Godosphere For Miracle

Poor Leadership Leads to High Staff Turnover

“Employees don’t simply leave because of the organization, but they leave because of their bosses!”

Coming from a knowledgeable HR background of 12 years, it is disheartening to note that most HR Departments favor the employers more rather than the employees. High turnover shows that something is wrong with the personnel policies of an organization or their negative perceptions.

When too many employees leave within a short period of time, then it’s time to re-look at the leader!

Instead, many a times, it’s the employee that gets the final blow and not the employer. He or she either resigns due to the immense pressure or gets ceased by the organization. 

In the case, where a conflict of interest arises and leads to termination or dismissal of service; the boss has already come to a conclusion to rid the employee, he will then go all out to ensure that the employee leaves the organization the soonest possible and will resort to avenues that will encompass towards it. Ever heard of the saying, “birds of a feather flock together”; well, all because the employee was not a ‘YES’ man and happened to be the odd-one-out! 

And, it never rests there! Why I’m saying this is because I was a once a “victim of constructive dismissal”. I was terribly victimized but I never gave up. With the guidance and support from my dad who was from a legal background. He certainly was an encouraging source of motivating factor. He taught me to be bold and always fight for my rights when it was necessary and most importantly in an amicable manner. 

And that’s exactly what I did, and not forgetting, with the knowledge from my lecturer at university, Dr. George Koshy that stirred the interest and thirst within myself. I managed to build up courage and confidence to file a labor lawsuit against my employers. I finally won the case and was compensated. Hence, that prompted me further to take up a study in the field of Human Resources to have an in-depth knowledge and understanding, as well as to be able to provide valuable advice to victimized employees. 

Remember, never be afraid to voice out your concerns and always be sure to ask the necessary relevant questions during an interview; after all, that is what an interview is all about so that you do not feel cheated at the end of the day while you’re in service; and come to realize that things weren’t the same as what was negotiated during the interview. Be cautious as there will always be a hidden clause in the contract of service that you probably would have not gave much focus on! Take a cue!!!!

By: KP Priya

Love Envisage

A true relationship,
never hides secrets,
from a person who
can read from your eyes,
because the one who
reads your eyes is always
expert in reading your heart.

Attraction is the temporary love.
But love is the permanent attraction.
Just a game of words.
But makes a lot of difference in life.

How I wish I could turn back time,
to the days when everything was fine.
When our thoughts were raw and fresh,
and life played a different role in mind.

Even if you cannot shape your life
as you want it, at least try this
as much as you can, do not debase it
in excessive contact with the world
in the excessive movements and talk.

As I sit alone in my room tonight.
It sure is a change from past.
Changes have come and loneliness fades.
When I learn to accept the choices we made.
They would teach you something new everyday.
And help you find success in everyway.

By: KP Priya

When You Can't Feel God's Presence

In life, we face many things as each day passes by. Struggles, battles, victories, successes, guilt, frustrations, joy and many more, hence, we only need to be thankful to God that all of these surpasses our conditions at times without even us knowing it; for a fact that God had intervened and taken care of our trials and tribulations. 

Sometimes, have you ever wondered what does God’s presence feel like? Well, it has always been a wonder on my mind. Some of you may have felt it a couple of times without knowing the sweet presence of God and some may have not felt it but knew God’s presence was revealed through certain actions and situations. But all you can know is everything happens for a reason.

For example, losing your job, meeting a new friend, falling ill are never mistakes that takes place in one’s life instances but it is a command from God to channel our direction better! Have you ever detected God’s presence so prominent when you’re in His house? Well, I certainly do, I always feel a sense of joy, peace and tranquility especially when I attend the 7:00 am mass at my parish on Sundays. The presence of God can be so inviting that you could just feel God’s coming. 

Also, from my personal experience, I have realized that to feel the presence of God and be able to invite God’s coming into our life is very simple. All you need to do is put in practice some of the simple ways in which I have been practicing all my life. Firstly, you need to come clean with Him by confessing all of your sins and asking for God’s mercy upon us. Next, put into the habit of reading scriptures aloud; picking your favorite scripture for the day and meditating upon it. Someone who loves singing and humming tunes as well as being able to play a musical instrument just like me, can sing Him a Love Song right from the depth of your heart to delight the Lord. Also, saying His name several times in a day is a powerful prayer point that can be nourishing to your soul because God almighty is powerful. Besides, what I normally do when I’m all by myself is I take a walk, with a deep breath and choose to say a breath prayer like, “Jesus, I need you” or “The Lord is my shepherd” or “I love you, Jesus”, which are some of my favorites, and it helps rebuild my strength in faith and push forth my courage to move on.

So, whatever you may be going through or experiencing at this very point of time in life, just take a second or two to know that God is with you and in you. Even if you may not feel His presence deeply and strongly, He is watching over you all the time and just as the saying goes, “doubt your doubts, and believe your beliefs”, just keep trusting in the Lord, worshiping, praising and increasing your faith because someday He will splash out surprises that you could never had imagined in your lifetime! Amen ....

Scripted by: KP Priya

Coming Together as a BEC

"BEC's are giving me permission to say 'hello' to people. It helped me realize that the church is about reaching out to people. It has given me a freedom to approach others and get to know them which is something Catholics do not do very easily. It has made me more confident to say 'hello' and as you hear more people's stories and find out more about them, you can ask about how things are going in their lives."

Coming together as a BEC is very important especially to enrich a common commitment to outreach missionary works and services. Being part of a BEC is essential not only to build community at a more basic level but also to further foster collaboration amongst members towards a great communal dimension in the Catholic faith as one family. BECs are centres for complete Christian formation. The monthly BEC Reflection Paper encourages life issues to be brought forth and discussed in the light of the Gospel. Belonging to a community calls us to share and place our talents at the service of others as how Jesus formed a community that would be a sign of his love for the universe. Whatever differences should be kept aside; instead we should unite to come together and be a living sign of God's presence in today's world. And this virtue can only be practised in our BECs promoting towards a NEW WAY of Belonging to God and a NEW WAY of Being Church.

Every street tells a story

Unlike many famous cities in Malaysia, there is a plethora of attractions within a two –or-three hours drive of Melaka, making it mystical – and majestic – yet simple to venture beyond the multi faceted bustling streets.

Melaka is a surprisingly small state after Perlis and Penang. Despite being a small state, Melaka has grown rapidly in the past few years with tourism as the main economic sectors. 

It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only destination that has many thronging by over the weekend for good sumptuous authenticated food, variant entertainment and a getaway for relaxation. The city is has developed into a commercial and economic centre, yet it has retained its pleasant charm. 

In Melaka as in elsewhere, the street names tell their own stories. The streets in Melaka are some of the oldest in Malaysia. Heeren Street and Jonker Street which derived their names from the Dutch, from most of these streets the names can only be traced back to the British era. Then there is First Cross Street, Second Cross Street, Blacksmith Street, Goldsmith Street and Harmony Street. Each street is unique to its offerings to visitors. 

Here you experience ambience and peace that seem light years away from the intensity of the capital city, with accommodation options ranging from exclusive five-star resorts to low-cost basic beachside huts and cottages. City hiking, shopping and just plain lazing about are de riguer, with food and cultural attractions to match. Ask any local resident or tour guide to suggest a must-visit destination in Melaka, and chances are extremely high that he will answer with a firm tone, speaking out one of these names - Jonker Walk, Jonker Street or Jalan Hang Jebat (First Cross Street). 

The city’s famous Jonker Street is just one of many “must-see” highlights. The centre street of Chinatown – was once renowned for its antique shops. However, over the years it has turned to clothing and crafts outlets as well as cafes. The best part of Jonker Street is the night market on Fridays and Saturdays that sells everything from tasty treats to cheap keepsakes to keep visitors entranced for several days.  

In any case, they have some very interesting wares to offer – intricately carved various decorative items very rare and unusual. They are perfect little gifts to bring back for your family and friends. The warm and welcoming nature of the folk makes it a safe place to wander around town on your own, and shopping is a joy. Most shops here are family run. Shopkeepers don’t get mad, if after enquiring and haggling over prices, you still don’t buy anything. They will just throw you a smile hoping you would come back again someday. Don’t try that in KL’s Chinatown (known as Petaling Street).

Just adjacent to Jonker Street is the notable 8 Heeren Street, one of the few remaining examples of what a typical early shophouse or residential abode of Melaka between the mid 17th to the late 19th century. As no other town in Malaysia is as old to showcase anything similar, 8 Heeren Street represents something that is unique to Malacca which is open to the public. We can see that it served not only as a shop, but also home, stable and animal yard, all at the same time. Also, known as the “Melaka’s Millionaires’ Row”, many local straits born especially the Baba and Nyonya, dwell among these streets. 

Parellel to the famous Jonker Street, there is a street which has three coexisting places of worship: Kampung Kling Mosque, Cheng Hoon Teng Chinese Temple, and Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Hindu Temple. It is Jalan Tokong (tokong means temple in Malay) and also known as the “Street of Harmony” by the locals, showing the harmony amongst the people in Malaysia.

Stroll through the streets of Melaka, and visitors cannot help but notice the delightful palate of exquisite flavours on a variety of culinary combinations and delicacies from all over the places especially made from the heart and into your satisfying break basket. The renowned Jonker Street has it all to offer. The famous Hainanese chicken rice/chicken rice balls just right at the mouth of Jonker Street and beside Hard Rock Cafe, the sweet and savoury traditional rice dumpling – the “Nyonya Chang”, steamed sweet retreat of “Putu Piring” and freshly baked Pineapple Tarts, also the oozing and overpowering “Onde-onde” that just melts in your mouth as well as the pungent, rich and well flavoured Baba Low’s Nyonya Laksa at Heeren Street. Also other good stuff that you might miss out if you’re late are the popular Noodle Soup stall in Jalan Tengkera (opposite BAM and Wesley Church) that has been in existence for decades, the tasty stir fried “oh chien” – fresh oysters in Sin Yin Hoe Coffee Shop, at First Cross Street, the boastful Naan and flavourful Tandoori at Pak Putra and lastly the not to be missed “sate celup” at the Capital Satay catered to tourist and more locals.

  

At the roadsides, people can be seen busy spotting for its cultural attractions and unique building architectures, partaking in activities like dancing classes, Chinese classical instrumental shows, karaoke sessions and a multi-variety of live performances. This narrow antique street has certainly turned into a live touristy cultural street illuminated with brightly colourful lights to attract tourists with its lively night markets on weekends. 

Also, only at Melaka can we get to experience a leisurely ride on a colourful, flashing musical trishaw or “Beca Melaka” that continues to preserve the tradition of providing trishaw services to tourists as well as help promote the state's tourism industry. Anyone towards Jonker Street is unlikely to miss the The OrangUtan House. It was established in 1992 as the studio-gallery of Charles Cham in Melaka, Malaysia. Today, it is one of the most recognisable buildings in Malacca and a must-see for all who visit this World Heritage City.

So by all means make a beeline for Melaka and experience the wonderful shopping, entertainment, history and culture it offers.