arrgggh!

There are just some days that totally test your patience and put all your good qualities on hold. These are the days where anything can be the straw that will break the camel's - or for that matter, mine - back.

And today... is such a day.

I hate a lousy start to a morning - but nothing prayer and a nice warm cup of cuppa can't cheer up. I hope.

Respect

Death puts Life in proper perspective...

I've been to 3 wakes in 3 days...Friday, Sunday, Monday...

My heart goes out to those who lost someone they loved.

The last one which I just got back from was particularly troubling and yet a wonderful reminder of God's goodness.

My great respect and love for the family of Uncle Teo. He was a faithful worker in the house of our God for many years. I've seen him for the last 15 years serving faithfully in his local church, doing his part for God's house. He is one of the reason why I remember and hope others learn the importance of taking physical care and stewardship in our places of worship, whether it is a studio hall or classroom or sanctuary.

Well done Good & Faithful servant - you're in the better place now dear one, with our Lord :) You can hear it straight from the Master. And I rejoice knowing that this is certain. Thanks for blessing us :)

I met his son last wednesday, after such a long time. And perhaps it was my own laziness, but i left him my namecard and asked him to send me his address so that I could visit Uncle Teo, before it was too late...

However it was....I only got the call today and found out that God had called His servant home today....Friends learn this well please - if today is that day, don't let any good deed be undone! Work while there is still time, love while there is still time. DON'T HESITATE! DON'T DELAY!

Sigh....I can only say it now, cos i didn't when I had the chance... But God knows.

Yet, why I speak of God's goodness - I just got back from the wake. I expected to spend just 30 minutes there. BUT God intended and we acted....spent more than 1 hour sharing the Good News with a friend of Uncle Teo in MANDARIN!

Even in such a meeting brought because of someone's death, God works His purpose. My friend through his life showed Christ to this lady and we continued the work by sharing more of the Gospel with this lady who is easily 2 times my age! God can use any situation, any moment - if only we let Him. He certainly uses anyone and can use anyone, even me...

AMAZING GRACE so sweet that sound that saved a wretch like me.

Got a nice reminder in my email today :)

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm...

He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods and he went to practice in the woods; but he could never hit the target.

Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.

As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck.



Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his Sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.




After lunch the next day Grandma said, 'Sally, let's wash the dishes'

But Sally said, 'Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.'

Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?'

So Johnny did the dishes.

Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, 'I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.'

Sally just smiled and said, 'well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help?

She whispered again, 'Remember the duck?' So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he finally couldn't stand it any longer.

He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.

Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, 'Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.'



Thought for the day and every day thereafter:

Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... And the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.)...whatever it is...You need to know that: God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing.



He has seen your whole life... He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you.

The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness; He not only forgives you, but He forgets.

It is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved. Not by what you can do :)

Learnings

Just got back from CLCN camp late on Wed Night. It was a great time there, though it would it have been better if Matz had come along :)

 

Awesome time of fellowship - EVERYONE there is super cool and super nice. The pastors there are fantastically pastoral. The folks there were geninuely serving and eagar to serve in their various ministries.

 

I was assigned by Ps Mark to the Young Working Adults group and it was an amazing mix of people. we had one church with 100++ YWA and 1 church that had just 7. Yet the spirit was the same. they had such a burden for this generation.

 

I've served in Youth for so long, that sometimes I forget the struggles of being in my own age group :p

 

Many of them agreed that IDENTITY (or lack of) is a real problem for my generation. We go out to work and often many lose their souls there. Even for those that stay in church, there are still problems.

 

YWA are probably one of the great untapped groups within many churches or organisations. We're young, but old enough now to take on greater responsibility, we have our own ideas, we can think for ourselves, we have spending power, we have the passion and energy to move and make things happen.

 

Yet it seems many are just living in the borderlands.... by that I mean never entering into the fullness of LIFE & POTENTIAL that God has for us. Some just play it safe, earn their living and barely tasting life, struggling just trying to exist day to day.

 

Others end up building their own kingdoms, chasing money & materialism and obviously enjoying the fruit of that.

 

I think it was Kong Hee that said:

 

People rise to the level of their dreams

 

sometimes many of us forget to dream, we just hit into CRUISE and follow the CROWD or we CHASE the CASH.

 

Many times the transitions are too much for us to bear. Marriage, Money, Mate, Materialism, Ministry - so many things either consuming our attention and energy or confusing us with the avalanche of choices.

 

Can this generation, my generation find our dreams again?  Can we rise up and make a difference and live, really live?

 

 ³⁸As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

 ⁴¹"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴²but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Maybe...at the feet of the Master, we can hear again, those dreams and hopes from the not too distant past.

New Birth!

Congrats again to Hannah, Jeremiah, Grace-lyn & Christine!

Praise God for this wonderful day.

It's always wonderful to see people dedicate themselves to God and even cooler that it's in East Coast!

Dying to Live! The Bible has it's own way. Death that gives way to Life, new Life, better Life. correction - REAL LIFE! The way it's meant to be!

I hope that everyone will be able to experience REAL LIFE - life as designed by the Designer!

Have a blessed week people! :)

hello from a long time ago :)

It's been quite a while since i blogged here. And we do realise that there's a whole backlog of photos that we promised to show (i dragged Isaiah in with the 'we' so that we share the blame. Married and all. Hahha.) We really hope that this web space doesn't become one of those dusty *coughs* one that gives you the feel of a *ah chew! dust allergy* reaaally old house when you visit it once in a really blue moon. And to do that, we really have to get our fingers moving and to turn on my old Mac more. These days, i talk to good ole HP at work more often than i communicate with Mac. How sad. Thankfully this isn't reflective of our 3 month old marriage. Far be it! :)

Well, I've a grand plan (granted i've many grand plans) to post them up pretty soon, now that my writing block is kinda unlocked :) So bear with us alright (yes, pun intended). Take pity in the fact that poor Ms Huang is in school right now (on a saturday afternoon where the rest of Singapore is shopping or doing something fun), facing not one, not two but three deadline extensions and still have difficulties finishing the marking and handling over the goods.

April's gonna be one crazy crazzy madd maddd month. But we'll get through it. Splendid and brilliantly in fact :) Cos God says it's gonna be awesome.. so it'll be. :)

Have a good one guys (and gurls). Love BIG, Love MANY, Love like there's no tomorrow.