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It is very hard to give thanks. No, it is very hard to REALLY be grateful. Thanksgiving is a matter of heart, a state of being appreciative, content, and joyful. When we say thank you it does not necessarily be an indicator that we truly appreciate what others have done to us.  I always enjoy birthday, not for the fact that I am getting older, but I love it that once a year people celebrate me and shower me with care and gifts. Let me tell you my dirty little secret here. Deep down inside my heart I really wish people have supernatural ability to  read my mind of what present that I really want this year. Else I would love to have the ability to visit people in their dreams and tell them what I want for my birthday. Are you familiar with the situation when people buy you a present that it is so not you? At that time we might say thank you but inside we say why (did you buy this pink tights for my birthday). That could not be a right attitude and we are all guilty of that a...

Always a big fan of Prodigal Son's story since I could see myself as the son who left home to pursue something else that I perceive is better than being with the Father. However no matter what I have done and how bad I think of myself after making the same mistakes, it is always comforting and relieving that I always have a home to go back to. Recently when I read the story again I found one important truth that makes me even more grateful to be called His son. He was so hungry ..  That brought him to his senses..  I’m going back to my father.. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him.   From the story we can see that there is a huge difference between what makes us tick and what makes God tick. What moves us is our tummy which correlates to our needs, while what moves the Father is His heart which corresponds to love. If we think about it what drives us to think, to do, and to move is our de...

I hate roller coasters!! Not only roller coasters but also all the thrilling rides with potential to make my heart skipped a beat. That is why if you see big bald guy hanging around the bench in the themepark with so many bags around him, that would most probably be me!! Yes I am that guy who helps to take care of others' bags when they enjoy themselves being dropped off from heights, flipped around, and turned here and there. I am 1500% sure that that bench guy role was created for me.  So what do I do when I visit themepark? Our family normally will focus on the shows, entertainments, and family friendly rides (where toddler is allowed!!). There were only several cases where Gil could make me buy in to get into the line. Her pitch normally sounds like this: come on we have come so far away and you are not willing to try. That sales pitch combined with her smile works like wonder. However this only happened in very very special situation. Raimond and Roller Coaster are not mad...

During my last year in college I remembered telling one friend half jokingly that one day my office email address would be raimond.praptana@xxxx.com which at that time seemed impossible considering xxxx is the biggest chemical company in the world. Both of us burst in laughter after I said that because at the back of our mind we know that there was a huge uncertainty in front of us after graduation. Never mind working for the well respected company, we would be very happy to get a decent job somewhere to start our career right after graduation. That was 2005. Fast forward to 2018. Another big question mark and uncertainty showed up in my life. Already married with one child and another one coming, I submitted my resignation letter. After 11 years in xxxx, yes the biggest chemical company in the world - my first and only company, I decided to take a break to spend time with my wife and son while also taking this chance to pray and search His purpose in my life. One of the most difficu...

Why do you love me? So often people ask this question to obtain affirmation and assurance. Deep inside each one of us we have desire to be accepted and loved. Most of time this comes with a hefty cost: pretending to be someone that you are not. We try to please everyone so that we could be up to their standard. The thing is we have several weaknesses and so many people to please. How complicated it is to manage the combination of which weaknesses to be covered for which person. Even if we could manage this well, how much energy that we need to burn to be different characters and personalities than who we really are? It is always great if we could be who we are but it is greatest to be accepted for being who we are. I even pondered at one point of my marriage that if I were my wife I could not even tolerate and accept the real Raimond is. I just could not stand Raimond!! If I myself could not even stand me, what is the chance that somebody else could accept me for who I am without mur...