Mittwoch, Juli 25, 2007



Friday, June 29, 2007
Honest Prayer
By Rachel Olsen

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

Have you ever shaken your fist at God over His answer to your prayers, or lack of answers?

Have you grown angry with Him over the injustices in your life?

If so, you’ll be able to relate to the prophet Habakkuk, living roughly 600 years before Christ. His book of the Bible begins with this complaint: “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save me. Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?” (Hab.1:2-3, NIV). God answered Habakkuk by telling him to be patient and to watch, that He will do amazing things and usher in justice, but only in His timing.

Passionate, honest, gut-level, even angry prayers have been recorded through out the Bible. Habakkuk wasn’t the only one to complain. Moses, Gideon, and Elijah all questioned God. Job even cursed the day God made him and said, “I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me. Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands...?’” (Job 10:1-3, NIV).

In his anguish, Job accused God of afflicting people for no reason (Job 9:17), overwhelming them with misery (Job 9:18), not caring about injustice (Job 9:22, 24), and laughing at the pain of the innocent (Job 9:22). Of course these accusations are not accurate, but it is true that is how we often feel in times of severe suffering or testing. God knows our deepest thoughts and feelings, so it’s futile to think we can hide them from Him. Better to come clean with how we really feel, get it off our chest in prayer, and hopefully clear the way to hear and receive God’s reply or comfort.

I’ve complained to God in the past for allowing my loved ones to die or fall deep into sin, for allowing valuable things to be stolen from me, for allowing my reputation to be unfairly tarnished, for allowing physical suffering in my body, or for not allowing what I felt I deserved. I have found the best thing I can do is honestly take these feelings to God where they can be traded for His perspective and His comforting assurance. Though God may not always change my circumstances the way I want Him to, He can and does change my perspective on those circumstances and enables me to endure them.

God listens when we complain about injustice. He hates seeing the unrighteous prosper, particularly when it’s at the hands of the innocent, as much as we do. He understands when we feel shortchanged or opposed. Read through the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and you’ll be reminded of just how much Jesus can relate to undeserved opposition.

I urge you to be honest before God in prayer today. While maintaining a degree of holy respect for Him and thanksgiving for His saving grace, pour out the good, the bad and the ugly of your feelings. As Habakkuk, Job and others discovered, God can handle your intense emotions and questions. Though He rarely explains Himself fully to us – perhaps because we can’t fully understand this side of eternity – He does flood us with His power, love and peace when we come humbly and honestly before Him and pour out our heart.

Dear Lord, it’s hard for me to understand Your ways. It’s hard for me to overlook offenses. It’s hard for me to deal graciously with the difficult situations or people in my life, and sometimes I grow angry with You for allowing them into my life. But I don’t want to be a bitter or miserable person. Help me to see through Your eyes, and to endure all that You allow into my life, with Your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


Source: http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/2007/06/honest-prayer.html



Some thoughts to chew on.. learning to be honest and open about our feelings and to be able to share them.Thanks to ms fang for sharing this URL.

Another is learning to look from a different perspective toward life and all its challenges, mysteries, perplexities in the link below about a testimony of Cancer's unexpected blessings.


http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/july/25.30.html

Freitag, April 27, 2007



smoking etiquette 99

if you think you have the right to smoke, then it also gives others the right not to have smoke blown into their faces

Mittwoch, April 25, 2007



yay! becca says she wants to backpack Europe.. finally found someone who loves to visit this continent as much as i do. i hope we have a chance to go together in the near future. how exciting!

i am still in the midst of my exams. 2 down, 2 more to go. had been feeling really restless and distracted the past few days and that affected me in my revision. somehow i just didn't want to be at home studying. i wanted to go out and do the things i usually do - just be out and hang out, go for prayer walk with cell, etc..

today, i struggled with the idea of going out again since it looked like i have relatively more time to prepare for tomorrow's paper. however, i put my foot down and decided against it, asking God to help me to be focused and disciplined for the rest of the exam period. i remember that i really want to honour God with my studies and do well because He has brought me into this season. And guess what?.. God brought the rain and awoken in me a great interest for studying tomorrow subject: new media.. heeee

**dreaming of europe**

Donnerstag, Dezember 28, 2006



Tomato soup anyone? :0)

Montag, Oktober 30, 2006



I also need a new blog skin.. can anyone help me out here? :)

Dienstag, September 26, 2006



Have we been treating the church like a commodity to feed off our fetish for consumerism and exploiting our relationship with God as nothing more than just to meet our satisfaction?

Read more here

Dienstag, September 12, 2006



Oh Let The Son of God

Oh let the Son of God enfold you
With His Spirit and His love
Let Him fill your heart
And satisfy your soul

Oh let Him have the things that hold you
And His Spirit like a dove
Will descend upon your life
And make you whole

Chorus:
Jesus, Oh Jesus
Come and fill Your lambs
Jesus, Oh Jesus
Come and fill Your lambs

Oh come and sing this song with gladness
As your hearts are filled with joy
Lift your hands in sweet surrender to His Name

Oh give Him all your tears and sorrow
Give Him all your years of pain
And you’ll enter into life
In Jesus’ name

Freitag, August 18, 2006



ARE YOU A COMPLAINER?-my devotional from Our Daily Bread May 18th.

Do you know that when we complain, it displeases the LORD. So it says in Numbers 11:1 (NIV),

"Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused."

We sometimes tend to focus on the negatives rather than the positives of life. We murmur against the Lord when we should be praising Him for His countless blessings. We let ourselves be distracted by the disappointments and deprivations that God allows for our spiritual good.

Whenever we are tempted to grumble, let's remember Numbers 11:1 (NKJV), "when the people complained, it displeased the LORD."


Now this is interesting > Some people go through life standing at the complaint center.


:D

Mittwoch, Juli 19, 2006



One of my cousins married a Frenchman. Check out their wedding blog. Everything is in french. They are going to hold a celebratory dinner in K.K. at my grandparents' hometown. Wondering if I can go? School is commencing soon and it is irritating.


j'aime le français tellement. c'est folie!!

Donnerstag, April 20, 2006



Quiz Time!

The Five Love Languages
Unhappiness in relationships, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our partner's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others. Dr. Chapman's love languages are: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.


What is your love language?


Here's what I got:
Your primary love language is probably
Quality Time
with a secondary love language being
Receiving Gifts.

Complete set of results
Quality Time: 9
Receiving Gifts: 8
Acts of Service: 6
Words of Affirmation: 5
Physical Touch: 2

Dienstag, März 28, 2006



It is written:

"'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.'"
(Romans 14:11)

After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the ark into Dagon's temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. (1 Samuel 5:1-4)


Lord, when will they know that you are the only one living God who loves them?

------

University tuition fees are really expensive. Father God, is this where you want me to be?

Samstag, März 25, 2006



Praise God! I have finished poly!

I got back my final semester results on thursday and I am glad to say I need not stay back to retake any modules! It has been a very difficult semester. The second half of my final year's specialization was Marketing and it was quite a killer option to take. But God was with me and because of that, I never gave up persevering. JohnC shared James 5:11 with me on friday for another matter,and that verse says:

"As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

Praise you Lord Jesus! You are awesome, great and mighty because You are the only one who rose from the dead and with this, overpowering death to demonstrate that all glory, power and authority on earth are yours as it is in heaven.

It is true and no one can deny that Jesus you are Lord of Lords. Guest speaker Michael Ross Watson reminded us today that Jesus is the only one true Lord God because He is the only one who died and rose again. He came to earth some 2000 years back to redeem us, to save us from the raging furnaces of hell. From a life that is meaningless, to give us a life that is full and meaningful.

We all want it in our hearts to know Jesus and to be saved. To be re-born again with Jesus, who gives us life to the full, as it says in John 10:9-11


"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."


We are God's creations and we have strayed from God since the time of Adam and Eve back in the Garden of Eden. We are sinners and we need to repent and return back to our Creator. It is true,

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

The world needs to hear about the good news that Jesus brings. They need to hear about Jesus because they have been hidden from the truth far too long. All this because the devil fears the power that is in the name Jesus..

"But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name." Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." Acts 4:17-18


To believe in Jesus - we must define who our God is - that is making that confession with our mouths, in order to be saved. Because He is a righteous God.

"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." Luke 12:8-10

This salvation is yours to take. It is a wonderful, perfect free gift from a God who loves us first. Not because we love him. You can make that choice today to believe and receive Jesus into your lives today just by making this simple step of faith and call on the name Jesus.

I pray blessings over your life as you read this message inspired by the love of God, and that may Jesus touch your life today!

Mittwoch, Februar 22, 2006



The Lord knows and he got one of my friend to send me this verse in the morning...

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)




This the season of "send-offs"

Marcus said: "There are two seasons in a year for seeing people off at the airport. One is around this time - feb - and the other between aug-and-sept."

I have counted that I have been to the airport 5 times in 4 consecutive weeks. First it was lovy, mich, then edle, honkie and now lanny. The first and the last were quite emotional though when it came to the last, i was more prepared and assured that she will be fine because she will be joining lobee. haha.

But still, coming home back to the room where the 3 of us once shared a room, entering it and pausing at the table, the deafening silence can be rather overwhelming. Feeling a rush of sadness in my head at the thought of facing an empty room for an undefined period of time.

Then I thought to myself. I will start sprucing up the place slowly after my finals. Put up our pictures and brighten the room so that the gloom will not set in and stay.

I am glad that I have you, Lord. What would I be if I did not have you? =)

----

The finals are here! Study hard for the last leg of my poly course.

Dienstag, Februar 21, 2006






Swatch's Spring/Summer 06 Cherry Gloss - I WANT!!

Montag, Januar 30, 2006



Montag, Januar 23, 2006





Nikon Digital Camera Coolpix S1. 5.1 Megapixels, 2.5" LCD, 3x Optical zoom, Slick Aluminum Exterior, 17 Scene Modes, Unlimited Movie Recording with sound. D-Lighting, Built In Memory. Using SD Card. Face Priority AF. Voice Recording.

Going for $500 neg.
1.5 weeks old (used twice)
In mint condition + 1 year warranty
Interested parties, email lai.lovy@gmail.com
For more details, go here

Donnerstag, Januar 12, 2006



It's been raining non-stop on this sunny island for the past 2 weeks and it seems to be getting colder each day. school term resumed for me this week after 2 weeks of holidays and 1 week of common test (out of which i had one dreadful paper).

Nonetheless, these 3 weeks have been a good time of rest, celebrated christmas and ushered in the new year with good company, and had the most difficult and challenging task to complete face-to-face surveys with about 32 singaporean women.

The school term is becoming shorter as the weeks just fly past surreptitiously without you and i noticing. Lunar new year is just around the corner. have you shopped for your new clothes and done spring cleaning yet?

not me.

Sonntag, Dezember 11, 2005





My church is having a Christmas musical, The Other Wise Man and I am looking forward to catching it!

click here for more details

Dienstag, November 15, 2005



Boxes of our lives

It is the third week into my last semester at Ngee Ann. I am still trying to adjust back to my life as a student. The one and a half month term break was quite well-spent. I had spent most of the days catching up on rest, doing devotion, praying regularly and cleaning up the house a bit; clearing my cupboards of the old notes from JC. It seemed to me that throwing away the notes was symbolic to releasing a chapter of my life, one filled with regret, frustration and uncertainty - letting go of what was once held so tightly in my grip: resistance to new changes and an unfamiliar structure.
"You are packing your life into boxes" remarked Marcus' mother when he was packing his room for his new house. What a simple but impactful statement.
As he continued clearing his shelves, cleaning and packing things into the boxes, some were nicely bubble-wrapped, while others were simply dropped into the trash bag. You hold on to things that mean a lot to you, things of significant value. You readily throw away things that hold not much of a value to you because they do not tug at your heartstrings. What have you packed into your box? Sometimes or often times, we put things into our cupboard without giving much thought to whether it is necessary to keep them. There are also things that are of sentimental value, things that remind our past and things that we hold on to whether good or bad.
I had kept my JC notes so that when I retook my As, they would come in handy. After that, I continued to keep those notes even after I became a student at Ngee Ann, still believing that I would have use for them when I get into a university doing Arts. A part of me never left go, a part of me refused to do so. Even though I was positive about continuing my studies, in pursuit of my "passion" for the different Arts subjects, I was clearly still hurt and affected about the disruption in the plan and the route to university after my As. A part of me had not moved on even when I had begun studying in another school now.
While I was clearing my cupboards, discarding the notes that have now turned yellow with age and dust had accumulated over years of un-use, I suddenly felt a sense of release, closure and ease that I had not exactly felt before, not even at the point when I was accepted into NP and had started school.
God has been ministering to me these 4 years. He has been by my side, supporting, comforting and encouraging me. Even though it is a different route that I am taking right now, I will not fear because You are with me. You will lead and guide me and You will protect me. It has been a painful process of breaking and shaking – like gold through a refiner’s fire, You have bought me through. Yet, I will come out stronger because I have you.

“This is what the LORD says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
"I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17

Everyday Lord, I am learning to submit all my plans, ambitions, hopes and dreams into your hands.
“In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps” Proverbs 16:9



What are you keeping in your box?

Donnerstag, November 03, 2005



you can call me

Your French Name is:

Pansy Beaubois


..or

Your French Name is:

Margaux Arnaud




back to school! lots of notes-churning exercise, project deadlines, tutorial, assignments and serious dressing up lined up for me this last semester.

Your Irish Name Is...

Grainne O'Mahony


Gummy Bears

You may be smooshie and taste unnatural, but you're so darn cute.