Blogger on Holiday Trip

To all my faithful readers

After many weeks of waiting, this blogger will be leaving for korea today & will be back on 30 Sep. Meanwhile, the blog will be on "strike" & MIA for 8 days. Haha..catch me back on action in the beginning of next month.

Share with you some pictures before i leave for the airport:

Crossing Your Jordan? CHANGE!

21 Sep 830am, i stepped into room 6A ready to preach God's word at the 1st Eng service. As mentioned, i couldn't finish the conclusion the night before due to physical fatigue. Thank God for giving me ideas in the morning. Truly, the bird in the morning will eat the worm, & i sense the flow of thoughts as i prayed for God's wisdom. After taking over the pulpit, i brought the people's attention to Joshua 3:1-4:24, where Joshua like Moses would bring the Israelites to cross the River Jordan. My sermon title is "You Want to Cross Your Jordan? CHANGE!"

No matter how ridiculous things may be, God can do the impossibilities. I challenged the people to change their mind from seeing problems to fulfilling promises, change their heart from entertaining doubts to building trust & finally change their move from conquering fears to overcoming faith.

Your jordan may be moving into a new career, serving in a new ministry, starting a new family or making a major decision. Remember God! Go to His Word regularly, open it prayerfully, read it expectantly & live it joyfully. It is said that challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They are what make the instrument stretch, what makes you go beyond the norm. My friends, change your mind, heart & move to see that challenges & problems many times are good to make you a better person. Max Lucado said "God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way."

Praise God for anointing me to preach the sermon. I know it's God because of the flow of thoughts & confidence (haha..quite scary initially because Ps Chia & Ps Chng were in the service..oops..hehe).

Wedding and Wedding

Haha..today is another wedding day again! BUT today is a joyous one because one of my good sisters & member Darienna married to one long time friend Daniel. I wish them Jesus in their marriage as they walk together with God as the Centre of their lives & also the little Ds.

Thank God for Ronald & Joyce who gave me a lift in the morning to the church, as we have to reach there by 930am. Haha..it was quite an interesting wedding, not because i was the usher coordinator & the backup singer (haha..i miss singing on the stage..to think that i have taken leave from worship leading since Sep last year), but also Ps Moses preached an inspiring marital sermon. Well done Ps Moses! Gab was the page boy & ring bearer again..and guess what, he dropped the ring holder again! Haha..but he was quite zai lah..& i think he can sign on as the page boy for future weddings. Any takers?

With xuehui as my makeup artist & josline as my hairstylist, haha..i looked not too bad at the wedding dinner. Have to dress up a little bit since doing reception, so better look good for the couple. I have a good time at the table interacting with my cell members & other guests. It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with long time friends, but sad right? Many times has to do so in special occasions like weddings, funerals etc.

Wow! After reaching home, my mind & body were too tired to do the conclusion for my sermon. I didn't realise the degree of my tiredness until i fell asleep in the car on the way home. Lord, i need you to give me wisdom & guidance in ending the sermon. Gonna to trust you in this!

God's Arms

In the midst of this financial crisis, where do you put your trust? What does your faith build on? Today at the TPM, Ps Chng reminded us that God is purifying the church in the Last Days. Some may have trusted in chariots, some trusted in horses, but do you trust in the name of the Lord? Christians need to seriously consider their faith by asking themselves "DO I REALLY TRUST IN GOD? DO I REALLY HAVE THE FAITH IN GOD?

Ps Chng shared 3 assuring truths about God's arms with the purpose of encouraging us to PLACE OUR TRUST IN HIM!

1. God's arms are never too short. He is ready to save.

2. God's arms are embracing. He is ready to love.

3. God's arms are defensive. He is ready to shield.

Once again my friends, you may be affected by the present crisis, but trust in this SOLID ROCK, JESUS CHRIST, where all other grounds are sinking sands!

Uncertainty

On Monday 15 Sep, the collapse of Lehman Brothers on Wall Street shook the world. On Tuesday 16 Sep, the news of the next possible downfall of AIG woke up the streets of Singapore since AIA is the subsidary group of AIG. Natural disasters, political unrest, violence, terriorism & now financial crisis tell us that we are living in a world that is full of UNCERTAINTY.

These few days of events have prompted me to think & even rely on God more. The verse "Fear not, for I am with you!" kept ringing in my mind. It reminds me of this certain relationship i have with God & He will not forsake me even when i am faithless. We may lose the worldly things due to all these crisis, but we will not lost the hope in God because there is security in Christ.

Our position in Christ can be assured because we are
Born again: 1 Pet 1:23 ‘having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible.’

Sons of God: 1 John 3:2 ‘Beloved, now we are sons of God.’

New Creation: 2 Cor 5:17 ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.’

Adopted: Rom 8:15 ‘you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”’

Heirs: Gal 4:7 ‘Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.’

My friends, put your hope in God. Invest in Him that lasts because:
He is CERTAIN in the midst of the uncertainty.
He is HOPE in the midst of the hopelesness.
He is LOVE in the midst of the hates & pains.
He is GOD in the midst of the godlessness.
One thing for sure: Your position in Christ is 100% SECURE & CERTAIN!

Stressful Week Again!

This is another stressful week again!
Have to finish my regional planning for 2009 by 21, since i am leaving for Korea next Tues.
Have to prepare my sermon for this coming Sunday by 19, since there is a wedding on 20 & i am involved from morning till night.
Have to find quotations for furnishing the prayer room, since i can now start its implementation.
Have to list procedures of prayer implementation for RP, since it needs to be included for 2009 planning.
Have to catch up with home visitations by this week, since i won't be around from next week onwards.

Wah..how ah? Best antidote is to ask God for wisdom & strength to finish these challenges.
How true it is when Arland Gilbert said "When we accept tough jobs as a challenge and wade into them with joy and enthusiasm, miracles can happen." I shall! I can! I will! do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Amen :)

Childhood Ambition

Recently i was watching this drama series on lawyers, which reminded me of my childhood ambition. Since young, i have always wanted to become a lawyer. I also cannot explain why i want to become one, but i love the way lawyers articulate & defend cases by their critical thinkings & aggressive defences. When a lawyer could convict the lawbreakers, he has done good to the society. However, when you have to defend (with not much choices) for lawbreakers, and are acquitted due to insufficient evidences & your defences, you might invite people's criticism & sour looks. Yet many times, you don't have a choice in selecting your clients. So can i really pass through that? By being numb & not guilty at all & just do my job? Well, i guess maybe i cant. That's why i m not one today. Haha..another reason is my english also CMI (didn't score well in O & A levels). So that's it lor! Have to bury this dream but not too bad lah..still can daydream about it. Thank God for dreams, daydreamings & imaginations.

How about you? Do you have childhood ambition?

Engaging Culture

The church staff has two days of Staff Spiritual Emphasis with Rev Irvin Rutherford, the man who has contributed to the founding of Teen Challenge, Singapore. Now he is 65 years old, but still serving the Lord strongly & faithfully, travelling to minister & adopt spiritual children in different parts of the world. Wow..i want to be like him when i turn 65 by the grace of God.

He shared many powerful truths. I would like to share with you on "Engaging Culture":

1. When Christians make church the focal point of their lives & ministry, they burn each other like an over-salted dish & blind each other like a room filled with spotlights.


2. When a church loses focus, people get busy fighting among themselves. When our focus is not finding people & changing society from right where we are, we start using kingdom resources to build our own kingdom.


3. There is absolutely no use in having a big church without changing culture, speaking to society & curing social ills.


4. Ego-centricism kills leadership because it shrinks their ambition to the size of their desires. Leadership is based on the Word of God.


5. The gospel of salvation, in isolation will not change the earth. When you teach a half-truth, you destroy the truth. Let the Word of God advance in FULL truth by finishing the task & bringing closure of the Great Commission.


6. This world can only be properly managed by people, who rule from superior place & superior principles.


7. We must work better & hanrder than anyone else. The Kingdom of God will work for us at the same level we are committed to the kingdom.


8. Only those who are increasingly filled with God's nature will become deliverers & saviours of their nation, community & family. Love & help people before you ever try to influence them.

My friends, engage with culture by having the paradigm shift from ME to OTHERS, CHURCH to COMMUNITY. Let our light so shine before men that others may see the good works & glorufy our Father in heaven.

A Day Trip to JB

On 8 Sep, 3 ladies decided to make a day trip to JB, since one is her off day while the other is waiting to start her new job. Thanks eunice for taking a day leave to go out of the country for breather with me & ruth.
Not too bad, it took us less than an hour to reach JB. When we were walking to City Square, we saw this begger whose right leg is twisted to the other way round. Not too sure if anyone took notice of him, but i whispered a prayer for this man. From CS, we proceeded to Holiday Inn Plaza super early (10.55am) & many shops were not open yet. Haha..managed to change money (though i only have 30 ringgit, i'm not worrying at all because i have 2 other bankers) & also changed battery for my 2 favourite watches. Wanted to make spectacles that can collect within an hour, but cannot because my degree & 散光 are high. Need to pre-order & come back again for collection..haha..too troublesome liao.

We then proceeded to the newest mall in JB, Sutera Megamall, which is 25 mins away from JB. Many small shops & not a bad place for shopping. Shoppers, a new place for you to chiong for shopping. Spent a few hours there eating our lunch (Jap food again!), looking at clothes (pink top for ruth) & shoes (only ruth brought).

Ok..moved to next destination, CS! Here, we saw a lady and a man chasing after another man, who stole some clothes from the shop. Guess what, the lady was more aggressive in the chase & managed to catch hold of him. We were saying that this man should have stolen more valuable stuff than clothes. Anyway, guess he would be handled over to the police. With nothing much to buy, we ended the day trip at Macs with chocolate milkshakes.

Thank you ladies for a good time together!

Family Day

Today was our Family Day @ Pasir Ris Park. Thank God for a fine & sunny morning after one whole night of heavy raining. When we reached there, wah..there was a pool of mud at the tentage area. The mud was bad, white shoes went in, black shoes came out! I salute those helpers who rearranged & wiped the chairs, pushing them forward to drier grounds. Their legs were seasoned with mud (free leg mud facial), yet they did it without complaints. What a heart of servanthood! I salute all of you!

Personally had enjoyed this year's family camp. The worship was lively, the message was simple, the food distribution was orderly, the timing was good, the teamwork was fantastic. Well done, committee :)

Tick tock tick tock..counting down to my Korea holiday trip in 16 days & F1 in 19 days time. Haha..so exciting!

Lovely Creations

Saturday

Another Sat again..seriously time is flying too fast - tick tock tick tock, every second counts! To think i have been blogging for 3 months liao & haha..& i m still going strong. Unbelievable!

Haha..i jumped out of my bed realising that i have overslept & i was supposed to work today. Jialat! So contradicting right? when i shared about the fast passing of time & now i wished time would stop for awhile as i would be late for work. Haha..thank God i had ironed my clothes the night before, especially when i would be attending an afternoon wedding reception. Or else i will really be super late! As i was driving on the way, i was praying that all the traffic lights would be green so that i could reach office within 15 mins time. Haha..somehow these lights cooperated & i reached office at 9.15am (start work time is 9am). Then work & work & work till 1230pm. Stomach started to yell for attention, but i decided not to succumb to it, but make my stand of reserving it for the wedding buffet. Yeah! I made it! Haha..but also ate quite alot - too delicious liao! That means gym more for next few days. Haiz..a price to pay for overeating.

My godchildren, Gab & Ee, are the page boy & flower girl for Steward & Kailing's wedding. They look so handsome, charming, sweet & lovely with the wedding outfits. Thank God they managed to walk down the aisle quite zhai, not bad! The funny thing is when the couple & Gab were on the stage preparing for the ring vow, Gab kept dropping the rings. He kept picking up & putting them on the ring holder, then dropped again. At least 2 to 3 times. Haha..then Ps Chia has to assure the couple that he still has the rings, so funny! Gab ah, you are so funny but not bad lah..quite zhai for the very first time as a page boy. Guess what, Ee actually felt asleep. No wonder she wasn't on the stage with the gor gor. So comical when Grace carried her behind after the ring vow. The whole wedding was quite lively with the 3 jovial MCs (you guys did well, so proud of you!), Steward & Kailing (esp the bubbly bride) & the dance performed by the youths.

Finally, my Saturday marked off by bringing Gaius for shopping. Quite challenging as this is the first time i brought him out alone without the parents, gor gor & jie jie around. He is an easy boy to handle, though pestering me to carry him most of the times & asking about his mama & mummy here & there. Haha..one secret: he is easily contented by stuffing his mouth with FOOD! I also have a good time shopping with Cheryl (haha..without CJ around for once). Lastly, thank God for preserving the rainy weather on time that we did not get drenched esp Gaius boy. Our God watches over us!

Continue to pray for little Gaius, with God's healing power & the help of medication, the speedy recovery & rejuvenation of his skin cells that the redness & itchness will subside.

CATS

After the cell leaders training & sending the girls back home, i was waiting for the lift. Then i heard this meow meow sound. It was an unusual meowing that caught my attention. To ease my curiosity (in case i kill the cat), i went to search for the 'attention-seeking' cat. To my shock & horror, i saw this white cat lying on the floor & its right leg was injured. Wah..at that moment, i was at my wit's end as i never has the experience of raising cats at home, so obviously no contact of any vet doctor. Jialat..as i was cracking my brains, God sent this Malay lady who walked past my block & saw what happened. Immediately she called her husband for help. Praise God for this couple that the cat was sent to the vet for immediate treatment. Angry leh - whoever has injured the cat should kena 'canned' & whacked'!

After this incident, i found out some interesting facts about CATS:

1. The lion is the king of the cats. It stands out from the other cats, not just in its distinctive appearance but also in being the only felid that lives in organised social groups. The fastest cat, the cheetah, is also the fastest land animal.


2. Domestic cats or any other cats do not have nine lives. They also do not always land on their feet. It is said that a cat that falls out of a 20-story building has a better chance of surviving than when falling out of a 7-story building because it takes a cat at least 7 stories to co-ordinate itself to land on its feet.


3. Cats cannot see directly below their heads that is why they do not see the food when you put it under their nose.


4. The average cat sleeps between 12-14 hours a day.


5. Cats have 220° field of view where humans only have 180°.


6. Cats' sense of smell is 14 times stronger than that of humans.


7. Cats have 30 permanent teeth, while adult humans have 32.


8. Cats have 30 vertebrae, while humans only have 25.


9. Cats have 230 bones in their bodies, this is 24 more than humans.


10. Cats have a body temperature of between 38 & 39°C.


11. The lifespan of cats are usually between 15 & 20 years.


12. Cats are born with blue eyes. They change at approximately 12 weeks of age.

Not sure if you are aware of all these facts, but they are enough to get to know the cat family. Enjoy the lovable pictures!

Germs

Do you know that 90% of our body is made up of germs? It is impossible to be totally free from it. Checkout http://www.tyrashow.com/ for interesting stuff.

• We make people sick by direct & indirect contact, so we need to have a clear concept & understanding of touching. For example: everyone goes to restaurants & we touch the menu. Many people have touched it, so to avoid contamination, ensure that you clean your hands before & after touching the menu. We must learn to wash our hands effectively.
  
  Dr. Tierno, director of clinical microbiology NYU medical center, says your hands are the biggest hurdle in your struggle to stay germ free! So follow these tips to make sure you are keeping yours clean.
  1. Wash your hands under warm water for at least 20 seconds.
  2. Wash your hands thoroughly especially under the nails & little crevices.
  3. Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet when you are done.
  4. Allow your hands to dry completely after washing before touching anything.
  
  
• Hotel cleaning is not as clean as you think. The glass that you drink could be rinsed off only by water without even washing it thoroughly. Wow..just think of the bedsheet..yucks! Oh! Also watch out those bed bugs. Whatever you check into the hotel, remember to look out small blood spot on the white bedsheet. If you see that, CHANGE ROOM OR CHECK OUT! One more thing: don't chuck your clothes in one corner of your hotel room because you might invite the bugs into your wear. Also ensure that you use your luggage stand when you are not using it, instead of leaving it open on the floor (hmm..i m guilty of that), because you won't want to bring mr bug home with you right?

Flintstones-Childhood Memory

After bringing Gab & Ee to church for wedding rehearsal with the accompaniment of super heavy downpour of shower of blessings, i decided to take a breather by watching the cartoon "Flintstones".
It is my childhood memory, besides the Sesame Street. Haha..the feeling of watching it brought back lovely memories, where i used to stay at my old place in Kallang Bahru. Playing hide-&-seek along the corridor, police-catch-thief at the playground with my childhood mates are fond memories.
Haha..i even have a 青梅竹马 playmate..don't know how he is now :)Everyone has own childhood memories. Either you are marble-era, police-catch-thief era or computer games era. So which era are you at?

Inspiration

When inspiration comes, better grab it fast or else you might lose it. That's what happened to me 10 mins ago as i was praying for motivation, inspiration, determination, all the...ion (whatever i need) for my sermon prep. Then AS IF THE WHOLE RAIN POUR DOWN UPON ME and i felt the flow of thoughts, points & references flooded into my tiny brain. This is the power of inspiration through the anointing of the Holy Spirit! It just fits in!

I am the type of person that does not like to do last minute work. I prefer to prepare it in advance, more so in things & tasks that i am not confident or comfortable to do. As i plan the two upcoming sermons to preach on 14 & 21, also with the surmountable tasks to do in both the region & church, i really have to depend on God for strength & wisdom. Erm..just like two months ago when i faced the same situation & God didn't fail to see me through, this time will not be an exception too. Haha..with the holiday trip ahead of me, i guess it's ok to 先苦后甜 :) Ok..better get back to my sermon track again.
If i may rephase Nike's slogan "Just Do It!', i will say "Just Trust Him!"
Lord, MORE of your inspiration!

Funny Jokes

Some jokes to lighten your day!

A Really Bad Day
There was this guy at a bar, just looking at his drink. He stays like that for half of an hour.Then, this big trouble-making truck driver steps next to him, takes the drink from the guy, and just drinks it all down. The poor man starts crying.

The truck driver says, "Come on man, I was just joking. Here, I'll buy you another drink. I just can't stand to see a man cry."

"No, it's not that. This day is the worst of my life. First, I fall asleep, and I go late to my office. My boss, outrageous, fires me. When I leave the building, to my car, I found out it was stolen. The police said that they can do nothing. I get a cab to return home, and when I leave it, I remember I left my wallet and credit cards there. The cab driver just drives away. I go home, and when I get there, I find my wife in bed with the gardener. I leave home, and come to this bar. And just when I was thinking about putting an end to my life, you show up and drink my poison."

Blood Test

Two children were sitting outside a clinic. One of them was crying very loudly.

2nd Child: Why are you crying?

1st Child: I came here for a blood test.

2nd Child: So? Are you afraid?

1st Child: No. For the blood test, they cut my finger.

At this, the second one started crying profusely. The first one was astonished.

1st Child: Why are you crying now?

2nd Child: I came for a urine test!

An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman

An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman are driving through the desert when their car breaks down. So they have to get out. The Englishman takes a bottle of wine with him, the Scotsman takes an umbrella and the Irishman takes a car door. On the way they meet this old bastard.

He says to the Englishman "I know why you've got the wine so you can have a drink when your thirsty",

He says to the Scotsman "I know why you've got the umbrella to keep the sun off you",

He says to the Irishman "Why have you got the car door?"

And the Irishman replies "If I get hot, I can wind the window down!"

The Jewish Samurai

Way back in the time of the samurai, there was a powerful emperor. This emperor needed a new head samurai. So, he sent out a message to everybody he knew for them to send a message to who they knew, and so forth. A year passes, and only three people show up: a Japanese samurai, a Chinese samurai, and a Jewish samurai.

The emperor asks the Japanese samurai to come in and demonstrate why he should be head samurai. The Japanese samurai opens up a matchbox, and out pops a little fly. WHOOOOOSH. The fly drops dead on the ground in 2 pieces! The emperor says, "That is very impressive!"

Then the emperor asks the Chinese samurai to come in and demonstrate why he should be head samurai. The Chinese samurai opens up a matchbox and out pops a little fly. WHOOOOOOSH. WOOOOOOOSH. The fly drops dead on the ground in 4 pieces! The emperor says, "That is really impressive!"

Then the emperor asks the Jewish samurai to come in and demonstrate why he should be head samurai. The Jewish samurai thinks, "If it works for the other two..." So the Jewish samurai walks in, opens a matchbox, and out pops a little fly. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSHHHH. A gust of wind fills the room, but the fly is still buzzing around. The emperor says in disappointment, "Why is the fly not dead?" And the Jewish samurai replies, "If you look closely, you'll see that the fly has been circumcised."

Weird Pictures

Pictures speak a thousand words! While surfing the net, i came across these interesting ones, not too sure if you feel this way but some are really WEIRD!

A dog or a bird? Dog-bird? Haha..new species

Wow..power of women, don't play play!

不要出老千hor..

Pinky dog..Can't imagine if your dog is in this colour?

Hmm..coolest cup you can find

Coolest truck

Aiyo..i m sick

Want to own such lamp in your house?

Erm..how to take the lift ah?

Pondering

Interesting poems for your pondering, BE BLESSSSSSED!

My Savior Wears Jeans
© By Andrew Embry
When I finally pass away some day, I can merely hope and pray
That I will gaze upon Christ.
Though he is constantly depicted in free flowing robes of white,
That is not the Savior I expect to see in my sights.
No, that image simply is not right.
My Savior wears jeans.
Yes, He wears jeans, an opinion I refuse to deny.
And if you need reassurance,you only need to look toward the sky
And gaze at the intricate shades of blue.
His jeans are long, battered, tattered and torn.
They've been stained with blood, tears, and sweat since before I was born.
The blue varies through fades and prices He's paid.
The most appealing part of the jeans are the many splotches of bleach.
From where He has tried to reach and teach,
As He walks to and fro,cleaning the coats,of those whom He knows.
And I will be the one of the first to confide,
That those stains on his jeans will stay there with pride,
No matter how much He uses Clorox 2 or Tide,
Because the blotches we see is from where He's lived, thrived, and died,
And eventually risen days after making his crucial decision.
Yes, it is true, I can see through the blue,
My Savior wears jeans.


Can You see God?
©By Louvenia Campbell
In the silence of stars on a cold winters night across endless skys.
Can you see God?
In the glitter of a new babies eyesOr a smile across a small face.
Can you see God?
In clouds as angel wings move the wind softly across the sky.
Can you see God?
In rain that turns to snowflakes,that brush against your face.
They become a tender touch of a masters hand.
Can you see God?
On a warm summers day as the breeze brushes your hair,
Like the hands of a sweet mother love.
Can you see God?
In the sweet morning light as she bows to the moon,
Her warmth covers a rose to dry up the dew.
Can you see God?

Last Quarter

1 Sep marks the beginning of the last quarter of 2008.
Scary scary at how time has zoomed by so fast, when my memory started to flash back to Mar family trip to Hainan, May shopping trip to Bangkok, June spiritual trip to Malaysia, Aug missions trip to India & finally Sep holiday trip to Korea. Different trips (except 1-haven't go yet) have enriched me with different learning experiences & applications. Haha..the past 9 months has indeed fulfilled my desire in travelling so as to gain wider scope & deeper sense towards life. 不要羡慕我hor..hehe :)

My friends, whatever you have gone through in the last 9 months, PERSEVERE! Robert Frost said "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on." Don't let life beat you or you will be walking around like zombies. Keep on pushing, keep on trying, life can be whatever you make it to be.

第三招

Third stroke: Tortorise starts running much earlier than the rabbit
第三招：让自己比兔子更早起跑

In the race, if the tortorise can run first starting much earlier than the rabbit, or after the tortorise starts running, the rabbit is still taking his own sweet time assuming that he will win over the slow tortorise. The rabbit might not be sure of his running track, so the tortorise might have a bigger chance in winning the race. It applies the same to us when we are not sure of our running direction or there is no clear focus, our efforts & energy will be diversified & wasting. Our goal may not be BIG, it should be NOBLE. In the midst of pursuing success, never forget to bless the people around you.

Concluding Note:
The tortorise may be slow, but if he starts running first & be clear of his direction ahead, he might win the rabbit. The rabbit may be faster, but if he takes his own time or simply not sure of his direction, he might lose the race. I challenge you to have the tortorise spirit "Though Slow, Yet Sure". And of course seek to honour God & bless people in your pursue of success! When you honour God, He will honour you!