Sillyness aLwAyS by NaTuRe, wIsDoM cOmEs FrOm GoD aLoNe

3 weeks ago, my bestie made her official annoucement!!

My closest friends,

Ehem ehem..Since it's difficult to meet up, I think it's best to email you with a special announcement (ciplak-king Jo's idea).

Not too long ago, Jo announced he has found his girl in the castle.

I have found my doctor. Hehehehe. To be exact, I'm attached!

Some of you would have known him for some time, some of you have seen him at C-J's wedding as my duet partner, and some of you may be in for a complete surprise!

He's A.D. and we have been following him for ministry for about a year now. He's a doktor jiwa because he selamatkan jiwa untuk Yesus sepenuh masa and his guitar skills has completely swooned me over my saxophonist fantasy! (what saxophonist?) We have just gotten our parents' blessings in this relationship, and thus, I'm spreading this to my closest friends first!

If there is any upcoming get-together, we hope to be able to see you face to face!

Fishy

Aw.....so sweet :)! So so happy for you dearest dearest fren! muaks!

Having only met him officially once before the announcement, this was how he officially introduced himself . :) By learning to love the ppl closest to her heart, that's love in action to SY.

Dear SL a.k.a SY's "Honey",

It's a joy to be able to correspond with you now. Knowing you are very close to SY's heart, it is an honour to have met you.

God bless you!

A.D.

And so my reply to him was ............

Ehem….do I sense a bit of jealousy here??? :P hehe …

Anyways,

Hi A.D.! a.k.a “ the Knight in shining armor whose big heart for God and guitar skills has completely swooned my Honey and Best Friend over her century old saxophonist fantasy” !!! Finally! What took you so long to come and sweep my dearest friend off her feet ??!! Must be the huge dragons huh! *Big Grin*

It is in all excitement and joy to see how God had brought both of you together ( which you had already seen being manifested in the likes of Meowing K and Bouncing J :D) and how God is going to weave out a masterpiece from your relationship and both your lives.

The same honor and privilege is mine to be able to know you and to get to know you better.

Yay! Now I’ve got a new person to bully! Erm….i mean sayang. * did I say that out loud? Gosh* :P

And I am totally confident that you will take good care of her and be the Man that she has long asked God for.

Erm.. so ya..enough said for now!
Welcome to the crazy family of our gang!

Luv

SL

LOVE YOU HONEY! I'm extremely excited and joyful to see you embarking on a new phase in life with A.D!

Making a lil difference in someone's life

Dear SL

Thanks for all the guidance, patience that you’ve put into teaching me. I genuinely appreciate everything I’ve learnt here, especially about myself J. Will promise to do better in future. I’ve learnt many valuable lessons inlife but this is definitely one of the greatest lessons. Thank you!

Love,
JL, 23 jan 09

This came really unexpected and definitely undeserved. An encouragement and appreciation by a VT( Vacation Trainee) who had only been with us for less than a month. So what did I do? Well…..( through events that had been continually inspired by God and by Elook), just by being me, being honest, loving, genuine and truly wanting the VT to truly improve herself and live up to her full potential. J and the rest we say : “God took over”!

In fact, Elook, you deserve this more than I because you took the effort to take all the VTs under your wings when JM and I didn’t have the time!


Ah…driving home that day…a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction just took over… sigh * of contentment*. This is indeed one of those moments that I truly live for

– Making a lil difference in someone’s life –
- Leaving heartprints in the lives that comes my way –

Pa, I just pray that I will continue to make you proud and do what matters most to You. Thank you for the endless opportunities to touch lives, impart what You have imparted in mine directly and indirectly through others J

An Uncommon Call to an Uncommon Life
by Max Lucado

Each person is given something to do that shows who God is.1 Corinthians 12:7 MSG

Da Vinci painted one Mona Lisa. Beethoven composed one Fifth Symphony. And God made one version of you. He custom designed you for a one-of-a-kind assignment. Mine like a gold digger the unique-to-you nuggets from your life.

When I was six years old, my father built us a house. Architectural Digest didn’t notice, but my mom sure did. Dad constructed it, board by board, every day after work. My youth didn’t deter him from giving me a job. He tied an empty nail apron around my waist, placed a magnet in my hands, and sent me on daily patrols around the building site, carrying my magnet only inches off the ground.

One look at my tools and you could guess my job. Stray-nail collector.

One look at yours and the same can be said. Brick by brick, life by life, God is creating a kingdom, a “spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:5 CEV). He entrusted you with a key task in the project. Examine your tools and discover it. Your ability unveils your destiny. “If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 4:11). When God gives an assignment, he also gives the skill. Study your skills, then, to reveal your assignment.

Look at you. Your uncanny ease with numbers. Your quenchless curiosity about chemistry. Others stare at blueprints and yawn; you read them and drool. “I was made to do this,” you say.
Heed that inner music. No one else hears it the way you do.

What about you? Our Maker gives assignments to people, “to each according to each one’s unique ability” (Matt. 25:15). As he calls, he equips. Look back over your life. What have you consistently done well? What have you loved to do? Stand at the intersection of your affections and successes and find your uniqueness.

You have one. A divine spark. An uncommon call to an uncommon life. “The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others” (1 Cor. 12:7 CEV). So much for the excuse “I don’t have anything to offer.” Did the apostle Paul say, “The Spirit has given some of us …”? Or, “The Spirit has given a few of us …”? No. “The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others.” Enough of this self-deprecating “I can’t do anything.”

And enough of its arrogant opposite: “I have to do everything.” No, you don’t! You’re not God’s solution to society, but a solution in society. Imitate Paul, who said, “Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God’s plan for us” (2 Cor. 10:13 NLT). Clarify your contribution.
Don’t worry about skills you don’t have. Don’t covet strengths others do have.
Just extract your uniqueness. “Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you” (2 Tim. 1:6 NASB).

After reading the above, why do I still feel that I don't have any particular gift at all? Or why do I always feel I lack in everything and in every single area?!! Why do I feel that every gift I offer is not good enough??!!

Well, was reading RT Kendall's Believing God and this was said " We may think that God promised to use us and all we have to offer is this (gift) and if I abandon it, God cannot use me.
Well, the best we have to offer - even for God's service must be abandoned to Him. Let God decide what He will use. That which God may see in you may be quite different from what it is you think God is after. He doens't want your gift. He wants YOU! when you are utterly and totally His, then what you have to offer becomes subsidiary.

Yesus kekasih jiwaku
Sungguh kupercaya padaMu
Karena kasihMu padaku
Kau tebus dosaku
Dari terbitnya matahari dan sampai terbenamnya
Kuangkat lagu pujian
Tinggikan namaMu

Dengan gendang
kupuji-kupuji
Dengan kecapi, 0000000....
Kubernyanyi alleluia
Yesus kekasihku

Devotion 24 Jan
Running From God
Jonah 1:1-10
Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. —Jonah 1:3

Why do people run away from God? Is it because of anger, disappointment, despair, disobedience, or a web of rebellion woven from our own desires?

The book of Jonah looks at a prophet who rejected God’s call to deliver His word to the people of Nineveh. In the first chapter (vv.3,10), we read that Jonah deliberately headed for Tarshish to run away from the Lord. He knew exactly where he was going and why. After being given a second chance (3:1-2), Jonah delivered God’s message but reacted angrily when the Lord spared the repentant city (3:10–4:2).

The book ends with the Lord speaking to Jonah about His compassion: “Should I not pity Nineveh?” (4:11). But there’s no indication that the disgruntled prophet changed his attitude. The people of Nineveh repented; Jonah did not.

The story of Jonah should cause each of us to be honest about our feelings toward the Lord. Do we harbor resentment for His leniency toward people we feel deserve judgment? Have we forgotten that God has forgiven us? Are we ready to obey His call and leave the outcome to Him?

The story of Jonah illuminates our reactions to God and measures our willingness to trust Him when we can’t understand His ways. —David C. McCasland

Sometimes it’s hard to trust the Lord
When you don’t understand;
But fight the urge to run from Him—
Reach out and take His hand.
—Sper

He pleases God best who trusts Him most.


Have I been unconsciously running away from Him?!
Yet when I looked back a week ago, this was what I said in my diary

1 Jan - 7 Jan 2007

Struggling this week with walk with God.
Dunno why, is it coz :-

I’m taking a step backward because I'm too scared to venture in further to the uncertainy of my future ( yet in God we are secured),
the unknown ( yet in God why are we afraid of the unknown, knowing He has the BEST in store for us, and that HE is watching over us every step of the way),
the scariness( yet the most exciting experience always)
and fear ( God with us, whom shall we fear?)
of the journey God has in store for me.

Why?

On the night of 12 Dec 2006 (Tues), my bro in law was involved in a serious accident, a motorbike hit him on the back of his car, he came down to inspect the car, but as he turned around , two bulky guys were running towards him, fearing that they might be some robbers who purposely orchestrated the whole "accident", his first instinct was to get back in the car and quickly drive off.

In his haste, he lost control of the car at the next bend and the car hit a huge tree on a divider on the middle of the road. The tree fell across the other side, the front of the car was wreck..the windshield crack at the impact of his head hitting it. And yet he came out of the car with just only a fractured nose and a slightly swollen eye. * Amazing*

and The two guys on the motorbike followed him and ran off the instant they saw him hit the tree.

Saw Bro in law yesterday, he looks good..other than a slight swollen face and a slightly crooked nose that

So so super Thankful to Jesus for His Protection, Grace, Mercy ..how time and time again God is so good..to make sure that the impact was minimal.:-

1. With the wreckage of the car, it's truly amazing that he only suffered the minimal injuries he had. Worst case scenario Most prob he would only need to have surgery to straighten his button nose - for vanity sake :P heheheh..

2. Thankful that the tree was there ..if not the car would have flown over the opposite side and hit another passing car and might have caused injury on an innocent driver or even worse death for both my bro in law and another victim.

3. Thankful that there was no passing car ( on a usually bz road) when the tree fell across the road or someone might have gotten killed too.

4. Thankful that no one else was injured.

5. Thankful that God hears and answers the prayers of my mom, as she prays every morning to God (while on her morning walks) for the protection, blessings on her family, relatives and friends.

6. Thankful that God hears and answers my prayers to keep my family and friends safe at all times.

The story doesn't end here *grin*

31 December 2006
R.T.Kendall <> - Abraham and Isaac ( Heb 11:17-18)

“ We are told that Abraham ‘stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his on’ (Gen 22 : 10), for Isaac was ‘ as good as dead’. Abraham was now carrying outwardly what he had committed himself to inwardly. Abraham had in his heart of hearts said ‘goodbye to Isaac’.

By the way, Abraham had to do it. He had been willing, yes. But he had to do it. Our hearts are so deceitful. We often think we are wiling but when it comes to doing we tend to play games with ourselves. When Abraham stretched forth his hand, there was not the remotest thought that God would stop him. Many of us know the ending of the story and often fancy a happy ending of our particular trial along the lines of the Abraham and Isaac story. We therefore say to ourselves that we are willing. We are willing to abandon ourselves to God, but do we do it? We are willing to obey but do we do it? Jesus said : ‘ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it’ ( Mark 8:35)

As long as we are thinking of saving our lives that whole time we are trying to lose them, it manifestly shows we haven’t abandoned ourselves yet. To lose oneself is to carry out outwardly what we are committed to inwardly without any thought of a happy consequence.

Don’t; try to predict the end from the beginning. What God will salvage when you offer your own body a ‘living sacrifice’ is His business. You will say “ but there will be nothing left of me for Him to use.’ When there is nothing left of you for God to use, you are at the moment ready to be used.

When God speaks, somehow it shuts me up and stops me from questioning more. All I have to do is just OBEY and TRUST HIM whose ways are higher than and thoughts are greater than mine! Lord, teach me how.

Thoughts on 12 Dec2006
Luck?? Coincidence? or The Hands of God?! Which do you think it is?

Would you rather have a stroke of Luck or have things happen by Coincidence and not have security and certainty in life? or would you rather have Life guided by the hands of a loving, gracious and merciful God? And have this assurance that whatever circumstance or situations that may be thrown your way, It's still gonna be alright! Because there is a God above ALL that is in control and watching over us...each second and each minute of our lives. Who knows our every thoughts, our every emotions, every aspect of our lives, who knows us inside out and understand us better than our ownselves. He even knows the EXACT number of hairs on your head!

Mars was sharing this afternoon about what he learned and observe during the mission trip “Why do people face the most trials just after witnessing something great done by God?”

Below are his thoughts.

I was wondering during the ride home (after the rear windshield shattered), “Why do people face the most trials just after witnessing something great done by God?”

A verse came to mind.
2nd Corinthians 12:7-9 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
2 thoughts from that verse.

1) To keep me from becoming conceited…. So that Christ Power may rest in me.
God allows this to happen, so that we learn to rely on God and depend on Him
2) A messenger from Satan.
Satan will do everything in his power to distract and to discourage

I've always wondered the same, as in why also does bad stuff happen to God's people and why have to put His sons and daughters through so much pain.

Thanks to Mars for the revelation and thank you Jesus for speaking to us again and helping us understand our situations.

I'm encouraged and blessed.

H E A R T P R I N T S

Whatever our hands touch
We leave fingerprints!
On walls, on furniture,
On doorknobs, dishes, books,
As we touch we leave our identity.
O God, wherever I go today,
Help me to leave heartprints!
Heartprints of compassion,
Of understanding and love.
Heartprints of kindness
And genuine concern.
May my heart touch a lonely neighbor,
Or a runaway daughter,
Or an anxious mother,
Or, pehaps, a dear friend!
Lord, send me out today To leave heartprints,
And if someone should say,
"I felt your touch,"
May that one sense YOUR LOVE Touching through ME.

- Ruth Harms Calkin