It's testing to the very being, very core of me.

Will you, O Lord, deliver us from this situation. When the enemies come like a flood, Lord you will raise Your standard against them. When they come in horses and chariots, Lord, let Your name be lifted high and give us our victory. You are Lord our Banner of salvation and victory.

And we shall wait for our mighty Reinforcement while we get pounded, knowing we will not lose this battle.

Just you wait.

Everything seems like an uphill task. Just like the slope that I encountered during my run this morning.

When you're tired and weary, the last thing you want to see is that 'mountain' in your life. But it has to appear...

So that at the end of it is a down slope, a place we can gather momentum and quicken our pace.

Just a simple analogy I've got from the morning jog. Uphill tasks, full of them. But God put them for us to conquer and this story of my conquest can only be written by me and only my decision decides the outcome of it.

Gonna so make all these count. Fear? Step aside. I have faith as my friend.

My heart clenches

and the physical pain unbearable at that instance.

I thought the heart is just an organ. How does it even react to your true state of feeling?


Let this be a period of strengthening of my heart. Break it, Lord. So it can be stronger...

Wilderness

"It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, "If the people encounter war, they'll change their minds and go back to Egypt.

So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea."

Exodus 13:17-18 (The Message)

Ever wondered why we have to walk the path of wilderness? Ever thought why the sin that we've been struggling with has been unresolved for all these years? Ever lamented why God doesn't always answer our prayer in an instant?

Answer is because our God is a loving Father. He knew mankind seeks easy way out when they encounter problems (and wars) and our 'easy-way-out' is Egypt, our comfort zone, our past sins and our old ways.

And he brought us to a place where it's easier to seek Him than anything else. Nothing else matters, bridges burned, Red Sea parted and closed. To a point of no return.

Are you walking through the desert? Don't look back to Egypt because there's no way back. Look only to where the Pillar of cloud by day and Pillar of fire by night leads you. However long it takes, all He asks for is our communion with Him and walking together with Him.

"I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back... no turning back...

the cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back... no turning back"

PS: Couldn't find a nicer photo of the wilderness :(

'When the oceans rise and thunders roar,

I will be still, know You are God.'

When our world is shaken, do we still choose to praise Him?

When our dreams falls apart, are our hands still uplifted unto Him in utter surrender?

When all our securities are removed, will you still cling onto Him?

When it ALL crumbles, will you still be choose to build your life upon Him, the chief Cornerstone and the Author and Perfector of our faith?


Was just looking through the photos of the recent Haiti earthquake and it's heart-wrenching. So much suffering and pain in all the photos. Read about their history and this earthquake came at a bad timing as Haiti only just regain some sort of political stability after years of civil unrest and political situations.

As we've been talking about being 'Unshakeable' and all, I guess what we're going through are just so minute compared to what some of these people are going through. A shaking that transcends past just falling buildings, burst gas pipes and debris but it hits the most vulnerable and essential aspect in our lives.

Security.

We all want a peaceful family life, with a nice house, big car, a well-paid job. Or for them, just enough money to support the family, enough food to live through the day and having each other at home. But in one instance, all are taken away.

Food for thought, how will we deal with shakings in our lives?

I'm encouraged by those Haitians in the photo. In good times, they praise Him. In times such as these, hands are still lifted up high.

If they can do it, so will I.

Praise God. Even as I'm typing this I feel the excitement for tomorrow's interview. Haha don't get me wrong, I'm not the one getting interviewed! I'm gonna look for the one blessed guy who's going to take over me when I officially finish off my 2 years with SPF.

Was looking through the criteria and realised how it actually IS a miracle that I'm holding this post. I'm PES B, able to bear arms and was actually a marksman yet was selected for a staff job. In the current deployment grading system, I'll never never ever show up in their database if they're looking for a staff assistant.

That's why I believe God indeed answers prayer. During my basic training days I prayed that my posting will be something that brings Him glory and it will actually enable me to serve Him even more. It was a serious prayer and I think God definitely took it seriously.

So much has happened within this 2 years and I think if I didn't get this job, my life would've been totally different and the people I have around me will probably not be the same. A small little diversion a year and a half ago could've so drastically changed the path I'm taking but I thank God for His faithfulness and goodness :)

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Managed to share with my fellow colleague a little about forgiveness. He's been through some serious problem in his relationship and he was just pouring it all out to me.

It was just good to listen, feel him and give him sound advice. He was receptive and he said he felt better. Thank God for giving me opportunities upon opportunities in which I can minister and actually know where my true strength lies.

It's a series of different matters in which God is actually pointing me a little towards my destiny and I'm grateful. I know as days go by there's going to be more tests and trials but I know my God is bigger and stronger. I am willing :)

I am nothing now,

It's been too long

Since I've heard a sound

The sound of my only hope.

This time, I will be listening...

This heart, it beats...

Beats for only You...

'Step out and step up. For God has seen you faithful in the small and is ready to give you more responsibilities. You'll be like an oak tree to people and He shall reward you for the words you've given to people.'

Those were the words of Ps Mark after praying for me. On one hand I was glad that I was found faithful in the little and that our Father acknowledges that and the things I've been doing are of His will. But on the other, stepping out isn't the easiest thing to do, eh?

There'll be so much challenges, moving out of my comfort zone. Unshakeable? Maybe time to walk on water and test it out. Yes, all these are rational fears and anxieties but I don't think we're called to be living in the rational and by common sense.

As one of Paramore's song goes 'With your faith you'll trigger a landslide; kill off these common sense of mine'. A lot of times it's just our common sense and our rational mind telling stopping ourselves from moving out. For now, I'm just going to tell myself that I will make that step if called... and anything after that, God please take care for me :p

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Was watching 'I Shouldn't Be Alive' on YouTube and something struck me.

Aren't we all?

If not for His work on the cross, we really should have been dead. So I thank God for His grace and mercy, no matter how wretched, how sinful and how backslidden I was, He was always there waiting for me to come home, into His loving embrace.

But how are we living our lives, knowing that we shouldn't be alive but it was by His grace that we live daily? The same way we did when we did not know God?

That is impossible. Because near-death experiences always changes people's life and I believe each and everyone of us MUST have that mindset, knowing that we are actually just at the very edge of spiritual death but is redeemed by His grace.

And how do these survivors usually react? I believe they will treasure things around them more and the time that is in their hands will surely be multiplied. Knowing that the time that they have are borrowed, I'm sure they will have a different paradigm as to how we often see time.

Are we making full use of the time given to us? Are we having the we-shouldn't-be-alive attitude in everything we do? I think it will definitely bring about a heart of thanksgiving to our Lord, knowing that it is by His resurrection that we can have life and His blood that cleanses us.

So how 'alive' are you today?