PRAISE

Share with you these pretty cool quotations to stir your heart and mind on PRAISE (extracted from Christianity Today, Aug2008 issue). May they spur you to praise, worship & adore the Creator God of heavens & earth, the Great I AM!

• From Augustine, Confessions
  "Man is one of your creatures, Lord & his instinct is to praise you. He bears about him the mark of death, the sign of his own sin, to remind him that you 'thwart the proud'. But still, since he is part of your creation, he wishes to praise you. The thought of you stirs him so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself & our hearts find no peace until they rest in you."
  
  
• From David F. Ford & Daniel W. Hardy, Living in Praise: Worshipping & Knowing God
  "Faith in God is an experience that lives & grows by praise. There is continual spiral reinforcement: praising God helps us to appreciate what one is praising God for."
  
  
• From Thomas Merton, Praying the Psalms
  "If we have no real interest in praising him, it shows that we have never realised who he is. For when one becomes conscious of who God really is & when one realises that he who is almighty, & infinitely holy, has 'done great things to us', the only possible reaction is the cry of half-articulate exultation that bursts from the depths of our being in amazement at the tremendous, inexplicable goodness of God to men."
  
  
• From Esther De Waal, The Celtic Way of Prayer
  "When life is seen as the gift of God, praise & thanksgiving are inevitable..A constant attitude of gratitude is life-giving. In the face of such amazing grace & generosity, the only possible response must become that of continuing & ever-deepening praise."
  

The Art of Strategic Eating

Was reading this article offered by holistic nutritionist Lara Jay Hequet, wanna share with you:

1. If you have a post-lunch meeting & need to be on your toes?
   Have a small protein & green meal such as beef, prawn or pomelo salad, so that you have the protein to sustain you & the greens for nourishment.



2. If you have little time for lunch after a lunch-hour gym session?
   Go for a complete vegetable juice with flaxseed & omega oils. If you take a good juice such as carrot, celery & apple combination that contain minerals & vitamins to hold & nourish you, you won't be hungry & enables your digestive system to relax. A full meal 1.5 hours later is recommended.



3. If you need a snack to sustain you until late dinner?
   Eat a hard-boiled egg or sweet potato as both have the B vitamins & fat you need. Eggs are great mind food & sweet potato is the same.
   
   
4. If you are jetlagged?
   Have a vegetable juice, an apple or two, &/or a raw vegetable salad. Being up in the air is not a normal state for us to be in as it affects your digestive system. The more heavy food you feed it, the already stressed digestive system is going to work overtime & gets weaker. With natural & raw food, you won't tax your digestive system further. You should do this for at least a day.
   
   
5. The best all-rounder food?
   The apple has everything - minerals, vitamins, fibre - you need & sustains you better than anything else.

第二招

Alright..now the second stroke for the rabbit & tortorise race:

Second Stroke: How about racing by the river?
第二招：改走水路如何？
If the tortorise races with the rabbit on road, he will surely lose the race because how can a four short-legged heavy tortorise win a four long-legged light rabbit. BUT if the tortorise can change his tactic going by the river, he might win right?
What do we learn?

1. everyone of us has gifting & talent
   每个人都必有恩赐及才华
2. everyone of us has different gifting & talent
   每个人的恩赐及才华都不一样
3. everyone of us has to find our own gifting & talent, then use it extensively
   要找到自己的恩赐及才华，并善加发挥

We have different gifting & talent. When you discover the roadway is not suitable for you, change the tactic by going in another way. Don't be obstinate & stubborn, but be flexible for changes. The crucial thing is we need to discover our God-given gifting & talent. How?

1. gather from others & find your strength
   由别人的口中找到自己的长处
2. search from family background & find your strength
   由家庭背景中找到自己所潜藏的长处
3. seek from prayer & find your gifting
   在祷告中寻求，以找到自己的恩赐

Concluding Note 总结篇:
Everyone has different gifting, talent & strength. Many times, it is not destined that you will run slower than others, but it's the way of running that does not suit you.
每个人的恩赐、才华和专长都不一样；很多时候不是你注定就天生跑不快，而是你所走的跑道并不适合自己。

End

12 Aug

Ok, better conclude my trip asap. On this beautiful Tues, the day started with my heart singing praises & looking forward to the concluding session with the students.

YES TODAY IS THE LAST DAY! Haha..but its the students' STRESS DAY - their FINAL EXAMS! Haha..the teacher here will be super relaxed as she does not need to do anything but KLKK. Haha..elaine chua, don't be too yaya for too long because you have to mark their papers & have to finish them before the official dismissal.

The main thing of teaching these 15 angels is the joy of seeing them so keen in learning & also 'pia-ing' hard for the exams. I tell you, though they pia super hard hoping for good results, i was more glad that they have enjoyed themselves in the sessions & class activities. What satisfaction can a teacher get except to see the reaping results of every class session.

After marking the papers, though some did well while some did not, the main concern is their spirits of learning. Keep up the good work! Whatever you do, do it all for the glory for God!

Wow..i was very touched when the students exercise the 2 love languages by giving words of appreciation & gifts of love. Our time with each other may be short, but the common love we share in Christ is lasting & permanent. I praise God for His Presence, His People & His Protection :)

This whole trip has reminded me to reconsider our priority & position as a Christian. We are CHRISTians first on top of anything else. When we began to assert our authority as one, we will be more confident in counteracting problems, principalites & powers of the air. We are truly more than conquerors through the blood of Jesus Christ.

God also spoke to me specifically that He will bring me to another new frontier & new area. He will lead me into the garden of gardens & multiply what is in my hands. Awesome! Truly this trip has been my spiritual realignment. Amen!

10 Interesting Ideas for You: 第一招

I reckon many of you have heard about the racing story of the rabbit & the tortorise. In case for some 'blur' ones, it is a race between a rabbit & a tortorise. Logically, the rabbit should win but because of his overconfidence & underestimation, he LOST the race!

I was reading this amusing Christian book "10 Interesting Ideas for You". The author uses the above story to share 10 things, where we can turn our weaknesses into strengths, negativity into positivity, failures into successes. I'm encouraged by the very powerful illustrations, so i wanna share a stroke at a time first. Remember: It is always good to be a learner first!

First Stroke: Tortorise, Use Your Shell 第一招：龟壳，可以当滚轮
Let your weakness become your strength. Under normal circumstances, the tortorise cannot win the rabbit in a race. The greatest hindrance for the tortorise is his clumsy shell. But if he can withdraw his head, legs & tail into that big shell, then rolls his shell to the finish line, he might win & may be even faster than the running rabbit. Rolling tortorise versus running rabbit..haha..how cool is that right?

My friends, you can learn from the tortorise by turning your weakness (the shell) into strength (rolling the shell). What could be your dead blow might turn around to become your blessing. Once you place yourself at the right position & use your gifts rightfully, you can use your shell in the right way. You need to revamp yourself by jumping out from the old nut shelf & jumping into new things, new angles & new methods. Give yourself a chance to see how you perform in this new scope of mindset & living. I am sure you can win the rabbit by changing your mindset, turning whatever that God has given into our hands into somethings that are reaping & beneficial for the glory of God. Change what seem-to-be weakness into strength, the obstructing shell to the rolling shell. In summary,

• Be teachable in changes
• Be open-minded to accept changes
• Be willing to change
• Be creative to use what God has given into your hands
• Be positive & don't give up too easily

My New India Friends

If you have been catching up with my blog, you will not miss the testimonies of my recent India trip. Besides the yummy food, i have also made many new & gorgeous friends there. Allow me to show you all these gorgeous angels:

I miss all of you & will keep you in prayers :)

Guess What I Eat in India?

Hey, let me introduce the food that i ate when i was in india:

Big amount of rice with 2 vegetables..waiting for my chicken meat to come. Obviously I can't finish the rice.

This dish is called Snakegod plant. It is like bopiah stuffed with meat in between with thick chicken curry..Very Yummy!

Chepati - my daily breakfast & dinner dishes. Actually it's healthy to eat this because it is made of wheat. Highly Recommended!

Middle Part 3

11 Aug
The routine of teaching the class started again. For the last few days, i must say it was an enjoyable teaching experience for me. It was not draggy & i look forward to every session including today. Wow..i must rush thru the last 4 chapters like an express train & yet making sure not to dilute its contents. Just when i was pondering over the allocation of time for today's lesson, the Holy Spirit gave me couple of tips to faciliate the teaching. Truly He is my Senior Partner, my Creative Consultant!

Haha..i have enjoyed myself tremendously that i didn't realise that time passes so quickly & in two days time, we will be flying back home. OH DEAR, I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK!!
Besides the curry gravy dishes at every meal (trust me, literally every meal every dish. Even the veg also swims in the sea of gravy), the people are warm, nice & friendly.
Besides the hot then rainy weather, not forgetting the powercut, the house we stay is cosy, warm & homely.
Besides the dusty & bumpy roads, the ministry is enjoyable & fulfilling.
Besides the short time that we have in Asansol, the fellowship moments with Ps Oliver, Florin, Ps Michael, Pritee & Gopal are substantial & interacting.
What's more can i say except a heart of thanksgiving & appreciation for what God has done and will still be doing before we leave India.

By the way, let me introduce these wonderful & ourstanding students to you:
(guy left-right) Satya..Saikat ..Das..Somnath..Siddharth..Gaurav..Krishna..Roger..Ravindra..Sawrup
(girl left-right)
Jaya..Simran..Manju..Sima..Madhu

Hurts on Sand & Gratitude on Stone

A powerful illustration of hurts dissolved instantly in the spirit of gratitude & appreciation.

Two good friends were stranded in a desert. Because of small arguments, friend A unitentionally slapped friend B. Friend B was very hurt by the action, so he wrote his hurts on the sand. They continued walking in the desert trying to find water & they found an oasis. Delightfully, they ran forward & friend B was quicker than friend A to jump into the water. Not realising the depth of the oasis, friend B started to struggle gasping for breath. Just when he thought he would be drowned, there was a pair of strong hands pulling him out of the water. The hands were none other than friend A. Friend B was so ashamed of himself due to the anger & hurt he harboured against friend A, that he craved his words of gratitude & appreciation on the stone. Friend A saw his act & asked why he wrote his feelings in two different spots.
With a deep breath, friend B said "When i wrote my hurts on the sand, i knew that the wind would blow them all away. But when i wrote my gratitude & thanksgiving towards what you have done for me on the stone, i knew the wind would never blow them away."
How true it is that the wind (Holy Spirit) will blow all our hurts, unforgiveness & frustrations when we learn to write them all on the sand. Have you written yours on the sand? Don't harbour them any longer within you. You will not be satisfied & happy!
How about writing your appreciation & gratitude towards God & people on stone? Have you tried it? Trust me, you will be more satisfied and happy!

I Praise God for AFC

Today is an exceptional different day because i will be meeting my long-time friends in AFC especially we have not been catching up with each other for ages. Obviously our big brother, Tat Long, was super excited about this coming dinner that he reminded us with a countdown. Haha..somehow his excitement infected me that i also look forward to meeting these wonderful friends like Veron, John, Andy, Lay Peng, Puay, Loong Fatt & our organiser Tat Long.
Now at the dinner table, though we have not met for a long time, the friendship & bond still remain. I wonder when we will meet again, but i know in Christ Jesus, we are still one family!
(p.s. Tat Long, though we disturbed you at the dinner table about your magical countdown, we appreciated you for organising this dinner. Without you, we would not meet Without you, we would not see each other especially Veron. So yeah, thanks man! Touched? haha..go ahead & cry lor :)

Many of you might not know, i am who i am now mainly is because of AFC, aka. Ambassadors for Christ, who has been an important agent in developing my spiritual foundation & growth in those early days of my faith. Every Saturday, a group of young people would gather together at different locations (from New World to Balestier YWAM to Steven Roads YMCA). We would sing praises, share word, fellowship, icebreaking, organise outings & annual camps. I tell you, it was really fun especially during camps, all of us would have a great time with the Lord & with one another. A theme song would be composed in every camp, one of them is "Here I am, standing in front of you" composed by bro Bill Chua, surprising right?

To me, every Saturday meeting & camp that the AFCians experienced were unforgetable & meaningful. Without God's awesome presence, our gathering would be in vain. It's because of His faithful work in AFC, many of us were exposed & trained in teamwork, leadership, administration, organisation & skill developments. Some of us have even gone into full-time ministry, while many are still growing strong in the Lord. Though AFC is no longer in existence (founded in 1978 & dissolved in 1993), she has served her destiny & purpose. In this, i give thanks to God for AFC.

Finally, "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Heb 10:24-25)

My Favourite Cartoons

Always prefer the old cartoons like Popeye the Sailor Man (winning the title of "spinach man"), the Road Runner (making the noise of bibi), the Disney characters (Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Goofy etc), Smurfs (singing the tune of lalalala).

Catch some of them here! Enjoy :)

Middle Part 2

10 Aug
Oh boy, i'm ready to preach. Erm..going to take Gourav's scooter to Kulti (first time sitting a scooter), so gonna be fun yet scary as the roads in Asansol are rather uneven & packed with different sizes of holes. The moment i stepped onto it, we prayed for journey mercy. Initially, i was holding his shoulder not knowing what to expect & how bumpy the roads are gonna to be. After 10 mins ride, i started to release my hands though i was thinking i will hold to the back seat if anything arises. Then suddenly, God spoke with his assuring tone to trust in the skill of the driver because He will protect us. Haha..the remaining ride proved to be fun & Gourav even drove slightly faster (i think he was racing with another motorcyclist thinking i didn know).

After preaching in two services at Kulti & Asansol, you cannot deny that people are hungry for the touch of God. They sang with gusto & were spontaneous in worship. When altar call was given, people flocked forward hungrily for the touch of God, be it for salvation, healing & blessing. That kind of longing is something that the Singapore Christians should have, but sad to say, nowadays i don't really see that. Lord, never let Your presence depart away from us & help us to be alert in our spirits.

It is a fruitful day where my faith was really stretched in ministering to tremendous needs at the altar. People with brokenness, sicknesses, sufferings & pains were comforted & healed in the presence of our holy God. How awesome is His name, who is none other than the miraculous Healer, Comforter & Refuge. The moment when i plucked up the courage to place the infected hands of this young lady in-between my palm, i knew God was in control. I do not have to be afraid as it is a Ok-sign from God to pray for healing. Little did i know such an act softened her heart & she gave her life to Jesus Christ. The tears of joy in her eyes melted my heart, which is something that i have not experienced for quite awhile. What is even more amazing that i received news on the next day that her hands have shown signs of recovery.
All glory to Jesus!

I will continue my story soon. Keep a lookout!
p.s. I have uploaded the photos into my shutterfly account. You may view them at http://elainechua.shutterfly.com

Middle Part 1

4 Aug
Landed around 11pm local time at Kolkata airport & Ps George brought us to the local hotel for a night stay before departing for Asansol the next day.
Revelation
As i prayed for the ministry ahead of us, God with His gentle voice said "Expect something good & I will use you to touch my people." That's it! It's more than enough for me with this assurance.

5 Aug
Departed at 530am to catch the first express train to Asansol.
Emotion
Saddened when i saw the same sight outside the train station with the poor sleeping outside with hardly any covering, just like 2 years ago. I guess it's a challenge to tackle this problem since the population has been increasing & people have barely sufficient for support.
Saw this little boy (think he is around 4 years old) begging for money. My heart is grieved because he is the same age as my godson, yet the treatment & circumstances are so wide apart. After giving him some coins thru Ps George, i whispered a prayer asking God to watch over him, though i knew there are thousands such kids around the city. You will find it hard to appreciate what you have until you see the tremendous needs & sufferings of the poor. God, remind me to appreciate what i have & help me not to take things & people for granted.

Reached Asansol at 10am & immediately sped to the Bible school for my first lesson. Today, the main focus is to get to know the students especially their names (haha..some of them are quite hard to call) & kick start with recognising the 7 different groups of their religious views.
Emotion
Warm feeling because i felt so welcome among the students. They are warm, friendly & approachable. Even more fun when we stay under one roof & i am excited to know them better in the days ahead.

6-8 Aug
Started the day with a good set of breakfast. Going to teach for 8 hours, but i was prepared to give them not just the theoretical side, but also with ice breakers. mind blogger & videos. Guess what? I even showed short cartoon clips during the break time. TQ Paul for guiding me in the downloading process.
Observation
The class enjoyed the activities & their spontaneity thrilled my heart. What an enjoyable experience & i was even more blessed to impart into their lives.

Oh dear, going to miss the Beijing Olympics opening. Well, i just have to cut off from the world temporarily for the next 8 days. Nah..anyway most important is i am having fun here in North India Leadership Training Centre with a bunch of fun-loving students. Who cares!

9 Aug
Wow..guess what? There was power cut in the whole morning & we have to keep ourselves busy killing mosquitoes & burning the incense. Since the students have left for ministry and will not be back till the next day, the whole house only left both of us. Thank God for Sis Florin, who sent us a fabulous lunch. You won't believe it. One of the dishes is actually called "the snakegod plant". Don't ask me what it is, but its really nice & yummy.
Spent the whole afternoon preparing for sermon & sharing, as i will be preaching at the Youth Fellowship & the Nagas cell group later in the evening.
Haha..going to miss National Day Parade but it's ok lah (you know what i mean hor?)

Observation
Time well spent getting to know my member well.
Time well spent preparing & praying for the preaching.
Most of all, thank God for His grace & protection keeping us strong physically.

Part 1 ends here..you guys will fall asleep if its too long :)

Beginning

4-14 Aug..in the land of India..What to expect ahead of me? That was the initial thought when i was in the aircraft..2 years ago, i was at the same place trying to adjust into the culture & environment..very different kind of experience & encounter, not only with the people but also food & living conditions. Two things struck me during the previous trip:

The living condition of the poor, even the poorest. People slept & bathed along the crowded streets with tremendous car honking from ALL vehicles. They built shelters at anywhere & everywhere with their clothes hanging on the trees, pillars & railings. Your heart was overwhelmed with sadness & pity for these homeless people. Worst of all, children with dirty & wornout clothes were begging for money.

The environment. Buildings were old with black walls & broken windows. You hardly see any furnished & painted buildings except the rich areas. On the road, vehicles were driven very closely on all sides (almost can kiss liao) & honking was super common (Spore car horn is underutilised and theirs is overly utilised). Haha..the good things: hardly any traffic lights & parking is FREE.

So on the comfortable plane, i prayed & asked God to widen & stretch me as far as possible. Somehow i was excited. I dont know why but i knew that God will be doing something different, not only in my personal walk with Him, but also in deepening my teaching experiences & spiritual services. He directed my attention to Isa 61:1-2:

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives & release from darkness for the prisoners."

God assured me to focus in preaching (teaching), binding, proclaiming & releasing. Leave the rest to Him as He will take care. What an assurance! I am so thankful, TQ Abba Father! Love You..

Seven Power Tools

SEVEN - a perfect number

This morning, at the combined service, Rev Mark Conner shared a simple yet powerful message. He entitled it as "The Seven Power Tools to Build God's House" reminding me once again to strengthen the basics of faith.

Power Tool 1: LOVE (1 Pet 4:8-9)

Faith, hope & love, but the greatest of these is love. Truly, love is the main basic & an important ingredient in God's house. He has exhibited love in two-folds: God-to-man & man-to-man. In fact, His best love gift to mankind is His only Son, Jesus Christ. The measure of a great church is the degree of love for one another. No sound doctrine & no powerful worship can attract people to church, when there is no love. People matter to God! We need to reach beyond our borders by loving our neighbours.

Power Tool 2: SERVE (1 Pet 4:10)

Every ministry is significant for the building of God's house. We need to effect our service in church by discovering our giftings.

Power Tool 3: PRAYER (1 Tim 2:1)

Prayer determines victory & things happen when we pray. P.U.S.H. is Pray Until Something Happens. We need to engage into passionate prayers by praying for our leaders & people.

Power Tool 4: WORSHIP (Heb 10:24-25)

Worship is a daily lifestyle & corporate worship brings great anointing. Coal gathers with coal will produce bigger fire. We need to enter into God's presence by deepening our personal & corporate worship encounters.

Power Tool 5: Unity (Eph 4:3)

Unity reconciles when there is conflict & there is power in unity. We need to promote unity by seeking for reconciliation.

Power Tool 6: GIVING (Prov 3:9-10)

Be a giver to build God's house. It is always more blessed to give than receive, so we need to build God's house by giving more generously.

Power Tool 7: REACH OUT (Luke 10:2, 5, 8-9)

When one soul is saved, the whole heavens rejoice. Be the middle link, not the missing link. That kind of lost-but-found joy is indescribable, so we need to see the revival of God's house by telling others about the Kingdom of God.

Finally, remember this: Unless the Lord builds the house, our labour will be in vain. Be diligent in building God's house and He will likewise build yours.

India Here I Come!

Wow..if you have been reading my blog, i haven been writing for almost a week. Too tight up with the preparation of teaching materials for my coming India missions trip. It has been 3 years since i last went there, not sure if the place has changed much

Wah..seriously i am worried about the weather cos i cannot tahan hotness though i also cannot take coldness (contradicting hor?) Then just called Ps George to discover that i will be teaching straight 8 hours for 7 consecutive days, can faint lor..don't know if my voice can tahan (should i bring honey over?)

My blog friends, do keep me & another sis (Delfin) in prayers by asking God

1. For physical strength especially my voice
2. For creativity & inspiration in my teaching
3. For anointing & sensitivity in ministering to the students & also at Sunday Services (i think i will be preaching in 3 services)
4. For cooling weather & protection

With God & your prayer support, i can do it! So India, here i come!

p.s. Will be at Asansol India from 4-14 Aug.