had the privilege to home-educate my own children. To be part of my own children’s growth, being there for every milestone achieved in and out of school, cannot be exchanged for anything in this world.
Then in year 2007, after discontinuing the home-based school, I continued to home-educate my own children while venturing out to uncover new grounds in the world of drama, that was when I was inspired to develop the now, MusikDrama program. Over the years, I have the privilege to witness many children experiencing breakthroughs in their own lives. Some who were very quiet and shy, succeeded in breaking out of their shells; and some are still in the process of peeling their ‘hardened walls’. Many who are boisterous and bubbly, are further sharpened in their expressions. My two children were the main motivators behind the birth of this MusikDrama program 5 years ago. I wanted my children to learn to express and communicate confidently in public. Thus, it was a stepping stone for me to enlist them as my life-students. My children grew up with the program, and especially my daughter, she is a great assistant in my classes.
Home-educating my own children, is a calling. It is my top priority. My goal is to nurture and bring up wholehearted children in my own home. Yet, over the past two years, I have been distracted with many things. I became very ambitious in wanting to ‘kill many birds with one stone’. I was juggling with home-education, teaching, ministry in-and-out of church, and house responsibilities. Towards the end of last year, I have had to handle 6 major events (choral speaking presentation, 2 seminars, MusikDrama Charity Concert, VBS Camp for children, MusikDrama School Holiday Program and Children’s Christmas Party), all happened within one-and-half months. Only by God’s grace that I was able to handle all of them, one at a time. Although I really enjoyed each of these, I had been too busy to listen to my children and husband’s heart, let alone my own heart. During the last few days of 2011, I was able to settle down to search my soul, and evaluate my year 2011. It was a year of ‘Shifts’ and ‘Changes’. I started year 2011 with a lot of goals and expectations for my children, family, teaching career and ministry. As I read through my journal entries for year 2011, they were filled with events of joys, struggles, weariness, helplessness, faith-charging by the Lord and victories. I saw myself trying to be a ‘Super-mom’ and ‘Super-teacher’. I was rushing through the year trying to meet deadlines. Though I had cut down many outside-teaching-classes compared to previous years, my mind was always occupied every moment of the day, in preparation of the next agenda. I was not ‘patient’ to listen to the hearts of my children. And though I saw the need, I could not afford the time to slow down to tackle the heart issues of my own children. This made me easily frustrated when we need to rush through lessons at home and rushed out for various activities for them and my own classes, almost seven days a week. This was not good at all.
Throughout these years, I had discovered a new ‘ground’ to start my little ‘empire’ in the world of Music and Drama. There was a demand. There was a need. People are calling up for enquiries and new classes. Many schools wanted this program. Teachers called up to be trained. TVIQ from Astro, even had a 5-minute shot of this program in one of their episodes two years ago. Recently, NTV7 called up for an interview and wanted to feature this program in their new children’s Talent program. I was so tempted to take in all the ‘calls’ and dream of going ‘international’ with this program. I knew that I will be busier than ever, if I am to take on this program to a higher plateau. I may be physically with my family, but my heart will be building my ‘little kingdom’.
So…what is my first priority in life now? Yes, my God, my children and my family. That was why I chose to quit my lecturing job 9 years ago and stayed home. That was why I chose to home-educate my children. I have never regretted my decision. The more I reflect on our home-education in 2011, the more I am compelled to take off from all that I am doing ‘outside’ of home, for at least a year, to consolidate and to start refocusing on building strong foundation in disciplines, character and spiritual lives of my children. My heart had been so ‘over-crowded’- I need to quieten down, to listen to my Saviour’s voice to lead and guide me in my calling as a homeschool mother, a loving wife and a servant of my Most High God. What are the important things that I am called to do in life that counts? I told the Lord that I desire to influence millions for Christ. But if I have only 2 students at home, how am I going to achieve that? He gently reminded me that if I faithfully nurture and sharpen my two ‘swords’ at home, He will use my two ‘swords’ to influence millions for Him. That comforted me, and helped me to release all my ‘little dreams’ to Him and let Him direct me into the new 2012.
At the start of 2012, I am determined to take at least, a year off from all my MusikDrama classes, be it teaching students or training teachers etc., to consolidate, to re-align my priorities and reflect.
It is a choice to be made at every point of life’s journey. I wish all of you an abundant life and great achievement in 2012 as your priority leads you!
