Green, Yellow, Red

Just want to say, sometimes, the smallest things can be a blessing and a teaching by God.

If not for the traffic light turning red at that right moment, i would have seen my bus zoom past me and needing to wait another 10mins,but not that day, God decided that i would arrive earlier for work.

If not for the traffic light turning red at that right moment, i would have to rush out of the church van since there were buses behind but not this time rd, God decided that I would have enough time to get out and even say a proper bye to the ppl inside.

2 diff timings, same traffic light, sometimes life can be viewed in a simple way of how God works if we can just stand still for a while and think abt what's happening ard us.

Green, Yellow, Red. God does want us to stop and think abt him and him alone. Maybe its time to stop right at this instant and give thanks for all He has done,don't u agree?

Didn't You ask for this ?

Prayer is an impt and (hopefully) a daily thing that we do in order to speak to God and as well as presenting our requests to him. As such, in this post, we are going to basically split prayer into the so called answered and unanswered part. I'm sure for many if not all, the unanswered part far outweighs the answered.

If we were to talk abt the answered parts, just what is our reaction to them? Are we very happy abt it at that moment and then later let the joy just fade away I must say that on some occasions, the "Forgetting to say thank you part" happens to me. Or even if i do say thanks, it's sometimes just like a "Say it for the sake of saying part". Do u guys ever have this happening to you ?

One impt thing that does happen abt prayer is the "I ask for it but i dont treat what God has given to me with the due attention/respect it deserves". Sometimes, one will just take it for granted. Recently, I was praying and asking for someone to come to share the workload as well as making the office filled with more people since my senior left. And wooo, express prayer answered. I was happy at 1st abt it but slowly you take things for granted that the person is ard to help out and later get frustrated with the person when he doesnt do things right and you've have to clean up the mess he created. It doesnt help that his style and pace of working is so different due to the country he is from. ( I can finally understand someone else frustation with dealing with ppl like them). And you just end up been somewhat un-christian like at times when you talk/treat them as a person. It's really a struggle to practice God's principle at work and even more to just have a diff mindset abt ppl that's diff from others.

This part is a very interesting one, it's about praying for something and then later regretting you ever asked for it. In a way, I complain and pray abt somethings and God answered me. The end goal was what i wanted though the process to get there isn't. Still it's good to know more about what God intends to do when you asked for things. Anyway, the more impt thing out of this is that, frustration sometimes does get the better of a person and when God answers your prayer to reveal exactly what your heart truly desires, He'll be saying like: "Didn't you ask for this, why are you having 2nd thoughts abt it then?" It's great that God can read between the lines of what we say and thus enable things to turn out right in the end. Thats why, do consider with care what you pray for and know that the end goal is really what you have in mind.

Sometimes it can be a painful and yet very enriching experiences to build one up as one moves along in life. Therefore, know what you truly desire when you pray for something and when you do get it, treasure and love that reward cos God gave it to you/the ppl whom you've been praying for.

For the unanswered part, know that deep down in your heart, God always hears us, just that the prayer will only happen in his timing not ours cos he knows the entire big picture not us. We just have to show a mustard seed size and beyond faith to let God do his wonders in ours lives and those ard us. Continue to keep P.U.S.H., cos why, our God do love us and want the very best for each one of us. Jia you to all in your daily struggles, He knows everything in your heart so yeah, don't be too overly worried abt matters cos tomorrow has its own worries.

Here's what its all about, have you seen enough ?

A week spent speaking to friends and kids can be a draining time. Yet the Lord is always good to reveal more abt his greater works and how He's constantly working among the ppl in our midst. Won't go too much into detail since most alrdy heard abt it on sat but yeah, it's wonderful to know that we as his ppl are his mouth piece and that the little things which we give can be turned into greater things for His glory.

I personally dont think no matter hw much u can talk to someone can the person be changed. The only ever changing will happen when God decides that it's time to do so. Of course, that doesnt mean we give up on even talking to someone. It just means we need to get it into our heads that we r the tools used, He's the one that's going to make it work on top of the tonnes of prayer we put into it. So keep on trying, cos a great event is going to happen in his timing cos u trust and believe in God's will for yourself, your loved ones and ppl you're reaching out to.

God has shown enough to each one of us in our life till this point that He's been working on lots of wonderful things in our lives as well as those ard us and the ppl that we reach out to. We just need to constantly remind ourselves that when the bad times come, our faith must never waver. That we rely on things such as past experiences to push us onwards in trusting that if He pull you out back then, He'll do so again.

And thus, Here's what its all about, have you seen enough ? If you have, trust that every single step that you take is a step of faith ! Believe, trust and persevere on in your daily life. Cos there aren't no better one to live through than one filled with faith in our God,our saviour and our dearest friend !

Not the words but the heart

This story goes this like. I was heading out on a normal morning and as i took the lift down the floors, it stopped @ a certain floor. I pressed the door open button and allowed a couple to enter. It was interesting as i think about it that i was a little bit annoyed right at that instant that they didn't even say a simple thank you. On almost any other occasions i won't even be bothered about whether or not someone said the words but it was a bit different this morning. Maybe it was their body language, making it seem like it was only right that i waited for them to get in and hold the lift for them as well.

I wondered what it means and though i type this, i sort of still cant get the full picture out. The closest i can come to understanding this is the person in the big picture holding the lift door open is God. And we are the ones coming into the lift. Though its not always the case, there's always the occasions where we expect God to do things for us and yet when He does it, we return his gifts w/o a single sense of gratitude. It became a sort of saying we deserve it and it was only right we were given it. Has this happen to you from time to time, that we become a receiver of His rewards as if we truly demand that it be given upon us and yet when we get it, our attitudes change completely?

As human beings, it does feel like God is the nearest in the bad times and the furthest person on our minds in the good times.Well, it's hard to continuously maintain the same state of mindset, been focus on him all the time. I will say we should be grateful that God always listens and gives us what we ask for in his timing. Matt 7:7 says "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Indeed, no matter what we say, what the body language might be, God will always open that lift door for us to come in and into his presence as long as we desire to want to be with him. No matter what, he won't get angry (unlike us) even when at times, u might have forgotten to say that simple "Thank You" from the bottom of your heart.

Keep on praying, keep on trusting, keep on smiling, for our God is an awesome God who loves us for whoever we are and whatever behaviors we may have. All we need is an obedient heart that is after his own.

Thank You Lord for the bad times

When one goes through exams for quite a no. of times, u might become a bit too used to it that sometimes, the tension of waiting for the results is mostly non-existant. Of course, a lot has to do with the fact that one has become very dependent on God and great faith needs to be exercised.

In my case, i sort of didn't really bothered too much abt the date of the release of my exam results till i saw my friends msn nicks. Long story short, i tried to access my results but couldnt view it because the school says i havent seen my prof. Ah ! Luckily, God provided me a calm state of mind + great friends to spend the evening with so when i did the checking at nite, i sort of was too tired to think too much abt hw to solve the problem as well as what's the likely results i could be getting.

Oh well, a call in the morning to a friend abt the problem which she too experienced and an hr later, i could view it and yes i'm thankful i managed to clear everything once again. Weird feeling after u been failing for quite a stretch. Even better is those subjects u think that will fail giving your highest grades and vice versa ! Still, a pass is a pass, no more 3 mth same subjects again !

So whats the point of mentioning this. Of course, the most impt thing is to give thanks to the Lord for what He has provided. Another more significant thing is how this ties in with what i've been learning the past year. How the bad experiences one goes through becomes not only the test to stretch your faith but also becomes the strength to empower you to help others along life journey.

After the results were released, God has graciously given me a chance to share with a friend on how to plan his timetable to adjust and study harder for subjects he has failed before as well as a brother-in-Christ on whats the next steps after his Uni application didn't get accepted. It's only after what one goes through can u be able to share with someone on how to handle the situation and move on stronger.

In the same way, God sent his son Jesus to earth to experience what his creation experiened so that He could share and teach us on how to depend on him for strength and to overcome the obstacles. Indeed, that the son had already been through all that we are going through at the moment meant that since He has won us the victory on the cross, nothing is impossible for him as long as our faith in him is intact!

So how do u view your bad experiences in life? Do u embrace them as you look back in your life journey and know that God was there for you when you needed him most? How abt sharing the weaknesses we have, that God has overcome them for us, that in our friends darkest hours, our sharing of Christ victory in us might just spur them on to trust in him and his goodness.

It isnt easy and will never be. But if we accept that the worst of what life has to offer is God's way to strengthen us and those ard us, maybe, just maybe, we might be able to view the storms of this life in a different light altogether.

Regardless of what things might be, in the good and bad times, Lord help us to continue to give you praise, for its better to lead a life been cheerful and contented with the Lord, knowing the victories You have won for us instead of a doom and gloom life where one is defeated and unhappy. In God's hands, bad happenings will always be used to the fullest extend for the extension of his kingdom and for his people.

Thank You Lord for the bad times (even if it meant we struggle so much with their existances in our lives) .

How much % do we give into each area ?

I sort of wondered a bit abt time management of life in process and came out with a picture that this is where we generally are inputting our time into in our weekly life. There's the major part of work/study (1). After that we have the family time (2), followed by cell & friends (3) and lastly personal time/hobby/interests (4).

Kind of unique that the most part of our week is given to the work/study part. Considering that u work/study 5 days a wk, meaning you're out of the house for 9hrs (and that's not even considering travelling time). Wow, 32%. Amazing usage, which is good and bad depending on how u might view it. It's good u have more time to spend with ppl at work/school, but its still really a very individual task oriented period where u try to get things done in your own means. I'm saying good for the fact u have this 32% chance of your week to reach out to people and try to evangelise but sometimes we can be very unproductive in this area for weeks/months/years even at times. I guess most if not all have been through the experience of sharing and been shot down b4. But oh well, if u don't try, u never know whether u'll get shot or not right? And ya, its the easier said than done part sia, even as i type abt this part of evangelise, i doubt i will open my mouth to share although things are weird in life. I don't say anything but yet its the non-christian that will ask abt your faith. God really is wonderful to open doors.

After work/school, if there's no appointment with friends and you are tired out, it would mean heading home. So what exactly do we do at home, especially the family timing part ? Let's say we spend abt 4 nites at home from dinner to bed time onwards. We'll have abt 12% of our week with them. Not that bad but still we often don't talk much other than during dinner time right ? TV and computer times are moments of silent where we r in our own world, haha. If u come from a christian family, that saves u the trouble of having to evangelise but what do u talk abt other than work ? Sometimes, starting and sustaining a topic is a great challenge. And what abt those from non-christian families. Hitting brick walls that bounce back and hit u inside that will that time to heal b4 u try again yah? But home can be a gd training ground cos what u say and explain abt and the reactions u'll get will most often be carbon copies from total strangers that u reach out to in public. Of course, the most impt thing is still to see them be save. Somehow, time with family shrinks as we grow up, such is the reality of growing up.

Now to the friends part. Already we spend abt close to half of the time working and at home. So what is left? I est abt 10 hrs for both sat and sun combine and u'll get like 6% of your time in church. Add maybe another 4% plus/minus for friends outside of church, giving us a a miserable amt of 10%. Its so little already and due to commitments from work or other sources, it can drop to even lower %. If God made us to spend time to be with people (1 on 1, small or big grp), we really have to squeeze out what we can to give this valuable amt of time to friends. Kinds of make one wonder, if mon to fri already so busy till drain till no energy, how still to give time and energy to people. But, some friendships can last for ages, kind of like an accountable partner who walk through life with you, so its worth investing time in this, dont u agree?

Lastly, its the personal time ! We all have quite a bit of that cos we sort of waste time away doing nothing at times! And everyone has their own unique ways to recharge like going for holidays, taking walks, reading books, driving the car around, exercising and so much more. Not bad, considering we have abt 17% to ourselves ( not counting sleeping times of 7hrs daily). It also means we have 17% of time to spend with God. Not asking you to pray every few secs, impossible really and plus u'll really not be able to do anything at all. Still personal time is impt to all, cos it gives us time to enjoy doing things we like on our own

I suppose its all abt planning what is indeed impt in our lives, In this busy society, its very easy to get carried away and do what everyone else is doing. So its gd to know what areas are impt in your life so that u can give more time to these areas w/o having to give them up when life busyness catches up with us. So the simple msg is what truly are the impt areas in your life. If they are worth treasuring and preserving, it's good to make a continuous effort to set time aside for them. Remember, God gave u the mind to decide for yourself so its impt to know what do we want to see/achieve in life and what exactly are worth taking up a place in our hearts.

Give it a try, est hw many % u r giving in each area and whether u'll need to do some adjustments within your own means.

GDOP

A rather unusual sunday to have this event since it ran along side Mothers' Day. But still, it was a sight to remember of the large no. of ppl who managed to set aside time to go down to the indoor stadium to pray for Spore and the world.

We had a good no. of children from COR going along with us. Abt 21 of them despite the fact that some of them didnt appear as their parents forgot abt the event totally and brought them home, haha. Had a gd time chatting with one of the aunties who shared with me abt her calling to serve in the children ministry for a no. of yrs. There are quite a few husband and wife tag teams serving in the ministry. So her husband is also in the ministry and i listen as she shares hw G0d uses them in diff ways to reach out to kids of diff backgrounds. I think its great to know that somehow or other what u do does have a positive impact on the kids. Esp since most of the time, they dont really want to listen to the impt things which u want them to learn and etc.

The kids had a separate program just for them which was to run along side what the adults would be having. Its great that they learn how to apply prayer into their life and G0d listens to each request from every individual.

7 steps of prayer
> Get rid of junks (sins, own wants, things holding u back)
> Relationshp checks (With God, the bible and prayer)
> Praise and Worship
> Get rid of your own thoughts, ideas and plans (Surrender yourself to God)
> Receive the holy spirit
> Get lost, Devil
> Wait then listen

We had a gd time of learning, singing new songs, praying for the nation and making new friends from ard spore. I believe the kids learn new things and enjoy themselves. Its really funny what they say GDOP means. Some call it the Global Day of playing and stuff, haha.

Had a gd time interacting with them on the way back. Interesting time of conversation with a group comprising pri 1 to sec 1. So the topics flew everywhere but its gd to know them better esp since they know u but u dont really know them since there are so many of them, hehehe. Its wonderful to know that this new generation will grow up to continue on God work in spore and beyond. Plus the fact its really a wonderful cycle of blessing and sharing with one another for my case. Getting to learn new things from both adults and children. Its gd to be in the middle of the age group, haha!

You are not alone

In Christianity, all of life has worth in the highest degree because all of life takes on meaning: the bitter as well as the sweet, the wins as well as the losses. Whether he wins or loses, the Christian knows from the mere fact of playing the right game with all his might that the final outcome will be a win to end all losses. This is why Saint Paul could say of the church: " For no one of us lives, and equally no one of us dies, for himself alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Whether therefore we live or die, we belong to the Lord" (Rom 14:7,8) This is the testimony of a man who found the highest degree of value and satisfaction in both living and dying! And why? Because the game he played was "for the Lord." Think, then, of how it must feel to be trapped in a game that finally has no purpose, no meaning, no importance:



Dont be Discouraged, Charlie Brown," Schroeder tells him. " These early defeats help to build character for later on in life." "For what later on in life?" asks Charlie Brown. "For more defeats!" replies Schroeder. Charlie Brown then invests in five cents' worth of Lucy's psychiatric help. At first her advice sounds a bit more sophisticated: "Adversity builds character. Without adversity a person could never mature and face up to all the things in life!" "What things?" he asks. "More adversity!" she says. Is this all there is to man's existance: facing adversity with "maturity" and then - nothing? Are we really alone in a meaningless universe? Is there finally no one who even knows about our defeats? Is God dead? The Christian hardly thinks so. In speaking of a series of drawings he did on the subject of security, Schulz put it this way: "Perhaps the way I feel about God is best told in this last cartoon of that series. Linus is kneeling with arms on his bed, and the caption reads, ' Security is knowing you are not alone." And how does the Christian finally know he is not alone? Again, we will let Linus speak:



So do u trust that this friend is always there beside you all the time?