Listening Room @ Dmn Cell Blog

Smthg on Love*

2009-04-11T02:57:00.000-07:00

Hiiii girlies. Was reading "The Shack" by William P. Young today, and found this interesting passage to share.

Mack looked back at the lake before responding. "I would have preferred that you did take control at times. It would have saved me and people I care about a lot of pain".

"To force my will on you", Jesus replied, "is exactly what love does not do. Genuine relationships are marked by submission even when you choices are not helpful or healthy."

"...Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect. In fact, we are submitted to you in the same way".

Mack was surprised. "How can that be? Why would the God of the universe want to be submitted to me?"

"Because we want you to join us in our circle of relationship. I don't want slaves to my will; I want brothers and sisters who will share life with me."

"And that's how you want us to love each other, I suppose? I mean between husbands and wives, parents and children. I guess in any relationship?"

"Exactly! When I am you life, submission is the most natural expression of my character and nature, and it will be the most natural expression of your new nature within relationships."

"And all I wanted was a God who will fix everything so no one gets hurt". Mack shook his head at the realisation.

xoxoxoxo

Qing:)

Father I Thank You

2008-12-18T06:53:00.000-08:00

Father I thank You
For all that You've done
You gave Your Son freely for me
And I praise You for calling me
Drawing me near, out of blindness
You caused me to see

Spirit of life
You are God's holy fire
You've kindled my heart with Your blaze
And I know You're refining me
Changing my life and by faith
You're revealing Your ways
Jesus I need You
As Lord of my life
I give all I have unto You
Lord I want to come under
Your heavenly hand and to praise You
In all that I do

10 benefits that will follow us into year 2009, End of Year Sabbath.

2008-12-18T06:34:00.000-08:00

1) Enriches our relationships (Esau and Jacob) – Healing of relationships
- Gen 33
- Proverbs 18:16
- A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.
- Esther 2:15
- And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.
- Luke 2:52
- And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

2) Opens doors of opportunities (Joseph- favor from father)
- Gen 39:2
- Why didn’t Joseph sin (Fear of God)
- Proverbs 16:6
- Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.
- You cannot keep a favored man down. God will keep him up.
- Neh 1:11
- O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." I was cupbearer to the king.
- Do we have to humble and have a submissive attitude at our market place?

3) Brings growth and increase
- Acts 2:47
- praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
- Ps 90:17
- May the favor [a] of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.

4) Brings protection
- Ps 5:12
- For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
- Thank Him for anything bad that can happen.

5) Brings blessings
- Deut 33:23
- About Naphtali he said: "Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the LORD and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake."
- Joshua 15:19
- She replied, "Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
- Ruth 2:2 (Ruth found favor, God is generous – wheats dropped on the floor)
- And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor." Naomi said to her, "Go ahead, my daughter."

6) Brings deliverance from crisis
- Number 11:15
- If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin."
- Luke 1:25
- The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."

7) Brings promotion
- Esther 2:17
- Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
- Take courage and be bold.

8) Brings answered prayer
- 2 Kings 13:4
- Then Jehoahaz sought the LORD's favor, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel.
- Ps 69:13
- But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.
- 2 Cor 6:2
- For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you."I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
- A season of prayer can become a season of favor.
- Healing of sick and casting of demons- can only be done through prayer.
- Gen 29:9

9) Establishes our work
- Am I a blessing at my work place?
- Ps 90:17
- May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us — yes, establish the work of our hands.

10) Brings life and blessings
- Ps 16:15
- Prov 19:12
- A king's rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

2008-09-23T06:09:00.000-07:00

A Nurse's Prayer

When I falter, give me courage.
When I tire, renew my strength.
When I weaken because I'm human,
Inspire me on to greater length.

If doctors and patients become demanding,
And days are too short for all my duty,
Help me remember I chose to serve,
To do so with grace, and spiritual beauty.

In humility, Lord, I labour long hours,
And though I sometimes may fret;
My mission is mercy.
Abide with me, that I may never forget.

[http://www.mollieb.us/prayers.html]

Especially dedicated to you, Florence.
Have a blessed and fulfilling attachment!
May God be with you. :)

Birthdays!!!

2008-09-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

He has a purpose for my life

2008-06-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

Chapter 12 - Because He has a Purpose for my life - Stormie Omartian

1) How do i know God's purpose for me?
When we spend time in God's presence in praise and worship, He gives us revelation for our life. It is at this very point of revelation, as God reveals Himself to us, that we begin to sense our purpose and our calling. Each time we are in His presence, we will sense it more and more. Our future is determined one day at a time as we seek first the kingdom of God. By all means pray about our future and ask God to lead us into it, but most importantly praise Him for it in advance.

The main thing to remember us that our purpose and future depend entirely on the Lord. He and is and has everything we need in order to do that, We cna work to establish our life, but it must be built on a foundation of worshiping God.

2) What if i dont have what it takes?
God always calls us to something greater than ourselves - something bigger than we can accomplish on our own. That's because He wants us to rely on Him. As long as we think we can easily pursue our calling on our own, we're not ready. It's when we are convinced that we cant do it on our own that God says, "I can use you now. You're ready to move into what I have for you." Our gifts will make a place for us if we are humble and submitted. If we arent, God will wait until we are. Or else He will get us humble real quick.

If we think we can handle all that God has for us to do on our own, then we are thinking too small.

Each time when we feel we're unable to do what God has called; First, be grateful that we feel the way we do cos tt means we are humble and dependent on God. Second, rejoice if we feel inadequate to the taks because that means we're going to have to depend on God to enable us or do through us. And He will beause "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

We dont have to make our life happen, we just have to worship and let Him make it happen.

We dont have to strive to figure out our purpose, we just have to strive to know God.

3) How to move into a life of purpose?

- Seek God to find out what He has called us to do.
- Put away the sins that easily tangle.
- Keep it simple; we dont have to please everyone or worry about what we havent done. Do what we can and let the rest go. (Dont let our minds "be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" 2 cor 11:3)
- Bring worship into our work and thank Him for the opportunity to work for Him. Every kind of work has its downside - the difficult, unpleasant and uncomfortable. No work is wonderful every moment of the time. But it is God;s gift to us that we can enjoy our work.

"Every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor - it is the gift of God." (Eccle 3:13)

Lord, i thank you for Your faithfulness and love. I thank You for who You are and Your authority on heaven and earth. Lord, help us to delight in our work and to know that labor is worship unto You. Lead us to Your Purposes and guide us in Your truth. Establish the work of our hands, so that we will humbly know that everything comes from You. Let us seek Your kingdom above all else so that the knowledge of Christ Jesus will be spread in our marketplace. Amen.

Here and now
Here in this moment
Here and now
I turn to You
All that my searching heart has longed for can be found
Cos you're in this moment
Here and now

What majesty, what mystery
The God of all eternity
Stepped into time
And gave his life for me
Your hand is seen in galaxies
Yet your spirit dwells in me
So vast and yet you're still within our reach

There is no where you can't be found
Nothing on earth could ever keep your presence out
Here and now
Here in this moment
Here and now
I turn to you
All that my searching heart has longed for can be found
Cos you're in this moment
Here and now

Facing Fear. Anixety. Discouragement.

2008-06-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

From “The Prayer that Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God” by Stormie Omartian

Chapter 17: When I have anxiety, fear and discouragement

At the first sign of discouragement

When you start to enter the Promised Land of your life, the place God is leading you into, there will be things to be afraid of and things that will be discouraging. But dont be worried or anxious by what you see. Just know that the greater the future you have, the greater the attack on you will be. Right when you are entering into your destiny you will be faced with the biggest challenge you have ever faced. You can count on it.

Discouragement happens a little at a time. The courage you have to face your problems and challenges is chipped away bit by bit. The enemy wants to convince you that you cant make it, so you might as well give up. And the closer you come to your destiny or time of victory, the harder the enemy will try to discourage you. He will attempt to strip you of your confidence. And when you dont see the success or fruit you want in your life in the time you thought it would happen, you may become discouraged.

Sometimes we are so discouraged about the future that we dont even have the faith to ask God about it anymore. So we withdraw from Him. We dont pray. We dont go to His Word. We think we must have done something wrong and God is mad at us or disappointed in us. But until we deal with our discouragement first, we wont have the strength to face what opposes is or to walk into all that God has for us.

In your career, marriage, ministry, or relationships you may be right on the brink of breakthrough when something comes to shatter your hope. You may be steps away from walking over the threshold of your future, and you are struck down. That is the very time you need to praise God. Make yourself do it. Tell your mind, emotions, and will to stop worrying about everything and out your hope in the Lord (Psalm 130:7). Say, “Im going to praise God whether I feel like it or not, and no matter what is happening. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and dont forget all He has done for you” (Psalm 103:2).

Worship is entering into God's presence expecting His love, peace, and joy to overtake you no matter how you feel at that moment. It's proclaiming that He is bigger than anything you face.

I felt a great sense of relief after reading this chapter of the book. This book is my baptism gift from Juan, and I only started to read it now! How I wish I'd read it earlier.

Anyway, I am encouraged by the fact that God is able to make a way out of my anxiety, fear and discouragement. Sounds funny isnt it? I thought this is something I know, or rather should have known early. During difficulties times, it is indeed hard to discern what is true and what isn’t. "You're not good enough", "You can't make it", "Are you sure youre on the right track?" were thoughts that come to me consistently, everyday, and throughout my attachment.

Well, things werent so bad initially. In fact, I love my work and was looking forward to it. I was filled with so much confidence, faith, hope and joy when I first started. But I felt totally out of control of my own thoughts and emotions after one of my assessments. I did not do badly or fail. But I felt that I could have done much better. I did not meet my own expectations and I felt very discouraged. Since then, fear has resided in my heart and mind and I began to feel anxious about every little thing. I started to dread work, and procrastinate whatever I needed to do (very unlike of me to do so). I avoided tasks that I felt are 'difficult' as I am afraid I cant manage it well enough. Many time, I even doubted God’s plan for me. I started to regret being a special needs officer with a 2 years bond to fulfill, and thought to myself, "Maybe I should just settle for a simple job. Like simple administrative work or even stay at home and play with my nieces & nephew. No expectations to meet, no stress." The very natural reflex of being fearful is to escape; and I did.

Sometimes, I did pray. But many times, I did not. I was too tired (emotionally) to do so. I know very clearly that prayer is a powerful and workable tool. But I chose not to as I could not find the strength, or rather mood, to do so. Though prayer really made me felt more hopeful, I did not spend much time on it but to entertain those negative thoughts. I dread this kind of feeling each time I report to work. I dont like it at all. I decided that I want my confidence and joy back.

Prayer, praise and Word of God are the solutions. Sounds simple? Yes, it is! if we make it our daily routine. I like the way Stormie writes about praise, "I'm going to praise God whether I feel like it or not, and no matter what is happening. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and dont forget all He has done for you" (Psalm 103:2). She added, “Praising God is the way to combat all anxiety, and its best to do it the moment you sense anxiety over anything. And then continue to praise God until all anxiety leaves.”

When you praise God in the face of your anxiety, fear and discouragement, you open up the channels through which Gods peace, love, and encouragement flow to you. That is the hidden power of praise.

God bless you, my sisters. (:

Photos!

2008-05-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Jas & Carine!
Happy Mothers' Day, Juan!

We choose.

2008-04-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

(The following is taken from Denise's blog)

The story goes about this Red Indian who bumped into a friend in the heart of New York city.

In the thick of the lunch time crowd, the two friends were chatting. Suddenly the Red Indian paused. He stopped the conversation, squatted, and lifted up the cover of a drain. The Red Indian reached in and pulled out a cricket.

New Yorker friend: Wow. You mean you heard that cricket in all this noise?

Red Indian: Watch this.

The Red Indian reached into his pocket and took out two dollars worth of loose change. He held the change in his palm. And there, in the thick of the bustling crowd in the heart of New York city, the Red Indian emptied his palm on to the floor.

As the shillings fell and rolled on the cement walkway, different faces in the crowd stopped and looked to the ground investigating the cause of that familiar sound.

The Red Indian turned to his New Yorker friend & said, "people hear what they want to hear".

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

You know, too often we are caught in the intensity and speed of work and life rolls us by. Can we take the time to hear that still small voice of reason, compassion and conscience?

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 4:7

His Name

2008-04-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

This song never fails to boost me up! My sisters, i pray that in difficult and dark times, be it you're feeling alone or weak, this song will too speak to you. Remember that He is a God of Promises. He delivers His promises. :)

To Juan, Shir & MJ - press on! God promises that you can do all things through Him who strengthens you! He will deliver that promise.

As morning dawns and evening fades,
You inspire songs of praise.
That rise from earth to touch your heart.
And glorify Your Name.

Your name, is a strong and mighty tower.
Your name, is a shelter like no other.
Your name, let the nations sing it louder.
Cos nothing has the power to save
But Your name.

Jesus in Your name we pray
Come and fill our hearts today
Lord give us strength to live for You
And glorify Your name.

Your name, is a strong and mighty tower.
Your name, is a shelter like no other.
Your name, let the nations sing it louder.
Cos nothing has the power to save
But Your name.

His Names
I am. Jesus. Emmanuel. Saviour. Righteous One. Lamb of God. Cornerstone. The Way. The Gate. The Life. Good Shepherd. Bread of Life. Holy & True. Alpha & Omega. King of Israel. Deliverer. Wonderful Counselor. Jehovah Jireh. Jehovah Shalom. Jehovah Rapha......

Do not forget the Lord.

2008-03-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

Psalm 103

A David Psalm

1-2 O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don't forget a single blessing!

3-5 He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.

6-18 God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he's rich in love.
He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
Men and women don't live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God's love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.

19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;
he rules over us all. He's the King!
So bless God, you angels,
ready and able to fly at his bidding,
quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
everything and everyone made by God.

And you, O my soul, bless God!

Good Friday is in a week's time. But i do not want to remember the Lord only on every Sunday, Good Friday, or Christmas. I want to remember Him every day, every moment of my life. But how hard it is. The reality is, I don't. Last night when i was about to start doing my assignments, Holy Spirit prompted me with a word, forget. I searched through the bible and found the above psalm. I was very encouraged by the fact that God feels for us, and knows us inside out.

My sisters, i hope in this fast pace of life, God will set aside a time for you to gaze upon His beauty. Let it be now, and not during the sanctification week where you will Behold Him.

Dont wanna stand here and shout Your praise, and walk away forget Your name.

NOTICE: santification week

2008-03-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

2008-03-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

Raising your level of expectancy

Matthew 9:27-29

Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute

27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"

"Yes, Lord," they replied.

29Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";

• One of the key elements to enlarging you level of expectancy is raising you level of expectancy
• Remember what you EXPECT are what you GET: if you dwell on positive thoughts, your life will also move in that direction. If you think negatively, then, you will have negative life.

How then can we raise our level of expectancy? (Expect)
1. Rejoice in small gifts from God.

• If I give gifts to my children, I hope they get excited about my gift, and then next time I give more. So if you want God to give you gifts, get excited about small blessings first.

2. Have faith!
• What is faith? Heb 11:1-13

• How many of you agree with me that it was those times that you exercise your faith that your relationship with God increased? E.g Jasmine.

• Get out of the negative environment. Quit sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. Quit worrying about how nothing is ever going to get better in your life.

• Go find a place where people can build you and challenge you to be the best you can be. Find a place where people inspire you to reach for new heights. The bible says, “If you walk with wise men, then you’re going to become wise.”

• FCBC is definitely a place that always gets you out of comfort zone. A place where your leaders challenge you, many left, always they don’t see the point. Today either you can see in a way that your leader wana tekan you or church policy so rigid or you see that God is discipling you.

• I don’t challenge you to come for church and cell meetings because I need to make up numbers. I need to report to dellia, but it doesn’t matter to me. What matters is your growth in God.

• FAITH ≠ Bo chup. E.g Work wise, meet dateline, don’t do, cos got faith mah, still go church. Faith is you still come for church, you experience the peace of God, you pray God can help you. Do you believe that you can meet the dateline when you still come for church.

• MARK 9:23 NKJ
23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

• Anything is possible -- if you have faith. Faith comes from receiving the Word of God. God's Word is faith food; if you eat it, it will produce faith in your life.

• When you don’t see the things happening, you may ask, and very quickly, our human nature will be God doesn’t care about me, and you start to entertain negative thoughts. Maybe you should change your attitude and say, “God although I don’t see the matter improving or miracle I should see, I know your timing is perfect.

• Lastly I wan to say, “What you believe is what you get!”
 Han, Qinpei going for practicum, what do you see?
 Shuqing work wise, is it possible to find a balance now or still in 3 months time?
 Liwen, the current course she is in.
 Jasmine, Goin University
 MJ: Work cannot be finished, but would you pray to God for extra time to help you?
 Shir: Maybe you will always remember your past hurts, cannot get out of it?

“Ever voyage is marked with a beginning and a desti

2008-03-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

“Ever voyage is marked with a beginning and a destination. “

Do you have a destination/ end in mind this year?
Where is your destination?
Are you working towards your destination/ end in mind?

How to work towards your destination?
1. Enlarge your vision
• If you don’t think you can have something good, then you never will. The barrier is in your mind. It’s not God’s lack of resources or your lack of talent that prevents you from prospering. Your wrong thinking can keep you from God’s best.

• Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

• See your dreams come to pass. You must conceive it and believe it is possible if you ever hope to experience it.

• You may ask: What kind of dreams is of God’s: Like do well in studies? If your method to do well is to destroy others like Pslam 52:7, I’m not sure if God will bless you or even the blessing came form God. See Galatians 6:7.

• You can also do well in studies by sharing. Although I am not fantastic in my studies, but still quite ok to get an honours, but I’ve learnt to share my notes, my knowledge. Learn to be a people- person.

• Dreams: Promotion, pay rise! Learn to believe! If you need the finance to pay off certain debts in your life/ studies/ families, God will bless you!

• Stop thinking negative.

2. Believe in God
• Matthew 9:17: Pg 6: Story of old wineskin: You cannot have a larger life with restricted attitude.
• Proverbs 3:5: Trust the Lord with all your hearts and lean not on your own understanding
• Get rid of those old wineskins. Get rid of that small- minded thinking and start thinking as God thinks. Think Big, Think increase. Think abundance. Think more than enough.
• Even if you come from a successful family / life, God still wants to enlarge your vision, still you need to get rid of old wineskins (maybe I am so successful already, God is more interested in others! You are wrong! God is interested in every one of us!)
• End of with the golfer’s story.

My story: I think right now my life is very successful. At my age, I am married, my husband has a stable career, a car. Both of our parents are also good, we spend time together. And my studies, I am still quite ok, studies is not my god as before. And I was telling God, maybe there’s no need for me to have a big vision. Cos others need more attention and help from Him. And so every week I struggle to share word, cos God didn’t performed great works in my life form me to share His testimonies. And when I held this book, God hit me and say that he wants to give me a bigger dream. But I am a person who always has small dreams, so he put simon in my life. Simon is one with big dreams. He dreams that we will live in condo one day, then get a landed property, get the father a BMW. I didn’t believe but he always believed. Of course we are not dying to have all these, but God placed this dream in his heart, and of course we are not working so hard to get $$ so that we can achieve all these. We believe that as we put God first, all these things shall be given to you. If you remember Isaiah 58:13-14- God wants you to ride on great heights!

God is a God of promise, he will bring you to pass these promises. When Simon and I was dating, we used to say one day we will try high class food, gourmet cuisine. Then last Tuesday, we went into this restaurant not knowing the price of the food, cos we wanted to spent our Vday there but was fully booked. So we went in, so high class and I feel under-dressed. But had nice ambience, nice food, nice attention from waitress. And Simon brought this up, remember we used to say we will come to a posh restaurant?? I say ya.. he say God is good, we are enjoying it now! Then I feel so blessed. And when we went to the yacht side to take a walk, which is when I came across this

“Ever voyage is marked with a beginning and a destination. “

Do you have that destination?

ABC's to live by

2008-03-06T06:28:00.000-08:00

Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
Continue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know.
Imagine life without His love
Joy would cease to be
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts to thee.
Move out of 'Camp Complaining'
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone.
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To 'thank' is a command.
Until we see Himcoming
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude
Xalting God most high
Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Zion waits in glory...where non are ever sad

- Author unknown

Let me boast.

2008-03-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 9: 23-24
23 This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

24 but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.

This was the song that touched my heart 3 years ago when i first stepped into FCBC. Indeed no words can ever express our gratitude to Him. Lord, teach and help us to be men who truly understand and know you. Men whose hearts are after yours. Men who will never grow tired of singing your praise. Men who always.. always put your delight before us. With all that we have to offer to you, take it and use it for Your glory. Amen. :)

Overcoming Two Biggest Struggles of My Life

2008-03-01T06:21:00.000-08:00

During the last phase of my semester, I managed to overcome 2 biggest obstacles in my life..

1) AMATHS
2) S'pore HR challenge - public speaking

A Maths

When I was in sec sch, I flung my Amaths.. I had zero interest in it.. I really did not understand the concepts at all..Either E8 or F9 all the way..I struggled a lot with it.. In the end it was through God's grace that I had gotten a D7 for O's even though I only studied for the paper on the day before. A Maths was the only subject that I failed for O's.

Well, I think God is an interesting God. Somehow when we did not do something good enough, He'll give us a chance to do it again. I took up the challenge to retake A Maths again for this semester. Reason being, I need a pass for uni admission. haha.. Seems like I can't escape from it unless I want to forgo my opportunity to further my studies.

The challenge was really tough. I had to be disciplined to wake up 7 in the morning on every Sat to attend 3 hours of A Maths lesson. Having 6-day week was really exhausting. I thank God that He was with me and gave me strength to complete this additional module. All my common tests for A Maths were manageable.

Finally, on that day of my A Maths. It was the first time I did not feel nervous taking a test. The reason is because, I have a even bigger struggle that I had to overcome which was public speaking.

Public Speaking - HR Challenge

God is indeed an amazing God, sometimes I really wonder if He knows I am ready for His challenge. The last semester was hectic enough with AMaths.. My group and I really had mixed feelings when we were told that we had gotten into the grand finals. Yes, it was indeed a great opportunity to present in front of distinguish business leaders and other contestants. But.. it has always been my fear of presenting to a crowd. The result was announced a week before the presentation. During that week, I could hardly sleep. I was so worried that I would embarrass myself on that day and cause the team to fail.

Nevertheless, I went ahead with the presentation with the encouragements from my buddies, DMNs and team mates.. I prayed really hard throughout the week of the competition. Pray that God will give me the courage, confidence, the gift of speech to do the presentation well. On that day of my Amaths exam and competition, Juan reminded me to trust in the Lord with all my heart lean not on my own understandings. Indeed, God showed me this verse the day before on the card that Denise Lee had given me.

What was the outcome of the competition? By God's grace, our team came in 1st in the poly, JC & ITE category and Erika(one of our group member) won the best speak award for the category!! haha! Praise God! It was indeed a miracle! None of us expected to win that competition. "God is indeed faithful even when we are faithless"<-- Quoted from JingHan. Pastor Eugene was right, we must ' taste and see that the Lord is God'. I really thank God that I took up His challenge and proof that when we put our trust in Him, we lack nothing and lack no good things. That had to be the best way to end my chapter in Ngee Ann Poly.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

- Psalm 34 : 8-10

I will sing..

2008-02-21T21:39:00.000-08:00

I wanna share this song here. It spoke so directly to my heart. May this song by Don Moen - I will sing, bless you too.

Lord you seem so far away
A million miles or more it seems today
Lord i havent lost my faith
I must confess right now that it's hard for me to pray

Lord i dont know what to say
And i dont know where to start
But as You give the grace
With all that's in my heart

I will sing
I will praise
even in my darkest time
and the sorrow and the pain

I will sing
I will praise
Lift my hands to honor you
Bcos ur word is true
i will sing

Lord it's hard for me to see
All the thought and plans you have for me
But I will put my trust in You
Knowing that you died to set me free
But i don't knwo what to say
And i don't know where to start
But as you give the grace
With all that's in my heart

I will sing
I will praise
even in my darkest time
and the sorrow and the pain

I will sing
I will praise
Lift my hands to honor you
Bcos ur word is true
i will sing

Psalm 51 - Pure & Steady

2008-02-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Lord, You say that Blessed is the pure in heart for they will see God. Deposit purity in my heart, i pray. Let my heart beats for you purely. Let this heart be one without deceit, pricks and pride. Lord, renew a steadfast spirit within me. Let my love and walk with you be constant and not one that is easily blown or stray away. As much as your love is steadfast, let mine be that too. Let me love and remember constantly throughout the day - when i am doing quiet time or in shcool. Let me rejoice in my salvation and live with a grateful heart. Father, bless your people with this verse, so that all who hear or read will reach out for You. In Jesus' name i pray, Amen!

A pure heart
That's what i long for
A heart that follows hard after thee

A pure heart
That's what i long for
A heart that follows hard after thee

A heart that hides Your word
So that sin will not come in
A heart that's undivided
But one who rules and reigns

A heart that beats compassion
That pleases You my Lord
A sweet aroma of worship
That rises to Your throne...

God is Good! All the time!

2008-02-19T23:37:00.001-08:00

Through the darkest night ...His light will shine

If you're walking through the valley
There are shadows all around
Do no fear He will guide you
He will keep you safe and sound
He has promised to never leave you Nor forsake you
And His Word is true

We were sinners so unworthy
Still for us He chose to die
He filled us with His Holy Spirit
Now we can stand and testify
That His love is everlasting
And His mercies they will never end
Though I may not understand
All the plans You have for me
My life is in Your hands
And through the eyes of faith I can clearly see...GOD is good!

my Mon-Day

2008-02-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

As I'm typing this, there's an assignment waiting for me to complete to be submitted tomorrow given that there's an 8.30 am lesson tomorrow and lesson today today ended 7.30 pm. :) However, I've decided to blog! (Cos I think of all of you! hee!)

Today, I experienced saddness once again... it takes years to build a friendship and to know one true self. But it take seconds to distant from the friendship...I am reminded by the song that was sung yesterday 'Take Me Deeper'. The lyrics of this song reminded me to go back to the Lord and to listen to what He has to say....man will fail you but God never fails. Each time I hear this song, my tears just keep flowing and memories of the past of how God has delivered me from the storms starts to appear.

I am deeply encouraged by the church's 40 days movement. It's really indeed a back to basics as han has describe...I felt that this is so timely that as I rush to complete assignments each week..i struggled to do quiet time every day. My QT during the weekdays would be on the train...reading psalms and saying a prayer and the end of story. I struggled to do a QT for 10 minutes ...even on saturday...and sunday given that I have lesson on saturday till evening and sundary Post encounter at 10 am. Hence, when Pst khong said about stopping all equipping classes for a while, I was surprised but relieved that I'll have more time to do my work and to regain the passion to go for PE.

Here's a song sung during the service, 'He Walks With Me'. (Written in 1912)

I'm glad that these hymms are sung during service as the music of the contemporary songs have sometimes overwhelmed the lyrics. However, these hymms with soothing music brings out the meaning of the lyrics almost instantaneously... :)

Back to the Basics

2008-02-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

I was really touched by today's sermon by Ps Khong. The title is The King and I - A Divine Romance. It was a simple but powerful sermon that touched many of our hearts. All equipping classes will be paused. I agree with what Ps Khong said. Equipping will be useless if the passion for God is fading. It's all back to the basics, i would say. The very basic of a relationship is none other sitting at His feet to listen. :)

My passion for God has been fading. I miss the times when i'd sit at the side of my bed and pray to God. My prayer that time was very simple. "God, just let me dream of you tonight can?" It no longer happens now. But i know that God is going to renew that first love again during this 40-day of prayer and fasting. I am truly excited to return back to the basics of falling in love all over again.

Let us build the house of God with a God-fearing and God-centred heart. "...my house will be called a house of prayer..." Isaiah 56:7

Let's persevere and be blessed in the coming 40-day of prayer and fasting as a family! Let all hearts be renewed and revived for the Lord.

40-Day fast - one meal and tv/computer games
Prayer (one hour per day, 10 mins for each of the following)

Praise and Worship
Pray for ourselves
Pray for our family (including spiritual family)
Pray fpr our market place
Pray for Singapore
Pray for nations of the world

I am reminded of what shirley shared with me on train today. "It's the heart that counts." Perhaps we will struggle in one of these 40 days. But i am confident the sight of God's smile will make us go on. :)

emmanuel

2008-02-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a story

yday went i was walking to meet emmanuel.. i actually felt by footsteps quicken..dellia asked if my heart was beating faster i said yes.. ha ha.. as i walked, i suddenly heard God saying: "will u have the same passion for me as u've for emmanuel?"
as i was at the counter at Long's Jonn while emmanuel was at the end of the restaurant, i will bend to play peek-a-boo with him. i didn't mind if anyone would look.

as i was reading today psalm's on sing to the king, sing praise.. to sing a psalm of praise to God.. I closed the Bible.. and felt nothing...again.. so i sang "it's all about jesus the song".. later I sang in tongues followed by singing the melody of the tongue in English..

one of the lyrics went .. rush and rush to communicate

I've been reading psalms faithfully. it has been my favourite book since Sec/JC. esp in times of sadness. yet in the year of sabbath, i feel that my r/s with God more lukewarm cuz i used to do QT at night.. dun need to rush for time.. can just wait.. but in the morning, it's abt squeezing time to read a psalm. really no feeling most of the time. i find it beautiful. that's all.

the conclusion of the song..ended with You're Emmanuel.. you're always with me

What I felt God speaking to me is this:
I'll lay aside all that I have to just for Emmanuel (my assignments)
not that I want to receive anything from him (i'm not sure if he likes me.. really)
but I just want to make him smile
at the counter playing peek a boo,
I just want to see him smile,
that's all

On the same note, in QT, if i do not receive from the Lord, will I quicken my footsteps just to meet with Him with the passion of making him smile, and that to me, would be enough?

Psalm 46

2008-02-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

Psalm 46

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

I love this psalm! The promise of God in verse 1 is so assuring. I recall moments when i was struggling and was thankful that God always made a way. Sometimes his intervention was quick. Sometimes it took a longer time. Nevertheless, he kept his promise.

As i read this psalm, i remember the song we always sing during cell group...
"My life is in you Lord,
My hope is in you Lord,
My strength is in you Lord,
In you, it's in you... "

Whenever this song was sung, i didnt pay much attention to it except the ryhming tune. But today as i pay attention to the lyrics, I know that God wants me to know that i can find access to everything only in Him.

Champions, what access do u desire? It may be the access to joy, success, peace, protection or God's presence. Remember, God's delay is not His denial. Trust in Him. =)

Prayer Requests!!

2008-02-14T23:15:00.000-08:00

新年快乐，鼠年行大运!!! haha

Firstly, let's keep our ah bu's brother in prayer ok. Hurt his arm during lion dance.. so let's pray for quick healing, and even ask God for quicker salvation in her family! :)

Secondly, let's pray for Jasmine, Jessie & Florence as they are having their semester exams these few weeks.

Jasmine's:
19 feb - international employment
21 feb - customer relationship management
22 feb - strategic HR management

Jessie's:
19 feb - Networking Fundamentals
20 feb - Business Info System

Last but not least let's pray that everyone will have a fruitful, delightful and peaceful year ahead of us!!! Shun Shun Li Li Ah! Let's persevere in prayer. =)

PUSH - Pray Until Something Happens

Psalms 42

2008-02-10T21:32:00.000-08:00

1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night,while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the ultitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him, my Savior and

6 my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon-from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

8 By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me-a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"

10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

This Psalms is the start of the second book. Similarly to the previous Psalms I feel that this chapter speaks about the confidence of man in God in times of trouble. I remembered during tsunami, I heard someone asking another person, ‘Where is your God?’ Everything happened for a purpose and a reason. I believe that the natural disaster was a season for man to reflect on their lives. I feel it’s not about optimism but it’s faith in God who makes all things possible that I believed there is a season to everything.

I googled the inscription before the opening verse and found that the Sons of Korah were a family of singers in Israel who passed along their musical office from generation to generation, and were noted as an outstanding family of musicians. Several of the Psalms come from them. The experience which this psalm reflects was unquestionably David's, but it was put to music by the Korah Family Singers, and dedicated to the Chief Musician, or the Royal Choirmaster.

This Psalms also reminds me of the old days worshiping at the Methodist church. The song, ‘As the Deer’ is a popular song written in 1982 and has been sung fairly often in my previous church. It’s one of my favourite songs as the soothing music brings out the meaning of the lyrics of the writer who yearns so dearly for the Lord.

You Are My All In All

2008-02-10T05:45:00.001-08:00

Hi sisters!

Would like to share a song 'You Are My All in All'. To my sisters, I hope this song will encourage you to continue with your life journey with love, faith, hope, peace and joy. Indeed, in my life, I have witnessed the amazing grace of God and His unfailing love and promises that He will deliver us from any obstacle we face. He is our strength we seek in times of trouble and to be faithful and to seek His precious jewels.

Psalms 41

2008-02-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

1 Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.
2 The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.
3 The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.
4 I said, "O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you."
5 My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die and his name perish?"
6 Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad.
7 All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies."
9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
10 But you O Lord, have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.
13 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

Shirley: Verse 1 brings about 'compassion'. I read from this sheet of paper that Joy gave during last year cell group: Help carrry one another's budens. In this way you will fulfill the law of Christ, (Gal 6:2). When I go to another in need, I fulfil this law of love, which Jesus has laid down. I can help carry others burdens not simply by cheering them up or urging them to smile or be happy. A more powerful means is to encourage them to unite their trials and sorrows to the suffering of Jesus. Compassion means to suffer with.

V9 speaks about even the closest friend can turn against a person. I feel that man will fail us one day but God will never. In this secular world, it’s a challenge to be able to have complete trust in someone. I am reminded of the diagram I learnt at the Post-encounter: a triangle with God at the top and man and woman at the two sides. Both man and woman jointly walk together towards God. It’s always a triangle filled with many horizontal lines and never a single horizontal line on its own.

As I continue to read Psalms a day, I realized that the only way to start a good day and to control my emotions better in that day is to read the bible in the morning. There was once I had forgotten to read Psalms in the morning for two consecutive days. For those two days, my temperament was uncontrolled and I spoke unsoundly words.

psalm 37

2008-02-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

Psalm 37
Of David.
1 [a] Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;

2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

12 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18 The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.

19 In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;

22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.

23 If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;

24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

27 Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.

28 For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

29 the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;

33 but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

36 but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future [b] for the man of peace.

38 But all sinners will be destroyed; the future [c] of the wicked will be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him

Huijuan: This is like an answered prayer from God. Cos this whole week i've been thinking, God as christians, what do we differ from non christians or those who have forgotten You?? Cos i see that the people mentioned in the latter part are also blessed. So what's the difference? The answer is our blessing is eternal in the Lord while theirs is shortlived and temporary. Although we might see them super blessed, but God says wait and see. So i asked what does wait and see meant?? Cos if we are faithful in the Lord, our children and our next generation will also be blessed! (see vs 25). So my friends, u might not see the purpose of all that u going thru, but the Lord says He will never let the righteous fall. Praise be to God!

Giving thanks!!!

2008-02-03T23:04:00.000-08:00

CONGRATS TO OUR DMN JASMINE YONG!!!!

Her team won FIRST prize for the SHRI competition! *clap clap*
Yoooohoooo! All of us know that Jas struggl-ed greatly in public speaking. But... she made it yesterday!!! God has exchanged her fears and feelings of inadequacy into victory!!!Indeed God is faithful and true.

What a g r e a t God we serve! :)

Psalm 33

20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.

21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 28

2008-01-29T05:04:00.000-08:00

Psalm 28

Of David.

1 To you I call, O LORD my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.

4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back upon them what they deserve.

5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.

6 Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.

8 The LORD is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.

I was reading this psalm on my way to school. Verse 7 speaks to me as I was feeling a little worried about my test which was at 9am. Felt a sense of peace as i read it, with full confidence that God will help me in the test.

Guess what? I was completely lost in the test. Those that i studied didnt come out at all. Those i deemed as unimportant & "sure wont come out one" came out. Rock right. In that 90-minutes test, i kept thinking, "Wah God, i thought you said I'll be helped? How come i dont feel it ah? Why like that one? aiyo..."

This morning as i pondered over this verse again, i thought to myself,
"I've yet to receive my grades and now i am already blaming God, thinking that i sure will fail. Where is my song of thanksgiving as stated in verse 7?"

A question pops, "Will i still rejoice and give thanks even if i didnt do well?" wah.. quite impossible. Guess i'd be complaining and sobbing liao. But i sense that God is challenging me to rejoice over yesterday's test and learn to give thanks. He wants me to take delight in the Blesser and not just the Blessing.

My dears, r u facing sth 'gigantic' & fearful that u think u cant handle it? Why dont slow down your pace and allow God to show you what He thinks. Take a moment to thank the Blesser of your life!

psalm 26 & 27

2008-01-28T23:42:00.000-08:00

Psalm 26

8 I love the house where you live, O LORD,
the place where your glory dwells.

Psalm 27

4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

Sometimes i wonder, as a christian am i living a life that is glorifyin God? Am i dwelling in His presence? One thing that i fear most is the absence of the Holy Spirit. i dont know.... but if i didnt hear His voice the entire day, i'll be afraid. No wonder David cried out in psalm 27 that the only thing he desires is to dwell in His house forever...

Grades, career, wealth r impt to me. but compared to the companion of God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, i choose Him. bcos i know that nothing in this world can ever replace the joy and love He assures me with.

What's ur heart beating for today? Let it start beating for God. Becos only He can satisfy our hunger and thirst. Indeed as the lyrics below says, "no one else can satisfy my soul, can make me feel this way, only You Lord."

How could I live without You
How could I survive
Without Your love
Without Your touch
You're the One that heals me
And cleanses my heart
And sets me free

Now i come right before You
With my hands lifted up
With my heart humbly bowed
At Your work on the cross
As You hang there and die
You were paying the price
For my life, For my life

For Your love is higher than the heavens
Deeper than the seas
And all I want is You in my life
No one else can satisfy my soul
Can make me feel this way
Only You Lord, only You

Psalm 26

2008-01-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

Dear sisters,

The following passage is taken from the King James version.

Psalm 26

Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore

I shall not slide.

2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.

4 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.

5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord:

7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth. 9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:

10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.

Personally, this passage is like affirmation of David's faith in God that David is able to follow the word of God instead of the world. The world is getting complex every moment and there are many temptations and worldly ideas and visions that one can easily follow without much though. I was once a follower of the world beliefs. I'm learning to let go and to surrender my all to God that He will take charge and lead me where He wants me to go. I have fears; fear of rejection, fear of loneliness and the fear of uncertainity. But I know that I have a God who makes all things new and He will deliver me from these fears! I'm glad that since the beginning of this year, my fears have been reduced. I'm able to smile and laugh more! To God be the glory!

I'm really glad that in the Year of Sabbath, as a spiritual family, we're relying upon the Lord. Reading Psalms a day has really changed my lifestyle. I used to read the bible before I sleep and most of the time, I would fall asleep almost immediately after reading. It was like a story book. But now, i'm slowing reading and reflecting on the passage and asking for God's wisdom to understand the passage.

This passage also speaks to me through v7 that I will share my testimony to many others and be a light unto the world. I'm unlike David who have led a blameless life. I'm guilty of gossiping, complaining and etc. I pray that God will redeem me and be merciful to me and He will guard my lips that I may have self-control. I feel that this passage ('For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.' ) brings about our relationship with God as we walk, grow and rely upon the Lord as a spiritual family in the Year of Sabbath.

Would like to share a song called 'Everyday' by Hillsongs.

Every obstacle we go through, there's a reason and purpose for it and God will never put us in something that we cant handle. God is our refuge and strength and an ever-present help.

With love,

Shir

Psalm 23

2008-01-25T13:18:00.000-08:00

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

"Walk with me, and you will not be in want." was the impression i received as i read this psalm 2 days ago; particularly verse 1. Being our shepherd, not only does He lead the way, He wants us to walk it with Him.

What God revealed to me about "walk" is - To be in close proximity all the time. Why is it that we will not be in need when we're close to Him? Simply because His love (which is perfect) drives out all fear in us - fear of lacking, fear of insufficiency, fear of imperfect, fear of failures. The things in the world; such as grades, money, career, beauty, possessions, relationships etc, may be of high significance to us. Have they gradually become our "Isaacs" that we soon develop a fear or anxiety when they are diminishing?

Currently for me, money is an issue. I fear of insufficiency; so many things to do and buy yet it never seems enough. But God's promise to us in Psalm 23:1 assures me that as long as I continue walking with Him, I shall not face any fear or insufficiency in my life. AMEN!

Are there any "Isaacs" in your life that you are holding on very tightly and fear to surrender to God? It may be money, grades, relationships or career. Today, let's pour out our fears to Him and trust that He will take care of them. Let's walk with Him!!

Psalm 17

2008-01-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.

7 Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings

15 And I—in righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

How many times has David cried out to God! We can see from the past 16 psalms that David has been calling out to God continually for deliverance & victories in his life. So many years of escaping, tearing and leading an unstable life (his enemies are all waiting to see him fall) wasnt easy for him at all. But one thing i ought to learn from David is his reliance on God.

2 choices were opened to him. Give up OR Trust in God. He chose the latter. That explains why he could always, yes it's always w/o fail, end off his psalms with a positive note. Check this out.

14 O LORD, by your hand save me from such men,
from men of this world whose reward is in this life.
You still the hunger of those you cherish;
their sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children.
15 And I—in righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

As he took the step to trust in God, positivity follows after him. It was still the same life, the same situation with the same ppl running after him. Everything remains the same except one - His attitude towards life. He became more positive, refreshed & calmer.

If you were to look at the next psalm (psalm 18), you would be amazed to see that God has delivered David completely from his enemies. God has shown one thing - Victory will come when we believe. This is not what the world teaches, but what God has clearly shown to all of us through the life of David.

What i learnt from this psalm is to hv total reliance on God. Whenever obstacles arise, i am quick to feel small and dwell in my own sadness and fear. But today, i want to learn from David by trusting all situations, big or small, personal or family, unto His hands and know that He will deliver!

2008-01-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

Yooo everyone!

It's the 3rd week of 2008, hope everyone is doing great! =) Today i'd like to share abt the past one week & how God has delivered me.

Well, last week didnt go very well for me. Many things cropped up at home & e` intensive classes fr 8-5 daily really made me so fed up everyday. My quiet time with God is only 5 minutes everyday on the train ride. Basically i just opened, read and closed. tt's all. If i am to use a word to describe my week, it will be "shit."

But God is good! Sunday, was a great one to end the entire week. Though i was still physically drained, e` presence of family & God just kept me refreshed and happy throughout. i just felt shiok all the way (pardon me for my singlish). It's like a haven, where i know i am safe & protected, and can truly rest well to gear up for the brand new week!

Shit happens all the time. But we're always given a second chance to salvage and be refreshed. For me, e` problems i faced last week are still present now. But what's different is my attitude towards it. Compared to last week, more joy, serenity & hope resides within me now.

My friends, i hope whenever things dont go in the way we prefer, u'll say this in your heart,
"Shit happens all the time, but God u're truly great." =)

Come to the Father
Though your gift is small,
Broken hearts, broken lives, He will take them all.
The power of the Word, the power of His blood,
Everything was done so you would come.

Psalm 9

2008-01-08T23:41:00.000-08:00

Psalm 9
As i read psalm 9 today, vs 18 caught my attention, the needy WILL ALWAYS NOT BE FORGOTTEN. All of us have needs in our life. I also have needs, i pray that my family will come to know God. I pray that i will have financial freedom.
In this psalm, the Lord remembers those in need, The Lord is a refuge to those who call out to Him. Today are you in need? Today will you call out to the Lord and seek a refuge in Him.

This year can be like any other year if we don't seek Him. It can be a year that you think your life is a failure, no one cares about you, everyone are pretenders. These feelings are real and no one is stopping you from feeling all these, but are we able to stop dwelling on the past and START a new year ahead.

Today the Lord wants to let you know you are not forgotten. Jus like the Lilo and Stitch phrase that we always remember: Ohana means family, family means no one gets left behind nor forgotten.

My prayer today is : I cant reach out to all but God can. God i trust in you that the needy will seek you, seek a refge in you.

My Reflection of 2007 - Shir

2008-01-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

Good morning!

My Reflection of 2007: It had been a year of tremendous ups and downs - a Rollercoaster. It was a year that I achieved the most and lost the most.

Victories in life:

My walk with God grew very much closer. I attended Church without fail every week and even during examination, which is something that i've not been doing for the past years (often in the past, i attended church bcos my parents asked me to and during examination i wouldn't be going church as i felt that the time spent on books is more beneficial.)
I began to do quiet time (very irregular for the past years)
I joined a cell and gained several friendship that I treasure alot! Have always wanted to join a cell for years but had never make the first move)
I attended encounter weekend and confessed my sins to my cell leader, someone who had helped me endlessly during the lowest point of my life. Someone whom I feel was sent by God to help me overcome the trial and to guide me in everything!
Renewal of friendship - I was able to travel with my friends! Something that I have longed for, for years!
Renewal of ties with my family - My family grew closer to God with less quarrels.
One of my good friend, Mei Qiao accepted Christ!
Attended an international conference and co-written a country report.
Undergone an internship at a ministry and gained numerous opportunities to learn and contribute to the tasks.
Able to slower my pace of speech (used to be able to speak the Big Mac senteneces in less than 10 secs)
Able to learn to control my emotions and to rely more on God instead of my own strength.

I'm so glad that instead of choosing to walk away from God when it happened, i decided to turn to Him for refuge and strength. This incident was a discipline by the Lord. Similarly with David (Psalm 6 from Pastor Deborah guide), the question to ponder would be, 'What can I learn from this trial?' The learning points that are far more than knowledge gained from school. I thank God that it happened, without which I would have gained so many victories in 2007 (9 out of 11 victories happened after the incident)! To God be the Glory!

I looked very forward to 2008 and it is so timely that FCBC adapted 2008 as a year of sabbath! Personally, I have planned to make 2008 a sabbath and I'm so glad that I'm guided by the Church closely this year as I began to read Psalms a day.

I believed that this year we will gain many amazing victories in life as we continue to serve the Lord. Thank you DMN Cell for all that you've done! Let us walk through the Year of Sabbath together! :)

Sincerely,

Shirley

The F I R S T post in 2 0 0 8 !

2008-01-03T21:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the year of SABBATH!!!

This website seemed dead, but from today onwards, it will be revived! Praise be to God!

I was reflecting upon year 2007, the year of victory. And i ask myself did i have victories??

1. My mother in law accepted Christ! Amen

2. My elder sis also accepted Christ, her bf propsed to her in a church too! She's getting married in a church! hehe. Btw in 2006 may, i did whisper to God a prayer! i prayed i hope my dad will walk down a church aisle again. Indeed God is a covenantal God, He fulfills his promises in His time.

Then i reflected about my family, my 2 sets of parents and my relationship with Simon. It wasnt a year of good times. I didn't have enough time honouring my parents especially my mother in law. I was busy serving God, doin his ministry and i miss the whole point of taking care of her.

Sometimes i wonder am i a good daughter in law? i wished i could do it all over again if there's a second chance. But no point dwelling on the past, so here is year 2008, which i want to restore and rebuild my family. Later i will attach my dream for 2008 here!

I think i must start having the right priorities and God will bless.
The right priority is in the bible, it states a good leader must also manage his/ her own family. 2007 i am not a good leader. Cos i only put ministry first. So my relationship with God didn't do good, and soon my ministry fall apart too. Indeed God has allowed me to see and experience it. so 2008 will be different! I need to allow God to help me restore and rebuild my family. And His blessing will pour!Amen!

I hope this year of sabbath, we will not miss the point of going through it. I hope everyone can come down this sunday to hear what i got to say. Sometimes we go through life missing points!

We wonder why certain things happen to us, we never ask God what does He want us to learn when we go through certain trials. We blame others, we even blame God or we can blame our leaders for not taking care of us. (And i am guilty of that, not taking care of you well enough. Cos i also didnt take care of my mother in law who has cancer, I miss the lesson God is teaching me, so i didnt receive as much blessings as promised!).We miss it, we miss the homework He has in store for us. But this year can be different, will you reflect and remember his homework for you?

We will meet this sunday after service!

2007-12-29T18:11:00.000-08:00

DMN CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION!!! 21 DEC 2007

the crazy us.
it was a fun-filled & joyous gathering @juan's hse!
everyone had fun crapping, playing, eating, watching tv
and opening pressies!!
hope there will be moreeee coming!!!

2007-11-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all, hee... zhao qin pei here. a little bit tired from sch.. ha.. phy. tiredness. i guess jinghan, shirley, huijuan all feel the same.. ha ha i feel like i'm msn chat. just that i'm talking to myself. jasmine how's sch? just feel a prompting to put this song up

He who began a good work in you
He who began a good work in you
Will be faithful to complete it
He'll be faithful to complete it
He who started the work
Will be faithful to complete it in you

If the struggle you're facing
Is slowly replacing your hoper with despair
Or the process is long
And you're losing your song in the night

You can be sure that the Lord
Has His hand on you safe and secure
He will never abandon you
You are His treasure
And he finds His pleasure in you

listening to Disney songs now.. feeling a bit like a zombie after submitting the late assignment.good night! carr!

2007-10-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

The following was written in 1999 during cell group worship.fr carr! nic given by shuqing stella aka dawn aka queen!

Why do you not seek me?

Am I so small?

Why do you trust me?

Lean on me. Give me your troubles, your sorrows, your pains & I'll take them all.

I've not come for the righteous but for the sick

You said you've not felt me but have you sought me?

You said you needed me but did you find me?

Come unto me & I'll give you rest

Seek no more for I'm here

I listen to your pleas/cries, I am broken-hearted.

When you cried, you've not believed.

How is it that I'm going to work in your life?

I've called you to trust in me, hope in me.

If you don't give your life to me, how is it that I'm going to change you?

Do not hold back.

Therefore, Be Holy as I'm Holy.

2007-10-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

hello all owls who r not asleep at this point. ha.. i'm in the midst of trying to pyscho myself to continue my assignment. hello again.. i'm carine! just thot if sharing this poem i wrote in 2006... I like it and hope U like it too.

I hope to make the world a better place

By giving someone a pat on her shoulder

By sharing sunshine thru' my dimpled smile,

by a warm handshake

By a cookie and a milo

By a simple heartfelt prayer.

I guess I just want to be like you DAD.

You gave ur all so that the one can smile

happy tears. finally knowing someone cares

& someone loves enuff to share

His precious son.

What can I give that you have not given?

Mosquito Paradise

2007-09-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

READ: 2 Chronicles 34:14-21

The builders of the Panama Canal overcame many enormous challenges: the moving of tons of earth, the redirecting of a river, and the cutting down of miles of jungle. But the tiny mosquito threatened to shut down the whole project. The Isthmus of Panama was an ideal breeding ground for this pest. As mosquitos infected canal workers with yellow fever and malaria, the death toll began to soar.
Fortunately, a physician who had studied these diseases arranged for an army of workers to spray the area with a chemical to kill mosquitos. The number of illnesses dropped dramatically.
In the Old Testament, we read of Judah’s epidemic of idolatry and its accompanying moral sickness. When the Word of God was rediscovered, King Josiah exclaimed, “Great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the Word of the Lord” (2 Chron. 34:21). Josiah understood the Scripture’s preventive cure for moral sickness. He began to apply its spiritual truths, and soon a revival swept the land that restored the nation’s spiritual health.

When we neglect the reading of God’s Word, we invite spiritual illness. Let’s be sure to set aside time to absorb its life-giving message. —Dennis Fisher—Dennis Fisher-->
The Bible will transform our livesAnd turn us from our sin,If we will study and obeyGod’s principles within. —Sper
The Bible is God’s prescription for the health of our soul.

Sometimes we tot that thoughts can make us backslide, i think it might be possible, however i felt that this is more of the truth : that as we slowly forgot to read the bible, tok to God, u will soon forget all abt Him. Its just like maintaining communication with your friends and loved ones. Start talking to Him and you might just find the way back. :)

The first post

2007-09-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

Wandering from Wisdom

READ: 1 Kings 3:4-14

If God offered you anything you wanted, what would you ask for?
When Solomon was given that choice, he asked for the wisdom to discern good from evil so that he might lead God’s people well (1 Kings 3:9). “Because you have asked this thing,” God told Solomon, “I have done according to your words.” He even promised to give him “both riches and honor” (vv.11-13). To this day, Solomon is remembered for the great wisdom God gave him.
Solomon began his rule with devotion to wisdom and a deep ambition to build a magnificent temple to honor God. But something happened along the way. His passion for living by God’s wisdom was displaced by the allures of the wealth and position God had given him. His marriage to foreign women who worshiped pagan gods eventually led him—and ultimately the nation—into idolatry.
The lesson is clear. Keeping our love for Christ and His wisdom preeminent is a primary objective for those of us who want to live to satisfy God throughout the course of our life. A commitment to following the riches of God’s wisdom will enable us to avoid the drift that destroyed Solomon.
Keep your heart in tune with God’s wisdom and obey His voice. That’s the way to finish well. —Joe Stowell—Joe Stowell-->
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,Prone to leave the God I love;Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,Seal it for Thy courts above. —Robinson
Monitor your heart daily to avoid wandering from God’s wisdom.

If God will to offer me everything I ask for,

1. I will ask for more time so that I can spend time with DMN cell.

2. I will pray that no one will backslide.

3. I will pray that God can make me a good leader, perhaps i am not good enough?

4. I will pray that i can lead a peaceful life.

5. I will pray for God to give you more trials, so that u can grow in the Lord.