Genesis 22:1-14

5 years old :]

2009-03-30T23:15:00.005+08:00

this blog has served me faithfully for 5 wonderful years...on top of that, God has brought me to another phase of my life, so...just thought it'd be nice for a change :] you may now read of God's goodness and faithfulness to me at http://guardingthefaith.wordpress.com :]

sunday with p'nick

2009-03-01T23:59:00.001+08:00

thank God for the opportunity to meet up with p'nick. very much looking forward to the next time we meet :)

no mistake 'bout it :)

2009-02-18T23:02:00.000+08:00

just about a month ago i blogged about how i wonder if i made the right decision to teach this sunday school class m taking this year.

i thank God for showing me clearly His answer to my question.

with all confidence in the God i serve, i can say that...

i've made the right decision.

breakfast with daniel :)

2009-01-20T23:04:00.000+08:00

breakfast at science centre macs

thank God for friendships such as this! :) genesis law corp hadn't just been a place i worked at for 9months while considering and praying over the Lord's direction for me, met good bosses, learned precious lessons and gained out-of-textbook experiences, but also the place i made pretty good friends :)

"told you to wait"

2009-01-09T23:40:00.002+08:00

just slightly more than a week ago, my dad heard me say i wanted to get an organiser and he had told me to wait, and he'll get me a really good one. well...i didn't wait, and went to get one from kinokuniya.

after i spent $28.90 on a chip 'n' dale schedule book...my dad gave me an organizer from barclays. -_-" and when i looked inside...it was really good. among other stuff, it includes the monthly page in the size of my preference. he made me show him my organizer, yes, the cheap, i mean chip 'n' dale organizer...and laughed at me. "told you to wait!~" so i asked him, "then what do i do with mine now?"

"throw away la!" =(

sigh...i can't help but feel...so silly.

a decision to reconsider

2009-01-02T01:12:00.002+08:00

it's been on my mind for some time now...since the last night of Sunday School camp. as much as i'd love to teach this group of young ladies (even more so since i'd be serving the Lord alongside my closest friend), deep down, m really really afraid. i don't deny i fear rejection. i don't deny i fear being compared with the teacher i'd be replacing. and i don't deny...m discouraged. have i made the wrong decision...but worse, have i heard the Lord wrongly about teaching this class?

i failed!

2008-12-23T23:03:00.002+08:00

gwyn failed her driving test today! but she's really grateful to all who have prayed for and with her. she's really upset...but she believes she'll be alright after a while. after all, such things (like a license) come only in God's timing, when He feels she's ready for it. for now...you guys can pray that she won't be upset for too long! =/

SS Camp 2008 testimony :)

2008-12-12T23:59:00.000+08:00

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2) This instruction – for believers to teach others, who would go on to teach others – is necessary if we want our church to multiply spiritually. Therefore, it is with much joy, I praise and thank God for moving the hearts of the camp committee to make “Discipleship” and disciple-making our theme this year! Working together with a committee who shared a vision for born-again disciple-makers to learn and apply God’s Word in their lives, was a wonderful, edifying experience. It was encouraging to see the care and support given to one another, especially when most of us were struggling to cope with our busy school/work schedules, topped up with many other commitments.

This year’s camp was definitely a refreshing one, especially with all the new activities like taking the campers through the history of Christianity in Singapore on the “Amazing (g)race”, teaching them practical Quiet Time skills, giving each camper some private time to reflect on their walk with God during “Prayer Labyrinth”, and allowing them to experience what it is like to live as believers in countries facing persecution through the simulated “Underground Church”…all of which I benefited from too, even as a mentor.

I thank God for the privilege of being a mentor and friend to the group, “Philip”. It always brings joy to my heart to see the children and youths come to a decision to take Jesus as their Lord and Savior, or be assured of their salvation. Caring for the spiritual well-being of the young people God placed under my care, and challenging them to live their lives as true disciples of Jesus, was not an easy task, but I was often reminded that it is in my weakness that God’s strength is made perfect, and all I had to do was give my best and leave the results to Him.

Listening to Rev Goh’s messages on discipleship / disciple-making was really spiritually-refreshing! God has blessed Rev Goh with a teaching style that not only engages his audience, but also helps them to remember the lessons through the use of “live” illustrations, action songs, and various acronyms!

Though this year’s camp has come to an end, the committee believes that this is just the “appetizer” to our long-term plan to live as true disciples as well as help others do the same. I was greatly encouraged to see many of the Post O Level students commit to being understudy mentors this year and I pray that many more would follow their examples. It must have been not easy for them to be thrust into the job right away at their age, but they did a really wonderful job by the grace of God. It is my earnest prayer that all of us continue living out the “Great Commission” daily, sharing our faith and equipping others to do the same. I pray too, that the friendships forged would continue to grow so that we may all encourage one another in our walk with Him.

May all praise and glory go to our Heavenly Father Who truly deserves them! ☺

SS camp 2008 (day two)

2008-12-09T22:27:00.001+08:00

"wait on the LORD, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalm 27:14

goodbye to my W910i
yesterday evening, while on the way home and back to pick up bananas along the way, i lost my hp. due to my carelessness, i had put my hp into my pocket (and the pocket of my brown bermudas is actually rather shallow) and it probably fell out while i was cycling. i've never cried despite losing my hp thrice before, but this time, i really cried non-stop the entire evening and so much that my eyes hurt till the next morning...i could let go of the hp since it's material possession, but i was extremely upset abt losing the many photos, sound recordings and smses that meant a lot to me and would have want to keep. on top of that, i was worried the photos would fall into wrong hands.

i thank God for the timely reminder from His word.

reading from Psalm 27, verse 14 spoke the loudest to me because it greatly comforted me. i was reminded and challenged to wait on the Lord to refresh, renew, and teach me, even when it seems He doesn't understand my situation or the urgency of it, like when i lost my hp...because i know deep down, that He really IS in control.

i thank God too, for the many friends and ss kids at camp who showed me their concern on knowing that i had lost my hp, and how they supported, showed empathy, encouraged and were there for me...special thanks to my 'cher who lent me her shoulder to cry on (i made a mess on it), my shelia dear for her warm tight hugs, alex for the (much) use of his hp and for trying to call mine, and yvonne, who offered to backtrack my route to trace for the phone :) i really appreciate your love and help :)

cf friends :)

2008-12-06T11:50:00.001+08:00

introducing to you 3 very wonderful gentlemen who made my TP days really enjoyable, and well, took pretty good care of me. i'll remember how they'd simply call to meet up for a meal between classes, and how they never failed to encourage me spiritually :) so many things that i can still remember, but seriously...just too many for me to name one by one..!

from left: zhiwei, bala, me and timo :)

very thankful for these brothers-in-Christ who never fail to brighten my day each time i see them. it was the case back during TP days, and still the same today...i really thought it was very sweet of them to compromise and come over to JE library to meet up instead of making me go to city hall this afternoon (thank you guys!) a pity it's rare that we get to meet up since they live so far away from me! *sobs*

well, i didn't get to work on my assignments today, but no regrets at all. m really grateful to them for always being the ones to initiate meeting up and i thank them for spending the afternoon with me...i really really missed those CF days and i so thank God for the time of fellowship. looking forward to the next meet-up!

quick thanksgiving!

2008-12-02T12:07:00.003+08:00

now's not exactly a great time for me to blog; m gng thru my busiest time of the year with all the assignment deadlines, preparation for sun sch camp (that's just a week away!), other church commitments as well as personal ones like tuition and time for family and friends. but here's just a very quick thanksgiving. i just checked my grade for a paper i wrote for my Hebrews module and i really m very grateful to God for it.

two weeks ago i submitted that paper, feeling very disheartened; i felt it was very badly done and i've never felt this bad about any other papers i've written. however, like i told 'cher, shelia dear, jasmine and yvonne, i won't be upset for long cos there's nothing i can do abt it besides entrusting the matter into God's hands. on top of this very badly written paper, whilst in chiangmai, i didn't do very well for an exam and i needed my assignments' grades to pull up my overall grade for my Hebrews module. God really is good to me...He gave me a very gracious tutor who read and graded my assignment way beyond my expectations. i was expecting a "perfect" fail. God decided it'd be a perfect score - a score i know i really don't deserve. may all praise and credit go to my Heavenly Father Who is not only full of wisdom and omniscient, but who loves and cares enough for me to bother abt the grades for my Hebrews assignment :)

a relaxing thursday!

2008-10-30T23:22:00.001+08:00

an enjoyable day for me :)

spent some time with sis pat's parents and christy by the poolside at amari rincome hotel. it was wonderful having a "deeper than just a-on-the-surface" conversation with sis pat's mom. haa, and playing with christy by the pool, dipping her feet in and playing spot-the-dragonflies probably helped me win her heart a little more. haha :b

went to campus crusade hall this evening for the wedding rehearsal. this is my first time playing the piano for a wedding but i realised that a thai church wedding is so different from one in singapore...and it ain't easy and was rather confusing for me.

aof was really nice to have dinner with me this evening. we had chicken rice by the roadside and i got to recite john 3:16 in thai to the stall owner, haha :)

while she was sending me back to bro nat's home on her bike, aof suddenly said she felt like drinking ovaltine and so we ended up at the snackhouse a stone's throw away from bro nat's home. i thank God for the time with aof...we laughed so much, my stomach muscles hurt. and of cos, we ate so much, i felt like puking!

geoff's 5th birthday

2008-10-28T23:23:00.006+08:00

had an interesting time going to geoff's sch to celebrate his birthday, followed by a birthday dinner with pastor and mrs heng, mr and mrs ngoh and bro michael's family. i shall let the pictures speak for themselves :)

at geoff's school

at a cantonese restaurant

thank God for aof who was so sweet and came to pick me up to spend some time at the ERC. it was fun hanging out there...doing my precept homework, chilling out with anyone who came by, and call me a late-adopter, but...i got myself a hi5 account today! hahaha...

i helped cook!

2008-10-27T23:16:00.000+08:00

i know this doesn't look too yummy, but because like what sis pat said - "sometimes the best way to learn is to actually do it" - she gave me an opportunity to fry this evening's vegetables on my own. haa...well, i passed, apparently - since the entire bowl was empty after dinner :) heh

daddy and mommy, if you see this, prepare yourselves for a home-cooked meal by me when m back in singapore! :)

sunday in chiangmai :)

2008-10-26T13:04:00.004+08:00

thank God for the opportunity to worship and fellowship with the believers of lighthouse bpc once again. it was God-glorifying, heart-warming and definitely, encouraging :) even though i couldn't completely understand all the songs/hymns they sang, i was encouraged and moved by how they worshipped God with all their hearts, souls and minds. i long for such worship in Galilee...where all sing, praise and worship our Lord with joy and love for Him.

had a nice time chilling out at country cafe after worship service and lunch with the thai believers :)

with koi at country cafe :) - the rest were having bible study/discipleship

bro nat and family are finally back from their short holiday in bangkok! very thankful to them for allowing me to put up at their home even before they return...and how they arranged for koi to stay with me so i wouldn't be alone. God has been taking care of me through them! :)

anyway...koi went back to her hostel yesterday. like bro nat said, it's probably not a mistake that i arrived in chiangmai earlier than scheduled. while they were away, it was an opportunity for me to spend time with koi to share, listen, pray with and encourage her. i thank God for a meaningful time we had, esp one fri evening at the coffee house in front of our soi (lane). pray with me, that koi would continue to grow in her walk with God and live with Him as her priority, as she waits on Him for a clear direction at this stage of her life.

a day in bangkok

2008-10-24T23:23:00.003+08:00

i guess, as a result of the missed flight saga, i didn't have the opportunity to share about my short but wonderful day trip in bangkok.

wonderful not because of the things i saw, heard or ate...but rather, i thank God for the opportunity to meet up with a bro-in-Christ after not seeing him for abt 3 years. m grateful to God, and to A - probably my 1st thai friend - for taking time off work to spend the afternoon with me, and even waiting for me at the airport for more than 2 hours! m really encouraged, seeing how good the Lord has been to him...and how thankful he is to God for seeing him thru the difficult times. i must say, God is really taking care of this friend. He must be.

anyway, i didn't do much, just went around the city a while. A (a.k.a. issaya) took me there for lunch and brought me to Siam Paragon - where he said i must tell my friends back in singapore and chiangmai that i've been there cos it's the new hot spot? :)

Hebrews 8:1

2008-10-23T12:51:00.002+08:00

"now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" Hebrews 8:1

under the roman rule, the sanhedrin was allowed considerable power, as evidenced by its role in Jesus' final arrest and crucifixion. it was a kind of supreme court and when the members sat in judgment, a scribe (or secretary) sat on either side of the presiding judge. the scribe on the left side was responsible for writing condemnations, while the one on the right was responsible for writing acquittals.

the book of hebrews repeatedly reminds us that Jesus is at the right hand of God. Jesus said that He came into the world not to condemn but to save (john 3:17). as High Priest, He now sits not only in the place of honour and power, but of mercy. what a great assurance for us to know that He sits there making intercession for us!

flood

2008-10-22T23:58:00.001+08:00

it's 11.15pm and it's been raining since 9.30pm. drum had taken me out on his bike to airport plaza for me to get a local sim card. we not only didn't get it because the mall had closed, but it started raining and i really thank God for taking us safely back to bro nat's home. i was praying so hard, worried that drum's vision might be affected by particles (and objects) flying into us.

i just got back in from having to get sugar and jelly back into their cage because it's flooding on our porch. honestly i was really afraid to even put my feet into the water...it's black and i couldn't see what was in there. koi finally got home after getting her clothes from her room and braving the heavy rain on her bike. i thought it was enough i had to get sugar and jelly into the cage...and then, we remembered we had to go over to p'michael and p'ruth's home to check if all's well cos the family's away. some of you know this couple and their kids. please uphold this missionary family in prayer. i hear p'michael has been unwell for abt 3 months but not sure abt the details.

it's only my 2nd night and i once again got a taste of life in chiangmai - not just the flood, but i got back in hoping to wash my legs but realised there's no water! talk about cultural immersion - i just dived right in! "it's normal in chiangmai na" so says p'o =S

drum thinks this is really funny -_-"

"eeewwww!"

missed flight

2008-10-22T16:00:00.001+08:00

it was an eventful evening for me over at bangkok. i missed my flight to chiangmai, but thankfully, A was with me. he was very calm and i thank God he was there to help.

my flight to chiangmai was rescheduled from 7.10pm to 8.40pm but i was to call to confirm. however, when A called twice at 4ish pm to confirm, the system was down. my dad checked the internet for me and told me that it was neither timing. so, A and i decided to be at the airport by 5ish pm just in case it was at 7.10pm.

however, at the airport, the digital board kept showing that the flight was "DELAYED" and check-in was not opened yet. we checked the counter, it wasn't opened too. we kept returning to check the board 3-4 times...till 7.10pm but the counter was still not opened. so, we went for dinner and when we checked the board at 8pm, it showed "check-in closed". we rushed to the counter (D17) and was told the flight had not taken off. i asked if she could help put me on the flight but she said only if i went w/o my luggage. that was not possible, so i pleaded with her to help me call up the gate counter to ask if anything could be done. i suggested that i bring my luggage on and leave it in the care of the air crew. she refused and told me to choose, bag or me. she picked up the phone and spoke in thai, i thought she was helping me, but A said she was not talking abt my situation at all. she was talking to other ppl abt other matters. at 8.20pm, the man on the next counter realised A was thai, and "tried" helping. but in short, he told me to get to the ticketing counter.

when i got to the ticketing counter, anor lady checked for me and told me my flight had JUST taken off. i asked if she could put me on the next flight, she said i would have to buy anor ticket. i had no choice and booked the next flight and was told to check-in. but the person at the check-in counter (D17 lady) told me i can't check in again. she said i had to remove my liquids (toiletries) and bring my luggage on board. i was really upset cos that was what she refused to do when i suggested that for the original flight. so, i left my toiletries bag with A, who said he'll send it to me by Friday. i ran a really really long way to get to my plane.

at the gate, i got acquainted with a thai lady who really empathised with me and on board, she moved her mom to sit with her kids so i could sit with her. when i got on board, the steward took my luggage and said he has communicated with ground crew and told me to leave my luggage in his care. i mentioned in passing that after paying for anor flight, i still had to do that. he came to me when i was in my seat and asked me for my flight details, saying that i shouldn't be made to pay for this flight. he said that since my flight had not taken off, they ought to have tried to put me on. and when they failed to, they should have put me on the next flight (his flight) w/o having to pay for anor ticket. he told me to write my account of what happened and he'd attach it to his report cos he felt (the airline company) ought to refund me for the 2nd ticket i was made to pay at 2,095baht.

thankfully, koi and p'o (who drove his car to get me) was really kind to wait for me at the airport tho i was late. we had a drink and went home close to 12am.

this morning has been rather alrite. i spent some time doing my quiet time using the titus materials. waited for the washing machine repairman to come before koi came back to get me for lunch. but when koi returned, i told her the man hadn't come. to my disbelief, she told me the new helper (no longer p'prani) said that the repairman came and left alr! (prolly was i was bathing...) haha...

m now sitting on the couch at koi's office. we had lunch by the roadside and m trying to be good and work on my hebrews assignment. we'll be meeting drum for dinner later when koi knocks off.

in summary, although it's been an eventful and rather frightful but adventurous night for me, i thank God for taking care of me all the way.

Lesson 48

2008-10-19T23:37:00.002+08:00

just a couple of days ago i wondered if it was worth putting in extra effort to prepare a worksheet to help my sun sch kids develop some note-taking skills and more imptly, listening skills.

i think it's really a privilege that the Lord has granted me, to be able to be the one (out of 5 teachers) delivering the most important lesson of this entire firm foundations programme, and more significantly, the heart of God's letter to each one of us - the Bible. and i believe those of us who are Christians, know that it is the account of Christ's suffering and death on the cross for us and how He paid sin's penalty for us, that m referring to.

at the end of the worksheet, i decided to ask that the kids write down their thoughts and feelings after today's lesson. reading their individual response, i conclude, with much certainty, that the effort put in - every bit of it - for this worksheet, is worth it all. as i read, i recalled how the Lord led me (it wasn't part of my plan at all) to spend some moments asking them to consider whether they truly have Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour. truly, the Lord hears and answers when we cry out to Him for help and show dependence on Him in all that we endeavour. He heard my plea to be able to affect the hearts of these children through today's lesson.

i was touched, grateful to the Lord for how He moved their hearts to respond with such gratitude to what His Son Jesus has done for them on Calvary's tree...amazed and overwhelmed by how their response reflected maturity emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

"I'm not worthy of His sacrifice. He shouldn't have died for me. However, I'm thankful He did so."
"I am thankful that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and I would let Jesus come into my heart and so that I can feel happy."
"I am very thankful, and now I will accept Jesus as my Saviour."
"I feel touched and thankful that Jesus took my place and died on the cross for our sins. I want to spread the gospel to other people so they will be saved just like me."
"I am very grateful to Jesus. In order to show my gratefulness I will learn to forgive people more."

just thought i'd share a few of their responses...may anyone who reads this be encouraged, just as i was! :]

my tribute to the brothers

2008-08-30T04:13:00.003+08:00

Dearest Eugene
I can’t express in words how much I thank God for you and our friendship. You’ve been a great blessing to me and this paper won’t allow the space I need to recount how you’ve been a friend to me in practical ways! Someone called you my favourite friend, and come to think of it, I totally agree with her! Thank you for being such a genuine friend and person ☺ I thank God for your compassion, flexibility, forgiving spirit, humility, patience, sensitivity to the needs and feelings of others, your generosity and…YOU! haha…you’ll always be one friend I cherish!

Dearest Kevin,
I thank you for giving me the opportunity to know you better through working with you. You’ve been a great encouragement through your sharing at prayer meetings, and most recently, through your courage and willingness to be a vessel for Him in Kenya! I thank God for your compassion, courtesy, efficiency and diligence!

Hi Alex
I thank God for your love and compassion for the lost. Psalm 126:6 ☺

Dearest Keith
It’s always so encouraging to hear you share at prayer meetings, how the Lord’s been so good to you ☺ I thank God for your love and compassion for the lost, and for your humility, respectfulness and sincerity!

Dearest Youren!
I thank you so much for being such a wonderful and patient (with me) friend all these years, despite my many shortcomings! I thank you for always being so willing and ready to help – you’re just a phonecall or sms away ☺ I thank God for your courtesy, respectfulness towards those around you, your humility, creativity and generosity!

Dear Daniel
It’s been a joy watching you grow as a leader all these years and I’m very encouraged by your zeal in serving the Lord. I thank God for your love for the youths in YF – even staying back another year to guide and be an example to them! I thank God for your patience, fair-mindedness, sincerity and generosity!

Dearest Justin
It’s encouraging to me, to see you faithfully coming for YF each week. It really isn’t easy to travel from one end of the island to another, I’m sure. But press on, dear Justin, it will be worth it all, when we see Jesus! I thank God for your diligence, sincerity and a spirit of peace!

Dearest Josiah
I thought for a really long time and concluded that words aren’t enough to express how much your friendship means to me. So I’ll simply thank you for being such a wonderful friend all these years! I thank God for your humility, diligence and compassion, and most of all, your willingness to surrender your all to Him Whom you constantly seek to love, honour and obey! Thank you for your God-fearing example! I’m truly encouraged ☺

Dearest Shaun
Thank you for being such a great brother-in-Christ! I thank God for your enthusiasm in serving Him, loyalty to friends and family, and for being sensitive to the needs/ feelings of those around you!

Hey Nelson
You’ve been an example and encouragement to me through your willingness to do the Lord’s work and how you place Him as TOP priority ☺ I thank God for your enthusiasm, confidence and decisiveness in all that you do!

Hey David!
I thank God for your courage and willingness to serve the Lord on the mission fields, for your compassion towards God’s people and a persistent and purposeful spirit!

Dearest Darrell
It seems everyone has left a really huge space for me to show you my appreciation. I thank you for being such a wonderful brother and friend to me. In fact, I suspect you might be God’s greatest gift to me (other than Jesus; you’re after Him, of cos). You might not know it, but it’s been a joy watching you grow physically and emotionally, but most of all, spiritually. It’s encouraging to see you grow in dependence on the Lord and how you share the Lord’s goodness to you. I always love it during the times you walk into my room or where I am to have a chat with me. I thank God for the many strengths I see in you – analytical, confidence, courage, decisiveness, efficiency, frankness, but most of all, your loyalty, compassion, sincerity and generosity! Darrell Van, you’re MORE than just “the world to me”. You’re the best brother anyone in the world can ever have…I LOVE YOU!

have i done my best for Jesus?

2008-08-23T23:27:00.001+08:00

I wonder, have I done my best for Jesus,
Who died upon the cruel tree?
To think of His great sacrifice at Calv'ry!
I know my Lord expects the best from me.

Chorus:
How many are the lost that I have lifted?
How many are the chained I've helped to free?
I wonder, have I done my best for Jesus,
When He has done so much for me?

The hours that I have wasted are so many,
The hours I've spent for Christ so few;
Because of all my lack of love for Jesus,
I wonder if His heart is breaking too.

I wonder, have I cared enough for others,
Or have I let them die alone?
I might have helped a wand'rer to the Saviour,
The seed of precious Life I might have sown.

No longer will I stay within the valley -
I'll climb to mountain heights above;
The world is dying now for want of someone
To tell them of the Saviour's matchless love.

more than just a beautiful hymn written by E.Young, it's a precious reminder to me. it's been 8 months since the last dedication service...and it's good and necessary that i do a spiritual health check-up...to ask myself honestly if i've been doing my best for Jesus all these while.

my very own flute :)

2008-08-17T23:46:00.003+08:00

truly God is good to me! i prayed for my very own flute and He really did grant me my request :) i dedicate all that i play with this beautiful instrument to Him, praying that every piece of music, every single note i play, would be glorify Him and edify others.

thank You, God, for this flute...and for daddy and mommy's generosity! :)

blessed 43rd, singapore! :)

2008-08-09T23:26:00.006+08:00

thank God for His goodness and protection on our country for 43 years. as i watched the uniform groups, and the spectacular performance by the courageous black knights, listening to our national anthem, pledge and "this is my country", i was just filled with pride for our nation, yet humbled by God's marvellous grace on our nation all these years, sparing us from natural disasters, terrorists etc and giving us stability and good leaders to govern our country. blessed 43rd birthday, singapore. i'm so glad God made me a singaporean :)

looking as sweet as we can :)

i really thank God for answering our prayers! 9 young ladies (including shelia and i) had our first small group meeting at my home this morning. thank God for mommy who opened our home, and prepared a simple-but-filled-with-much-love lunch (consisting of beehoon, home-made charsiew, chicken curry and otak) for us :)

it was a meaningful time of worship, prayer and much personal sharing. both of us shared our reasons for starting this small group and what we hoped to achieve by God’s grace and had the 7 young ladies pen down and share what they hoped to achieve and/or learn, as well as their idea of a godly woman. we’re very grateful to God for each young lady He brought this morning, for their honesty in sharing, and willingness to bear one another’s burdens by listening and offering to uphold one another in prayer. there were tears shed, but of course, much laughter as well.

it was wonderful to hear some of the young ladies express their excitement about this small group and we’re looking forward to our next meeting, God-willing, at the end of this month to God be the glory, great things He hath done!

back row from left: jasmine, jaime, shelia, sheila, cynthia; front row from left: hannah, jocelyn, lydia and gwyneth :)

yummy dinner prepared by mommy! :)

tribute to my father

2008-07-16T01:23:00.004+08:00

I praise and thank God for my father. Though he probably doesn’t know it, I actually really appreciate him and all that he has done for me.

My father never fails to care for me, do all he can to protect me, work so hard just to provide the best for me, and of course, shower me with love. Despite being physically away from home most of the time, I marvel at how this father amazingly makes me know for sure that he loves and cares for me!

My father has never forced his opinions on me. Though he often reminds me that whatever decisions I make, I will have to bear the consequences, I thank God for a father who always supports me in what I seek to do, even when I decided to go into Christian full-time service and Bible school…

I know that recently, he probably feels bad about disappointing me when he said “no” to me going to Kenya. Honestly, I was disappointed, but deep down I knew and still know, that he did that out of love and protection as a father.

My father has always had to travel for work purposes since I was young, but I’ll never forget (even if he has forgotten) the times he put me on his lap when I was still a kid. Those foundational years that he spent time with me whenever he could, till today, still remind and assure me of his love for me.

I thank God for a father who’s always willing to make sacrifices – always putting the family above himself. In the past, when asked to describe my father, I would use the words “hardworking” and “sacrificial”. But over the past couple of years, I’ve grown to respect and admire my father for another character trait I see in him – long-suffering. I’ve never told my father, but I really admire how he’s always able to give in to each one of us at home…and I must say, Mommy and I are really difficult people to deal with, yet each time we frustrate him, my father never snaps back at us, but willingly bear with it to keep the peace at home.

If there are character traits I look for in my future spouse, they will definitely be those that I see in my father. God-willing, other than being God-fearing, I pray He’ll give me a life partner as hardworking, sacrificial, faithful and longsuffering as my father! ☺

Pa, thank you for being who you are to me. I can never pen down how much I thank God for you…but I just want you to know that even in times when you think I don’t appreciate you, I still do…and for the times when you call me just to see if I’m okay, and I sound impatient, I actually don’t mean it and I’m really sorry…and thank you for always so willing to forgive. You’ll always be the best father whom no one can ever replace…thank you so much, for being my daddy. I love you ☺

Standing on His promises,
Daddy’s Girl

1 of those things mr chia enjoys

2008-07-03T03:01:00.002+08:00

hahaha...mr chia zhiquan has definitely made gwyneth rather happy this evening :] thank God for mr chia! (happy too, i hope?)

We are ONE!

2008-05-24T23:48:00.004+08:00

praise the Lord! by God's grace and sustenance, the Young Adults' Fellowship celebrates her 1st anniversary today! :) it's hard to believe how a year has passed; our inauguration day is still so fresh in our minds...

i thank God for the many people who came to be with us on this special occasion and for sharing our joy as we celebrate and recount how the Lord has been so good and faithful to us. i'm so grateful for the many blessings and words of encouragement showered on us and i'm sure each and every YAFer deeply appreciates them too :)

it is my earnest prayer that, like many shared today, tho we're small, may we persevere and continue to "...consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as (we) see the day approaching." (hebrews 10:24-25) to God be the glory, great things He hath done! :)

lesson on sharing...

2008-05-14T23:51:00.005+08:00

me: (holding on to some polo sweets) are they all for me?
little nathaniel: yar, but you must share
me: -_-"

well-spent tuesday :)

2008-05-13T22:57:00.003+08:00

a call from a thai friend just 5 minutes ago, really made my day :) was really thoughtful of her to give a surprise call from the place i so miss. but as i thought about it, i felt rather bad that she had to pay 5 baht per minute and we talked for over 12 minutes! aof, khob koon mak kha! :)

besides this phone call, today has been a rather well-spent day too. cos i spent it with daddy and mommy...from breakfast at the coffee shop, to habourfront and then to imm for lunch! it was quite rushed cos my dear papa had a flight to catch...but we still had time for me and mommy to do some shopping! heh :b

honestly, i know that they've been really trying their best to spend as much time as they can with me these days, and i really really appreciate how they try to speak my love language. uncle daniel's right, don't make ppl guess. tell them what exactly is your love language :) and when daddy called to say he had arrived at the airport, before he hung up, he added, "love you". perhaps i haven't noticed it in the past...but that meant a lot to me. thank you daddy and mommy!

yummy!

2008-03-29T23:59:00.000+08:00

"Where were You?"

2008-03-25T01:05:00.003+08:00

reading parts of the book of Job last week while doing my precept hw, and reading "Where is God when it Hurts?" by Philip Yancey...i can't help but recall a conversation i had with a then friend on the bus home. my schoolmate had sent me a song composed by someone from his cell group, and i thought it was a good one. i remember letting that friend listen to it from my mp3 player, but to my surprise, not only did he disagree it was nice, he laughed at the lyrics, and said it didn't make sense. he commented that the person was asking God where He was when he most needed Him, but instead of answering the person's question, God asked him a series of questions. well, at that point, i was actually speechless. well, today i would very much want to tell that friend that he was wrong and he shouldn't have been so quick to judge...cos i know to say this would be really bad, but i really think...it just displays to clearly his quick-to-judge attitude despite ignorance. oh well. anyway, in the book of Job, Job had questioned God on his sufferings. however, God swept Job with a series of questions - not answers. God took Job on a verbal tour of all the wonders of nature and after each description, he either stated or implied, "Job, are you powerful enough to do all these?" God's words hit Job with a devastating power which prompted a repentant surrender...

well, that's what the song my friend sent to me was all about...and after understanding the book of Job a little more, i not only think the tune and lyrics are nice. "nice" isn't sufficient. it's a beautiful song, penned by someone who shows knowledge and understanding of God's word :)

"a God wise enough to rule the universe is wise enough to watch over His child Job, regardless of how things seem in the bleakest moments. a God wise enough to create me and the world i live in is wise enough to watch out for me." Philip Yancey in Where is God when it Hurts?

Pra Jao ying yai!

2008-03-18T22:24:00.005+08:00

it's true that only God can soften the hardest hearts...and if He wants you, no matter where you run, how long you run, He's gonna get you :)

my heart's full of joy as i write this entry. exactly a week ago i was feeling so sad for a friend lying in ICU, looking so helpless...today, i write to share of how God not only healed him physically, but spiritually too. as i sat by my friend's bed hearing him share of how God answered when he, semi-conscious and not able to move, cried out to God in the emergency room to give him anor chance to do all that he has not done...how he was introduced to Jesus at age 4, yet took 20 years before he finally acknowledged God in his life...i was simply overwhelmed with joy. oh there's so much to share, but you'll really have to hear it from his mouth to feel the joy that flooded my heart earlier this evening!

we had gone with no intentions to talk abt spiritual stuff, and just wanted to be simply there for him as his friends...instead, he was the one who started sharing abt his salvation and how God has been real to him :)

just so thankful to God for answering our prayers by giving my friend a second chance to come to know Him...i really thank God for being Jehovah-Rapha (the God Who is able to wound and able to heal) to my friend and above all, for the salvation of my friend's soul! :)

nelson and i were (almost) yelling as we walked down the corridor... "Pra Jao ying yai!"

get well soon.

2008-03-11T11:55:00.001+08:00

my heart just ached when i saw you at the ICU today. that was simply too much for any man to bear...but i believe, that God must have His reasons for allowing this to happen, and the God i know is a God who will not let anyone be tempted beyond what he can bear. and the fact that He heard our pleas for Him to have mercy and brought you out of that emergency room alive, shows that He's not done with you yet...He has a purpose in mind for you, m sure. and we're all praying that you'll not only get well physically, mentally and emotionally...but see the need to put your trust in the only One Who will never fail you, and surrender your life to Him Who is able to make you whole.

psalm 119:71

2008-03-09T13:03:00.002+08:00

earthly friends may prove untrue
doubts and fears assail
One still loves and cares for you
One who will not fail...

Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails
heaven and earth may pass away
but Jesus never fails.

earthly friends may prove untrue...but One still loves and cares for me...and Jesus never fails.

thank you :)

2008-02-03T22:52:00.001+08:00

with friends like these, birthdays will always be special - no matter how not special birthdays are supposed to be as the number grows.

thank God for these friends who hopped into the room one by one like jumping beans, while i was in the middle of discipleship with beatrice...and surprised me with a birthday song and a word study with greek parallel :)

thank God too for the wonderful surprise these friends (who ganged up with mommy & darrell) planned and sprung on me at my home this evening, with their interesting rendition of "we wish you a blessed birthday" (or something along that line...either i was too stunned or they didn't sing clearly enough :b ).

i thank God for the time of fellowship (and photoshoot session, haha)...yeap, it's been a blessed birthday once again. thank you dear all for making the usually-un-special-23rd special for me :)

คน...

2008-01-28T19:26:00.000+08:00

หินจังเลย...ฉันไม่เข้าใจ =(

"พระเจ้าทรงเป็นที่ลี้ภัยและเป็นกำลังของข้าพระองค์ทั้งหลาย เป็นความช่วยเหลือที่พร้อมอยู่ในยามยากลำบาก" เพลงสดุดี 46:1

zoo trip :)

2008-01-12T23:42:00.000+08:00

i finally got to go to the zoo! thank you for the treat!

thank God for the good weather; it only rained when we were almost leaving :) it's been a long time since i last visited the zoo and i really enjoyed myself :) was reminded that God really is creative to have designed and made all these animals so unique. God is Elohim!

hello 2008

2008-01-01T22:08:00.000+08:00

just very glad to be found once again, in God's house singing praises and preparing to usher in the new year on bended knees...reflecting on what the Lord has done for us and thanking Him, and of cos, committing the year 2008, our hopes and plans to Him :)

"trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

God is real to my Grandma too :)

2007-12-30T22:19:00.000+08:00

my heart was just filled with joy and gratitude to our Omnipotent God as i heard from my 2 aunties and a lil from Grandma about how God was so real to her on her trip to taiwan. she had apparently climbed up 400 over steps and along the way, felt her legs were very wobbly. but Grandma looked to God for strength by praying and asking for help, and God, who is our ever-present help in times of trouble, heard her cries and gave my 70-year-old grandmother the strength to climb all the way up. Grandma testified that as she prayed while climbing, she felt her legs getting lighter and found strength to continue.

aaah...just as God has answered Grandma's prayers, He has answered mine too. been praying daily for Grandma to grow deeper in her relationship with God...and as usual, He is faithful and has proved Himself real to Grandma...my heart sings with joy as i hear how Grandma really enjoyed this trip...because she has had a personal ecounter with God :) all glory to Him!

galilee sunday school teachers 2008

2007-12-30T21:01:00.000+08:00

thank God for seeing us through the year 2007.

personally, it's been a blessing being with the P3/P4 class and i really enjoyed teaching them and of cos, learning from them :) i thank God for each one of them - abigail, benjamin, bryan, cheryl, clarissa, ezekiel, fion, hanqing, ian, jeremy, joshua, nicole, noah, reena, sherine and shuen yi. it's been wonderful getting to know some of them better and i pray that these friendships will continue to deepen :) m especially thankful that we'll be together again in 2008. looking forward to another meaningful and frutiful year of studying God's word and growing in Him together with my P4/P5s!

to my co-teachers (auntie christine, sheila & alex): thank you so much, for being so accomodating and understanding, especially during the times you patiently and willingly took classes for me while i was in chiangmai!

YF/YAF candlelight fellowship '07

2007-12-29T11:45:00.000+08:00

God's really working in the hearts of galilee youths. this is probably by far the biggest no. of youths attending candlelight fellowship :)

we're home

2007-12-26T20:01:00.000+08:00

Christmas in Chiangmai

2007-12-25T23:16:00.000+08:00

the team was given 4 hours "off" at central. we were free to roam and some of us had really good teppanyaki for lunch :) and for the 1st time since we arrived in chiangmai, i got to meet up with birtz :) thank you for the 2 thai alphabets posters, birtz!

today marks the end of our puppet musical presentations. we put up 1 yesterday evening at crystal spring guesthouse and our last 1 at mae rim, before rushing back to chiangmai for a farewell dinner with bro nat & his family and our thai friends. i thank God especially for the wonderful opportunity to finally meet baby samuel...originally, i wasn't supposed to be able to meet him because kip was only scheduled to arrive after we leave chiangmai. but God answered my prayers to allow me to meet kip & baby sam by bringing them to chiangmai a day earlier! :)

back at crystal spring guesthouse, sis pat gave us a sweet surprise. she bought hot-air lanterns for us to release...it was my 1st time releasing a pretty "orange star that moves"...yup, that's what it looks like up in the night sky :) this Christmas has been a really different one for me...nevertheless, i thank God for this wonderful experience of Christmas in a foreign (but-not-so-foreign-to-me) land. afterall, He gave me the privilege of Christmas with my thai friends for the 1st time since i've known them :)

Blessed Christmas, everyone...

kridadoi

2007-12-24T23:10:00.000+08:00

...is a really beautiful place :) thank God for the opportunity to visit this pretty garden and also have our morning devotions there! and of cos...take pretty photos too :)

flowers!

2007-12-23T12:58:00.000+08:00

after a longgg day putting up 2 musicals yesterday, the ladies received a pleasant surprise from alex at past midnight...a flower balloon for each one of us - personally delivered to us in our room :) not likely you'll read this, but thank you alex!

walking street :)

2007-12-23T11:09:00.000+08:00

to date, we've put up the puppet musical 6 times at different locations - 5 in thai and 1 in mandarin...thank God for seeing us thru :)

i've been to walking street many times. shelia dear has been with me to this night market that opens only on sunday evenings but today was the 1st time we took a picture on the street like this together...and it was my mommy's 1st time there too :)

going on air!

2007-12-22T13:41:00.000+08:00

thank God for a rare opportunity to go on air. uncle siong teck, darryl and i got to share our testimonies on thai radio FM99 this morning :)

stranded in lamphun!

2007-12-22T01:03:00.000+08:00

the past couple of days really made us feel like we're some circus troupe...but i thank God for the many many opportunities to share the story of Christmas, and to tell of God's love when He sent His only Son to this world so we may be reconciled with Him...so far we've put up the musical 4 times: at wachirawit school, shiloh b-p church, and even went to another province (lamphun) to perform at a polytechnic and night market! thank God for putting members who are well-versed in mandarin on the team, because we were told last minute that shiloh b-p was having an outreach to chinese nationals on an exchange programme and so, auntie christine, annabel and diana had to translate the musical to mandarin just the night before that performance!

the trip to lamphun was definitely an unforgettable one. after performing at the night market, we were all tired and just wanted to get back to chiangmai...only to find out that our truck's battery had been stolen =( but to cut the long story short, bro nat showed us Christian love by driving all the way down to lamphun with his neighbour's battery. some of our team members were given a ride back by the pastor's son of the lamphun church. by the time the rest of us got back, it was almost 1am. but i was touched by the love the other team members showed by staying up to wait for us to return; some even waiting at the entrance of the guest house to welcome us :) i thought the pastor's son was rather sacrificial too, when he drove the other team members all the way to chiangmai...cos he'll have to drive back to lamphun again. even tho we were all extremely tired, i thank God that the few of us (auntie amy and i were actually the only ladies left - very gentlemanly of the uncles and young men who stayed behind so the aunties, young ladies and children could return first) were stranded in lamphun because we got to fellowship with one anor and with the lamphun church youths who were moving their equipment from the stage area back to their church :)

mommy and i - the stage set up at the night market in lamphun :) pretty backdrop!

dear is here!

2007-12-20T19:30:00.000+08:00

yup, that's me looking really silly with what i call a "banner" with my dear at chiangmai airport! :)

thank God for His protection!

2007-12-19T23:30:00.000+08:00

a pretty eventful day. put up our first musical in chiangmai...at wachirawit school :) thank God for helping the singapore team to work well with the thai team and for seeing us through today's performance so smoothly :)

as part of his NTM tour, rev dave led the team to wat phrathat at doi suthep. according to legend, holy relics discovered during the reign of king kuena were placed in a "howdah" on the back of a white elephant which carried them to wat phrathat. the elephant then dropped dead due to fatigue from a long journey. oh yes, there are 306 steps leading up to the temple, which i thought was much easier to bear on my 2nd climb! :b

anyway...just 6 months ago, i was there with vivian and kris from the US team. i recalled praying for chiangmai with vivian as we stood at the view point overlooking chiangmai city, for God to send His people (even if it means us) to reach the "untold millions"...

thank God for safety as we travelled down doi suthep. while we were making a left turn down a slope, we lost control of the truck and it almost overturned. it was truly by God's grace that it didn't and we were really thankful. but just a few minutes later when we were back on level road, the door to the truck - which refused to budge no matter how the guys tugged at it to open it - suddenly swung open while the truck was moving pretty fast! thank God, drum and aof didn't fall off the truck =/ anyway, those of us at the back of the truck prayed together for God to bring us back to rev dave's home safely. and God did, despite a faulty brake, we were told! when we were back at rev dave's home, we tried opening the door that had swung open, and yeap, you guessed right - it refused to open.

m reminded that as we serve the Lord, our adversary will do what he can to stop us, but our God is still sovereign, and He's a God who will never let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. all praise to God! (in thai, san sern Pra Jao!)

Rev Dave's "amazing race"

2007-12-18T23:49:00.000+08:00

i really appreciate and thank God for the time and effort that rev dave has put into today's programme he called "the amazing race". yup...it was amazing, but only because i knew his intention was to immerse us into the thai culture...we had to get namecards of 6 thai ppl on the streets, take a picture of the team on a tuk tuk & samlaaw, get a hairwash for 1 team-member, take a photo with a thamruat (and yes, we had to first find out what samlaaw & thamruat means), get to know a fruit stall owner & ask for the names of fruits in thai, buy thai tea in packets (not cups), each write & send a postcard back to someone in singapore, find someone who could teach us to write 1-10 in thai symbols and write our names in thai, etc...and of cos, do something silly at the tha phae gate. thank God for the things seen, heard and learnt :)

2 nights with the Lawa hilltribe

2007-12-17T21:59:00.000+08:00

15th December 2007

with much reluctance, i boarded the truck headed for the Lawa tribe up in the mountains, with 11 other members from our team...whilst the rest stayed behind in chiangmai, looking forward to hearing us share our experience with them when we return in 3 days (and 2 nights)' time. wondered if i made the right decision by agreeing to make this 7-hr trip up there and whether i knew what i was really in for...esp when i knew i wasn't gonna bathe for the next couple of days! =/

samson, myself, daryl, allvina & rev dave

16th December 2007

just 1 night with the Lawa people and i could already feel their love for us. they have so little, yet they're so willing to share with us the little they have and need, unlike us who are so used to sharing with others, usually only what we don't need...thank God for the time annabel, allvina and i had with our hosts last night, even though i felt what some of the things we did were really hilarious and/or ridiculous, like how we filed into the kitchen area while our hosts were boiling pig's food, sat in a row in front of them and very abruptly started singing "Christmas pen wela". goodness, i felt utterly ridiculous when i saw the -_-" look on their faces while we were singing. oh...and then, i had the, erm...privilege of trying on their traditional costume with annabel and allvina teasing me abt how my hosts might be trying to make me marry their son while she happily piled my neck with those accessories...and boy, i was sure stunned for a moment when she showed me a family photo and pointed out her son. my turn to -_-"

we also attended worship service with the Lawa believers. sang "we are one in the bond of love". truly, though we're of different nationalities, races and speak different languages, we're one in Christ. felt very privileged to worship with these ppl this sunday morning.

was reminded of these verses:
"there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus". Galations 3:28 "there is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all". Ephesians 4:4-6

17th December 2007

as we said our goodbyes, i really felt ashamed of myself and regretted even feeling the least bit reluctant abt coming to visit the Lawa believers. and i really thank God i came...it's been a very humbling trip for me. we came hoping to show them Christ's love but they showed us love so great that we were truly put to shame. i somehow wished i had the simplicity they have in their lives, not distracted by the cares and materialism of the world that i live in...God-willing, i really pray i'll get an opportunity to see these brothers/sisters-in-Christ again this lifetime. but like i told my hosts...if we don't meet again on this earth, i'll see them up there in our eternal Home.

allvina, annabel and myself with our hosts outside their home

Team Operation Chiangmai (II)

2007-12-14T20:06:00.000+08:00

after 6 months of preparation through the seminars, thai song practices etc and of course, prayers...the Team has finally arrived in Chiangmai, Thailand :)

Team Operation Chiangmai (II) (save for David who's waiting for us in Chiangmai) at the Budget Terminal, Singapore :)

Sunday School Camp '07 - day 5

2007-12-13T17:23:00.000+08:00

and so this marks the end of sunday school camp 2007. but i pray that the friendships that have been built, dedications/re-dedications of lives, committments made, and desires to go into a deeper love relationship with our Heavenly Father will not be forgotten...

it's been a camp of great lessons for me. fruitful because of what God has allowed me to accomplish by His grace and strength. meaningful because of all the friendships that have been strengthened.

i thank God, too, for keeping me and the rest in good health too, esp those of us gng on the mission trip tmr morning. i can still hear shelia dear saying "dear you SURE fall sick one". which is not w/o basis, because i usually DO fall sick after ss camps and/or before trips to chiangmai. but thank God for using people like auntie amy to take care of us - giving us "liang teh" on the 1st day of camp and making her kids remind us during camp to "drink water! (mommy say must drink water!)" thank God for His grace.

last but not least...m really thankful to God for placing me with my group "virtue". it's been a blessing working with these young ppl and building relationships that i pray would last more than just a lifetime.

i love you,"virtue"! :)

"virtue" with camp committee and pastors

sunday school campers 2007

thank God for a great co-mentor :)

looking foward to arriving in Chiangmai...in a few hours' time :)

Sunday School Camp '07 - day 4

2007-12-12T21:18:00.000+08:00

i thought God's timing was just so perfect. even though it rained, God allowed us to have our fun with a real campfire and only when it was time for the skits, it started to drizzle. and so very quickly, we moved our chairs and all the p.a. equipment, keyboard etc into the fellowship hall for the 2nd part of our campfire night. skits held indoors are really best 'cos (1) the campers wouldn't be perspiring away under (not just their clothes but) those bath towels (which we so love to use as costumes of old times) (2) what they say will also be heard clearly and (3) the skits more enjoyable since we ain't distracted by the huge campfire tt makes us feel like we're really in the furnace with shadrach, meshach and abednego :)

as i shared my thanksgiving and what i learnt for the day with my group "virtue", m reminded of how God taught me that His ways are best at a GTF camp 2 years ago. i had prayed for God to stop the rain so we could have a real campfire. and right up to the very last hour i was still standing by the roof garden pleading for God to say "yes". but His "no" was best, because the parents got to enjoy (audible) skits put up by us in an air-con room and also...we realised tt there were some scenes we had to fall to the ground. and it'd have been impossible to do so w/o hurting our knees if we were on the carpark.

m very thankful God has allowed me to build and develop a friendship with jiahao. each time he sees me now, i get hugS and i love how he runs over to hug me (esp from the back) or just to hold my hand and smile up at me. we shared the good news of his salvation with his mom tonite. she was in tears as she shared with me about how she's been praying for jiahao's salvation. the change that we all see in jiahao - it's all by God's grace. only God could have changed this lil boy's heart and attitude. all praise and glory be to God!

blessed 19th birthday to my darling brother...as you begin serving the nation, may you continue to draw yourself into a deeper relationship with God and look to Him for strength always. love you.

Sunday School Camp '07 - day 3

2007-12-11T11:59:00.000+08:00

acknowledging the Lord and committing myself and the tasks really makes a difference. by God's grace today's morning devotions and "connect sessions" went pretty alrite and i thank God for teaching me dependence on Him :)

thank God, too, for the opportunity to share the gospel with 7-yr-old jia hao and the privilege of seeing him come to know Jesus as his personal Saviour and Lord.

thank God for holding back the rain for us while we had our swimming carnival. looking at the photos taken today, m pretty sure the campers all had fun :) but most of all, i thank God for the quality time i had with isabelle and beatrice individually...i really thank God for providing me with the opportunity and directing our conversations, cos honestly...i was really tempted to slack during the carnival (which means no "fishing" etc) and hadn't really planned to talk to anyone...shame on me =/

my group "virtue"...in the water :)

beatrice and me :)

Sunday School Camp '07 - day 2

2007-12-10T23:45:00.000+08:00

paying $100 for the two buses we hired to take us to west coast park might have seemed like a waste of money because we didn't get to go in the end (due to the wet weather). but looking at it more positively, i would say we paid $100 for an opportunity for the camp committee (esp the YAFers) to put into practice what we learnt abt submitting to the will of God. before this camp, we were reminded that we may have plans (and back-up ones, too) but God has the right and can change them as He pleases...and our roles should be submitting to His plan and responding to the changes in a Christ-like manner. well, i was really encouraged and impressed that after the decision not to proceed to west coast park was made, very quickly, everyone was seen setting up the game stations around the church premises :)

was rather discouraged this afternoon after "connect session". for the past 2 years i mentored at ss camp, i was working with the juniors. working with kids, by God's grace, is my strength. ppl close to me tell me so, and i myself know it & acknowledge as God's gift to me. but i chose to work with the seniors for a change this year and was rather excited. and so...after today's "connect session", when the youths seem to be so unresponsive towards me and the qns i ask, i was really disappointed and regretted my decision...i was out of my comfort zone. i felt lousy. i missed the kids' enthusiasm and i thought of doing a swap with eugene (my co-mentor). but i thank God for using 'cher to encourage and remind me that i may be out of my comfort zone, but it's thru my weakness that God's strength can be made perfect, and it's in times like these that i learn dependence on God, and not myself.

joanne dear came by to camp to pass us christmas cards and to say bye before she flies to london tonight at 11pm. it was only a short while, but it was really sweet of her to do that. and i thank God she came at the right time so the 3 of us could spend a few moments alone in the ladies' dorm talking...well dearie, i pray you'll be kept safe as you travel and may you have a wonderful and meaningful trip!

Sunday School Camp '07: day 1

2007-12-09T23:59:00.000+08:00

as i pushed open the door and saw the no. of campers sitting in the mandarin worship hall, i was really awed by the power of God. once again God is reminding me...that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

maybe next year we should really quit worrying abt not having campers at Sunday School Camp? :)

one precious soul won :)

2007-11-25T21:13:00.000+08:00

m rather upset that the weekend has gone by so quickly...even though it's been of course, anor well-spent one. but here's something special and precious that happened which i thought i should share about...cos it's not everyday or even weekend, that you get to win a soul for Him :)

m truly grateful to God for giving sheila and me the privilege of leading a soul to Christ this morning. cheryl's a new girl who just joined our sunday school class and even though she comes from a non-Christian background, has shown an interest in God and His word. sheila spoke to her last sunday, and she had indicated to sheila that she would like to pray to receive Jesus as her Saviour...and so this morning, sheila shared the good news with me, and after we prayed, looked for materials (i settled for The Lamb and The Way to Heaven), sheila gave me the privilege of being the one to present the gospel to cheryl (right from Creation to Christ Resurrection). sheila and i are very thankful to our omniscient God for answering our prayers by giving us wisdom and the right words to use, so that we may present the gospel in the simplest way, and yet not make it any less meaningless...such that cheryl would be very clear about the decision and commitment that she would be making. after asking cheryl a whole lot of questions i normally ask children before they make a decision, we were very certain that cheryl knew what she was doing and that she's now a Christian not because she comes to sunday school, but because she has invited Jesus to come into her heart and take control of her life. praise the Lord! :)

God is real to my friends too :)

2007-11-20T23:26:00.000+08:00

just last month, after not hearing from a thai friend for a long time and wondering why, he finally got in touch with me again and shared that his family wasn't doing well and he had to quit university to look for a job. thank God, he found one pretty quick - but as a waiter in a chinese restaurant. at that point, even though he trusted that God would see him through, i was feeling rather sad that this friend had to go through so many setbacks in life and asked God why. but last week, this thai friend shared with me that it's been only one month but he's now been promoted to restaurant supervisor! สรรเสริญพระเจ้า! anyway, i was very encouraged by this friend's testimony of how God has never left him alone and has been so good to him. this friend is A (not sure if those who met him still rmb him) and he'd like me to share this with his friends in singapore, so that's one of the reasons m sharing this on my blog :)

i was encouraged last night, too, when ss shared about how God saw him through his company law paper. when he first flipped through the paper, he was really lost but after crying out to our omniscient God for help, he managed to start writing down the answers to the questions. and when he came to one question that he was 100% sure.......he could not answer (!), and was left with 5 minutes, he prayed that if God wanted him to answer this qn, then help him to answer it. and guess what, he flipped his textbook and after 2 flips, the answer to that question was staring right at him! and so very quickly, he managed to pen down the answer on his script in time. praise God!

truly, the God i've known to be so real and personal to me, is just as real to my friends :) i really thank God for His precious reminder that He is a God who is not only real and personal to each one of us who desire to have a love relationship with Him, but that He is sovereign too :)

what mommy shared today

2007-11-17T23:15:00.000+08:00

...was a great comfort, and perhaps the greatest confirmation and assurance for me.

thank you mommy.

thank You, God, for speaking to / using mommy.

discipleship dinner :)

2007-11-13T23:20:00.000+08:00

thank God for a wonderful time of fellowship over dinner with shelia dear, jasmine and jaime. exams are finally over for our sweetie pies jasmine and jaime, so shelia dear and i took them out for dinner! and hey, it was really nice of them to treat shelia dear and me to cheesecake after that :)

i want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to disciple jasmine for the past many months. just listening to her pray shows her spiritual maturity and i thank God for how she's grown in Him. i've been very encouraged by her faith in the Lord, willingness to learn, enthusiasm and commitment to our weekly discipleship meetings, honesty in her sharing and her love for others. i was especially encouraged that despite having her prelims and O levels, jasmine never asked for discipleship to be cancelled. yup. so thank you, jasmine, for being a blessing from God to me :)

thank God for my "barnabas"

2007-11-05T00:50:00.000+08:00

thank you, karen...for coming all the way to my home to cheer me up with the donuts-plus-milk-tea surprise :) thank you for always being my "barnabas" and for speaking to me in my love language, despite how hectic your schedule and how heavy your workload is...you've been a really wonderful friend and sis-in-Christ :) *hugs*

His Son

2007-09-20T01:02:00.001+08:00

Click on picture to view :)

30 years :]

2007-09-17T23:28:00.000+08:00

really thank and praise God for keeping my parents together all these years. my parents may not be perfect parents, but they've set an excellent example for me to follow by staying faithful and loving to each other for so many years. because God has kept them together, i have a complete family and yup, i realise how blessed i've been. time to remind myself not to take it for granted. m encouraged by how they've stayed faithful and committed to each other for the past many years and i pray that they will continue to do so for many years to come. i pray that they will not only grow to love each other more each day, but grow deeper in love with the Lord too...true love's really IS a love triangle actually. with God as Lord of the relationship, the closer each one draws themselves to God, the closer they draw themselves to each other too :] i pray that my parents will always be entangled in this love triangle. heh heh :b

looking at how my papa has stayed faithful to my mommy all these years, despite being away from home most of the time, i must say God has been very gracious to my family. after so many years of being together, he still does things to make her happy/surprised. i love the way he springs surprises on her...by suddenly appearing at her workplace straight from the airport, or returning a day earlier etc...haha, my papa can be pretty romantic too eh :b

anyway...blessed 30th wedding anniversary to my dearest papa and mommy :D i pray too, that the Lord will always be the centre of their relationship and that they'll continue to walk together in the Lord...

"o may all who come behind (you), find (you) faithful..."

dinner & ice-cream fellowship :]

2007-09-15T17:40:00.001+08:00

Friday 14.09.2007 :]
thank God for a meaningful and well-spent friday night with karen. it was a blessed time of fellowship as we shared about how God has been working in our lives (and of those whom we hold dear to us), burdens/desires of our hearts, etc...and even some lil secrets :b

we had a good time of sharing not only over the dinner table at botak jones, but also during "ice-cream fellowship" at my home...till almost 4am! she's really one friend with whom i can be in heartfelt conversation (and not just small-talk!) with for hours and still not run out of things to talk abt.

there are lots to say, but to sum it all up, i really thank God for how He has blessed this friendship between us and i pray that as we put aside time to meet up (at least) once a month, our friendship will continue to grow stronger...and may the things we talk abt and/or things we do tgt be God-glorifying and edifying to each other :]

thank you karen ;)

211 Roof Terrace

2007-09-05T23:45:00.000+08:00

thank God for a wonderful evening spent with joanne and minli at this pretty roof terrace restaurant...we FINALLY got to meet up after SO LONG! :D

4 things to do

2007-08-24T00:00:00.000+08:00

"some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Psalm 20:7

thank God for the reminder to look to Him and trust Him to show me what to do. when God wants something done, He'll take the initiative to come to the people He wants to accomplish it through...we don't go to Him on our own accord. m reminded to trust Him to lead me as i submit to Him, wait upon Him, watch out, and in His perfect timing, join Him where He is working...yes gwyn, for now, submit, wait and watch...the "join" will come in, when God says to do so.

a timely (3rd) reminder.

2007-08-15T23:41:00.000+08:00

don't measure your life by the world's standards. an ordinary person is who God most likes to use.

just some thoughts, i guess.

2007-08-05T00:50:00.000+08:00

"pp closest to you hurt you the most..." this has been behind my friend's nick on msn for more than a month...and this evening, i couldn't more agree with her.

as much as i've been trying not to, m feeling pretty hurt now. and as much as i choose to not allow it, disappointment still creeps in at times. but m thankful that somehow, God has given me strength to cope with such disappointment a l'il better now. two months ago, i probably would have felt very hurt. these days...it doesn't hurt as much as it used to. but it still hurts a l'il, of course. just being human i guess.

since i came back on this trip, once in a while i can't help but ask myself this question - while you're away and really happy where you are, some ppl tend to tell you how much they miss your presence and want you to come back...but when you're finally home, he/she just disappoints you again and again...as much as i choose to tell myself he/she isn't doing it intentionally. well, this is singapore, afterall. everyone's busy.

then this evening, somehow, this friend seemed pretty impatient with me...maybe it was just me, or...just that she didn't realise it. but i just had to be honest with this friend abt how i really felt...i didn't expect a reply, but i got one anyway. the reply just got me thinking a l'il more...

why are you saying sorry, when there are BUTs...

why do you have to make me feel this way, just because you feel that things have somehow become different since i returned from this trip...

what are the struggles you're facing that are actually (unintentionally, i hope) causing me to feel this way...

why are things different after my return..?

have i changed? i sure hope this trip has changed me...for the better, of course...and most of all, made me more God-focused, i hope...but if it's a change that's causing a strain to a friendship that means so much to me...hmm...i wonder if a change is that good after all.

i just wanted to say...

2007-07-17T23:36:00.000+08:00

...คิดถึงมากๆ!

God is our Protector

2007-07-11T00:09:00.000+08:00

sure i've seen/heard it on tv so many times, but it's the first time i've ever heard the sound of screeching tyres and metal crashing against metal today - in person. and..i was in the car too.

today was supposedly the team's last opportunity to attend prayer meeting with the missionaries/tentmakers. we were travelling home for dinner but met with an accident along the way. our small mira collided into a truck when it overtook us from the left and stopped abruptly in front of us. the bonnet of our car was smashed, but thank God the car engine still ran and we were able to return home, called the insurance agent and went to the police station to make a report.

i thank God for His mercies upon me, eugene, nelson and bro nat this evening - for keeping us alive, from serious injuries. it's really by His grace and protection tt we were not hurt, considering tt the mira's so old, the backseats didn't have belts and the front seats had belts tt hung loosely...and honestly, i was really really afraid when the car was abt to collide. when bro nat hit the brakes, i knew we weren't gonna stop on time...and i wondered if we'd crash thru the front windscreen, you know, the feeling you get when you're in a near-death situation. i guess we must have been really shocked, but m thankful we weren't hurt...thank God, too, tt anor truck behind us didn't knock into us or eugene & i might have suffered from whiplash...

most of all, i thank God for the reminder tt as we are actively serving God, satan's also actively working against us, desperately trying to distract us. but we can know for sure, tt God would never let us be tempted beyond what we can bear...and even though we go thru difficult situations like this, we can look to God, remember tt the joy of the Lord is our strength and...move on.

"and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." romans 8:28

greetings from chiangmai!

2007-07-09T01:23:00.000+08:00

it's incredible how fast the past 3 weeks have gone by. m now 23 days into Operation Chiangmai. i thank God for seeing team operation chiangmai through the trip thus far. it's been a meaningful trip, and m very thankful tt i get to see the friends i made from last year's trip once again, catching up with them...i've come to realise time is an impt factor in ministry because ministry is really about relationships. without relationships, i don't see how we'd be able to reach the hearts of people with the gospel. i learnt also tt being able to understand & speak their language would bring us closer and i pray tt i'd one day (or rather, soon) be able to share my testimony and/or the gospel with them in their language. so thank God tt this year's trip, i've developed more than just hi-and-bye friends and got to sit down and have deeper conversations with a couple of thai friends :] m most thankful for the friendship with a thai friend i was pretty close to during last year's trip, when she honestly shared her problems and feelings with me, and allowed me to pray with her. it was also exciting to see how real God is when He answered our prayer tt very evening.

our team's schedule has been pretty packed but m glad it's so, because 1 month is already so short and i don't tink there's time to waste =/ we've been helping the theology students in bro nat's english classes and making it a point to have lunch with them at their mcgilvary hostel every mon & wed. just as we were abt to 'give up' on ministering to this grp, we made a breakthrough & met up with them out of their class time to help them with their work. by God's grace, friendships have been forged with them ;] we've also been running english conversation club meetings, attending prayer meetings with a grp of missionaries/tent-makers on tue evenings & lighthouse church on wed evenings, getting to know the university students and wachirawit high sch students better through dinner with them, helping to run games at payap's christian retreat, and just today, we returned from an english club camp we were running at monthatarn waterfalls.

it's been a frutiful trip for me and i believe it'll be the same next week, if not better. thank God also tt i'd be witnessing the baptism of my thai friends - koi, aof, parn & drum :]

there's so much to share, but it's getting late...and, if anyone reading would like to keep my team and i in prayer, pls visit our team blog :] Pra Jao ouy pon! (God bless!)

English Camp 2007 at Monthatarn Waterfalls

you make me smile : D

2007-07-06T03:07:00.000+08:00

someone just said something tt really made me smile...the same person who always makes me smile, even when m most down :] and i can't stop smiling... :D

you're such a smile-maker!

gwyneth's meaning-FULL day :]

2007-06-09T23:48:00.000+08:00

i had a meaningful day. first of all, i got to wake up at 10am! haa...cos i usually hafta be up by 7am & just on thu, i saw a doctor who told me i needed more sleep. so tt 3 hours of sleep actually meant a lot to me!

had lunch with my team [operation chiangmai] this afternoon and boy, i haven't had anything to eat since yesteday's lunch...so yeah, tt meal meant a lot too! haha, okay, this is startg to sound nonsensical :b but anyway, i have no idea why (maybe cos i finally took my own notes instead of waitg/dependg on eugene's minutes? so i paid more attention - this part in italics was added in cos eugene felt i was implying his minutes not good enough) but i felt today's team meeting was one of the most fruitful one... (then again, maybe cos we've come to the almost-everything-settled stage).

also...after so long, i finally got to meet up with darrell yeo! (ok, "yeo" cos my darling bro's name is darrell as well). i thank God for the time spent with him on catching up, and most imptly, for the opportunity to pass him a 'personalised' bible :] looking back, i find it so funny how i met him thru anor friend (6 years ago!), yet m no longer in contact with this other friend...yup, so thank God for this friendship and a meaningful time with him :D

went for my last YAF meeting (before my trip to chiangmai). cos i was late, eugene was kind enough to da-bao macs for all of us (and honey dew sago for me too!), wait for me at jurong east to give me a ride to church...and as we had our dinner tgt before YAF along the corridor on the 4th level this evening, enjoying the breeze (hmm...), well...simply just having fellowship with ppl dear to me, i felt really contented. tsk, m kinda lost for words to describe it, but m just really thankful to God for the simple things in life like tt. thankful too, tt i have friends who love God, show love and kindness to one anor...and never expecting anything in return.

well, altho not many ppl turned up at our 3rd YAF meeting, we weren't disheartened. cos God promised in His word tt where 2 or 3 are gathered in Jesus' name, there He is in our midst...and hey, josiah, shelia, eugene, sis charissa and me - tt's more than 2 or 3 already! :] and i believe tt as we continue to pray, God will bring in the right ppl at the right time.

thank God for a wonderful, meaningful and well-spent saturday!

a birthday wish: m sorry i forgot, but a belated yet blessed 22nd birthday to you, giles! may you keep close to God and i pray tt He'll be the strength of your heart and portion forever (psalm 73:26). i hope you've had a meaningful birthday!

dedicated to you - for your courage :]

2007-05-27T22:29:00.000+08:00

i thank God for two friends who taught me a really valuable lesson today. eugene, hannah & i were gng home after hanging out at jp this evening...and at the carpark, there was this parked car obstructing the way. while trying to get pass it, eugene's car accidentally scrapped its side. we were stuck there & when i got out to try directing him, anor driver who was waiting for us to get out of the way came out of his car to help eugene move out. tt driver then looked at the obstructing car & told us to leave our no. behind since we scratched it slightly (and eugene's car was pretty bad!). for a long time, we thought abt whether or not to leave eugene's no. we were uncertain, and fearful tt the owner would be nasty and try to take advantage of the situation (cos he had other dents on his car prior to this incident too). so i called a close friend of ours to ask for advice...there's no need to say why here, but she found it difficult to help us decide too. then, i tried giving ourselves excuses, to justify why there was no need to leave eugene's no. deep down, i felt pretty guilty becos i knew what was the right thing to do, but becos i felt so bad for eugene, i tried to convince myself it was alrite not to leave it. meanwhile, hannah was encouraging us to do the right thing by leaving the no, and tt God would honour us if we honour Him. while talking to tt close friend, i noticed eugene starting to write a note to the owner of the car. well, to cut the already long story short, eugene made a decision to be honest & leave his no. amazingly, when he started writing the note, it started raining. technically, if we left the note on the car, it would have been soaked by the time the owner returned. but eugene went the extra mile by putting it into a small plastic bag to protect it, which i told him i believe/hope the owner would take into consideration and be kind to him. i tink it took him a lot of courage, and i really admire him for tt. i thank God for teaching me to obey Him by making choices tt would honour Him...thru two friends, who were 1 year my junior. i felt really disgusted with myself, so ashamed, for not helping a friend to make the right decision and in the process, i might have even stumbled hannah - whose simple child-like faith taught us to honour God. it was really an experience tt has humbled me and above all...i thank God for giving me the privilege of gng thru this learning experience with these two friends...and of cos, tt close friend i called during the dilemma. haha, it's like God killing 4 "birds" with 1 stone...

o, and hannah was right. God will honour those who honour Him. eugene smsed to say, the car owner called to say he read the note, and tt he'd settle the damage on his own, praise God! indeed the God we worship is sovereign and real :]
thank you, eugene for being so brave and setting a Christ-like example. next time, i won't ever say you're a bad example to me anymore - no matter how "any-o-how" you hold your steering wheel or mount/scrap the curbs! haha

revival of the YAF : )

2007-05-26T23:48:00.000+08:00

by God's grace, this day has finally arrived. starting, or rather, re-starting the Young Adults' Fellowship ("YAF") has been our hope and prayer for more than a year. God's timing for our 1st meeting is really perfect. when josiah shared tt come july, the comm would be down to 2 ppl (thus the decision to have only 2 meetings tt month)...what struck me was, the YAF is living up to its theme "reaching out - within and beyond". the comm wld be down to 2 becos alex is away in Ohio (m sure he's not just having a good time since he has purposed to share Christ with ppl around him) while eugene & myself will be on a mission trip in Chiangmai - out of our comfort zones, as ambassadors for Christ :]
i thank God for seeing us thru the months of coming tgt to pray and plan for this. thank God for bringing tgt the five of us (josiah, alex, shelia, eugene & myself) with this burden, and for moving the hearts of elder john & sis charissa to be our advisor & supervisor, guiding us as we plan for the YAF. some ppl might tink tt we're not gonna last, cos afterall, the YAF before us has been restarted so many times. in fact, pastor shared tt this would be the 5th time a grp of young adults are restarting the YAF. but m thankful enough to know tt there are many others who believe in us, as much as we believe in God, to sustain this YAF. honestly, we were quite discouraged when we sent out over 80 invitations and only 1/3 came. but i was deeply encouraged at today's inauguration (or rather, revival) of the YAF, when the ppl from the various fellowship grps/session came up to say a few words to the pro-tem committee. even the YF's presence was encouraging. these wonderful grp of youths/young teens, they were supposed to be hanging out at some cafe/go home after their YF meeting, but they decided to have a quick dinner & come back to church to encourage & support us as a group. and it was heartening to hear what darrell (my own younger brother!) spoke on behalf of the YF, too :] we were so moved tt we (okay, shelia & i) were sniffing & wiping away tears (of joy, tho) like we were at a funeral...haha
lastly...i thought i'd just share wat joe shared with me before he left. "it's not for formalities sake. i'd just like to say, because your grp is integrated, i believe this YAF will last." well, like i shared with sis charissa, come the day when we ever tink of giving up and gng separate ways, i hope we will rmb tt there were ppl who believed in us to sustain this YAF, and i hope we will be able to live up to tt expectation...and ultimately, give God the glory...

i wanted to remember...

2007-05-20T23:26:00.000+08:00

...the day there was a blackout at Galilee...

only this emergency light was on...

the organ wasn't working...

...still, we went on worshipping and praising the Lord as usual... :]

but well, after all, our motto says "in Galilee...there's a great light", right?! :D

blessed birthday, grandma!

2007-05-18T23:00:00.000+08:00

thank God for keeping my grandma in good health - physically & spiritually - all these years. but most impt of all, i thank God for the sweet assurance that i will be with Grandma for eternity! and yup...that (Grandma's salvation) is something i often hafta remind myself not to take for granted!

23.04.07

2007-04-23T22:57:00.000+08:00

i wasn't ignoring you tt day. i had my reasons for not really wanting to talk, for drawing away. not just from you, if you haven't realised...but from the few of you i held most dear to my heart. it sounds selfish, but maybe it's from the many disappointments, i don't want to risk being hurt. don't ppl always say, the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment..? m trying hard not to expect too much already, but things don't seem to change for the better. i wanted to explain things tt sunday. i wanted to say i was sorry for causing you to tink i was ignoring you. but you said you're tired of it. i was hoping you'd understand, and even if you didn't, at least forgive me. i fought back tears as you sent each sms filled with sarcasm i didn't expect, which you probably didn't mean to use as well. i didn't want things to turn out this way. i wasn't angry, i honestly wasn't and m not.
i was hoping you'd talk to me after a week. but you didn't that saturday. i was hoping you would on sunday, but you walked away each time i came near. i tried smiling at you today, but you wouldn't even look at me.
what i learnt at precept this evening was really apt. when i try to solve things on my own and things just don't seem to get better, i can only pray. likewise, since i've tried what i could for this friendship, and things still don't seem to get better, in fact...i tink i've made it worse...i'll just stop doing anything... and pray. maybe someday, you'll understand, just maybe. for now, i shall commit this into the hands of the One Whom i've always hoped would be Lord of our friendship...

thanksgiving, supposedly.

2007-04-05T23:50:00.000+08:00

i was actually really happy abt something just now...

i made a pretty bad mistake at work today. it was tempting not to tell my boss abt it, but when i shared with dear, josiah & hannah, they encouraged me to tell the truth...thank God i did. cos...it was really bugging me and i was so worried abt it...but when i called my boss to tell the truth, she was really kind abt it. i was so thankful she didn't reprimand me like most lawyers prolly would, if such a mistake was made =/ well, a lesson learnt: when i honour God by being honest, He honoured me too : ) praise God!

my friends were really happy for me...sis charissa was so glad i told the truth. but when i came home, i told mommy & pa (who had just got home today), they weren't happy for me at all. pa didn't respond or even look like he was listening, just staring at the tv, and mom just incessantly repeated the same thing "yah, watever, better stop making so many mistakes". no matter how i tried emphasizing on how God honoured me for being honest, she just kept harping on me making mistakes & couldn't see my point. i felt really sad, disappointed. and now...m feeling really awful and i just can't stop feeling tt way...and honestly, i really regret telling her abt it...

*crestfallen*

thankful - with all my heart ;)

2007-03-10T23:10:00.000+08:00

abt 5 months ago, i started to feel the left side of my chest hurting quite often. but due to camps and the many events in nov-dec, i only went to see a doctor in jan.

3rd jan 2007
thank God for answering my prayer, when He gave me a dilligent doctor who detected slight murmurs in my heart. even tho the ECG report read "normal", she was conscientious enough to tell me an ECG might not be able to pick up small defects and referred me to a cardiologist. the appt was set on 21st feb. i was told tt was the earliest date available, but i believed God could do anything. by God's grace, when i called the hospital, i was given an earlier date - 19th jan! praise God!

19th jan 2007

i met the cardiologist, who detected slight murmurs as well. ECG read "abnormal". was scheduled for an ultrasound scan in feb. before seeing the cardiologist, i had told shelia "m not scared anymore. m very sure i'll walk out of the hospital today, able to tell my friends & family m perfectly fine". so...honestly, tt morning...my faith waivered.

9th feb 2007

thank God for helping me realise tt as a YFer, i had the privilege of my fellow siblings-in-Christ praying for me. so i shared with them my fear and requested tt they pray for God to remove all my fears + anxieties and look to Him when m afraid, esp during the nights...thank God for courage/preparing me as i went for the ultrasound scan. during the ultrasound scan, i was not afraid at all, chatting with the lady doing the 45-min scan. but when i overheard anor lady + her discussing the possibilty of a shunt, i was so scared, i teared...

16th feb 2007
the cardiologist explained the results of the ultrasound scan. they found:

i've got mild mitral valve prolapse. (something to thank God for, because all i have to do is take antibiotics before any surgery/dental procedures)
the right side of my heart dilated, suspected a small shunt & so was scheduled for a transesophageal echocardiography.

8th march 2007

by then, i wasn't afraid of the situation/outcome anymore. i knew that my life is in the hands of Elohim, my Creator and tt He has numbered me my days. worrying will not change my days on this earth. what i was afraid of was...the procedure. the discomfort. haa...but thank God for family, friends & uncles + aunties at prayer meeting who faithfully prayed for me to have courage. (the scan was erm, well...rather interesting. haha...i'll tell you if you ask me abt it)

9th march 2007

the cardiologist confirmed tt there are 2 small shunts (holes) between the left/right atriums. people with mitral valve prolapse tend to have atrial septal defect but thank God, because the 2 holes are small, he will not have to do anything abt them but will just continue to monitor me annually. praise God!

i thank God for His grace & mercies on me. indeed, the God i serve is all-powerful, faithful and real. i thank God for the people He placed around me, who encouraged me and faithfully prayed for and/or with me during this test of faith. most impt of all, i thank God tt despite these little defects, He has kept me healthy the past 22 years and like i told mommy, "even with a mildly incompetent valve + 2 small holes, i've been actively involved in sports and even won medals. w/o them, i'd probably be taking part in the olympics! hahaha" :b all praise & glory be to God!

p.s. a big THANK YOU to those who've been my faithful fellow-prayer warriors!

reminiscence

2007-02-10T01:42:00.000+08:00

a bunch of them lived in bukit panjang...so they'd take 176 down to pandan gardens, where i used to walk all the way just to meet them early mornings. there, we'd take the same bus to the same school...except one of us whose school was prolly 3-4 bus stops down from ours. becos tt "odd" but beloved fella had a habit of being late, the rest of us would end up late too. together we run down the bus, across the pedestrian crossing, down the corridors past the science labs, trying to get to the parade sq before the morning bell goes off. the moment we hit the parade sq, we run in separate directions, to our own classes...just on time, before the school bell rings, and the national anthem starts playing...

i wonder if any one remembers that...

as if seeing each other on sat + sun weren't enough. we went to the same school too, haha...just suddenly thought of them, and of those days...

but like hozea says..."those days are gone forever!" sigh...

my 22nd birthday :)

2007-02-04T11:36:00.000+08:00

praise God from Whom all blessings flow! a few things i'd like to thank God for:

life - recently i've learnt not to take life for granted. each day i live is by the grace of God...and so, i thank God for yet anor year of life He's given me.
my parents - for loving me, and for all the sacrifices they've made...always trying to give kor, darrell and me the best they can (thank you papa & mommy, i love you too)
darrell - for being the sweetest brother in the world, always being there for me! (i love you, darling!)
my brothers/sisters-in-Christ a.k.a my fellow prayer warriors- for always encouraging me thru the word of God, praying for me (of cos they fall under "friends" too, but thought i'd give them a 'title one-level-up'! *winks*)
my friends (esp those who've stayed all these years!) - simply for their friendship!
a meaningful birthday gathering - it's always wonderful having the ppl i hold dear to my heart, around me on my birthday...and i thank God for a good time of sweet fellowship!

i've always thought 22nd birthdays (or rather, birthdays after our 21st) aren't special anymore...but i was wrong, cos my friends made it really special for me :) *blessed*

sweet surprise :)

2007-02-03T23:21:00.000+08:00

i thought i'd miss out on quite a bit of fun when a bunch of them went for a funfair at JJ this morning while i had to go for my bible study...well, m glad i was guai[1] (meaning "good" in mandarin) enough not to "pontang" bible study...or the efforts of these sweet friends of mine would have gone down the draaaaaiiin...

yup, thank God for these really sweet friends who planned this really sweet birthday surprise for me! *happy*

err...

2007-01-31T23:30:00.000+08:00

gwyn: try the mango milk ice
lydia: is it hot?

God's my daddy's Jehovah-Jireh too!

2007-01-22T23:48:00.000+08:00

at 11.30am this morning, papa was desperately trying to call for a cab to come at 12nn, but somehow none of the cab services responded. he needed to speak to an operator cos he wanted a 7-seater to fit his 1.5m box for his friend. saw papa rubbing his forehead cos he was having a headache. so i said, "pray" & he did. soon, a lady picked up & said if he were to book now, it'd be $16 more, book at 12nn and it'll be $8 more. so we decided to lunch first.
during lunch, while saying grace, i asked God to "help daddy get a cab easily later". and wow-wee, God sure made it easy for us. while walking back home, we saw a cab driver waiting by his taxi & we approached him. he agreed to wait for us while we get changed, before driving us to the airport! not only tt, his boot was totally empty, giving us enough space to fit the 1.5m box in perfectly! praise the Lord!

so tt's 2 problems down. anor prob: papa's overweight, becos of the box for his friend. so we prayed tt God would provide someone along the way, kind enough to share baggage load. we approached this man in the queue, who said he was heading to frankfurt. wat a pity...but the moment we turned around, this man was walking in to the queue and before we said anything to him, he said "yes, i heard you"...and he agreed to share baggage weight with papa! so all's clear in s'pore. and not only were we not late, papa even had spare time to have coffee with me at starbucks! haa...we then prayed tt over on vietnam's side, papa wouldn't be taxed.

hours later, when papa called from vietnam, he said they didn't tax him! isn't God wonderful? thank God for being my daddy's Jehovah-Jireh by providing a cab and a man to share his baggage load, and even allowed him to avoid being taxed for the huge box he was carrying! praise the Lord! wheeeeeeee~

my poly clique get-tgt : )

2007-01-15T23:31:00.000+08:00

mel, gwyn, yenting & jiahui at sizzler...oei, OUR 1st time at singapore's sizzler lehh... :b

God will take care of me.

2007-01-07T21:38:00.000+08:00

today, while on a bus to town with ric, i had the most heartwarming moment with papa over the phone. for the first time, papa asked to pray with me over the phone. actually, it was the first time he even asked to pray with me. "maybe you could close your eyes now, and we will pray now over the phone. daddy will pray," he said to me. as he prayed, while nodding in agreement, tears of joys flooded my eyes. as papa said "in Jesus' name we pray, amen.", i could hear his voice breaking down too. i know being human, papa is afraid too...but this time, he's placing me in God's hands. if there's one thing i must thank God for despite what He's putting me thru now, it has to be the faith tt papa has in God now. it brings great joy to my heart seeing how my father is now learning to put his trust in our Heavenly Father...and i'll never forget what he said to me 4 days ago, when even tho i was afraid deep inside, i told him i'd be fine. papa said to me over the phone, "yes. for sure you'll be fine. God will take care of my girl."

sweet hour of prayer

2007-01-01T02:44:00.000+08:00

31st dec 2006
11.45pm, galilee bp church fellowship hall
as the nation waited for the arrival of the new year, most people were partying at different countdown venues or waiting in anticipation for the fireworks display in town. however, away from all the partying and merry-making, in galilee, a small church in pandan gardens, a quiet area of singapore, sat a group of youths (and young-at-hearts!) on the floor of their fellowship hall. present were, the tan family (uncle siong teck, auntie christine, daryl, clarissa, matthew), the twins (sis karina & charissa), hannah, shelia, gwyneth, allvina, josiah, daniel, johnathan, jonathan, jasmine & jaime. they sat in a circle, along with the strumming of 2 guitars, they sang with all their hearts, filled with joy & grateful for all that their Lord has done for them. they sang old YF/sun sch songs like "He's everything to me", "the countdown", and not forgetting 2 familiar medleys known as "sambal rojak" and the "cliff college medley".

11.59pm
just 30 seconds before midnight, this small group stopped singing, waited quietly, and prepared to start counting down. as the nation started counting down from 10 seconds, they started counting too. but when the hp "clock" struck 12, while the nation screamed and shouted "happy new year"s to everyone and anyone around them, this group of youths who wanted to start off the year doing something meaningful, immediately got on their knees, as jonathan, followed by uncle siong teck, led them in prayer. while the nation ushered in the new year with fireworks, screams, and whatnots, this group ushered in the new year...with a word of prayer to the One whom they know would lead them on...into year 2007.

"some thru the waters, some thru the floods. some thru the fire, but all thru the blood. some thru great sorrow, but God gives a song...in the night season, and all the day long..." yes, God will lead us, His dear children along...year 2007, here i come.

YF camp 2006

2006-12-14T21:56:00.000+08:00

and so, this is my 9th and last YTF/GTF/YF camp. i praise and thank God for answering our prayers by bringing so many youths to camp ths year. because this time it wasn't just the YF, but many galilee youths (i don't really like calling them non-YFers actually), who attended this camp on "True Friendship", it's been a really special camp to me. from just 3 who signed up, the no. of campers went up to 34, by God's grace, on the day before camp. i really enjoyed this year's camp...actually because of the younger campers. as i stood there with auntie amy during last nite's bbq, looking at the campers mingling & talking excitedly by th pit, she pointed out to me "how good it'll be if all these ppl here belonged to the YF". at tt moment, our camp theme verse from psalm 133:1, suddenly became so real to me. "behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" i thank God for the bond tt we've built among us over the 4 days, or maybe even past 2 weeks cos of ss camp. tho camp is now over, i pray tt these youths will remember the lessons they learnt on true friendship and seek to be a true friend to others, esp their brothers/sisters-in-Christ here in galilee! like what daryl pointed out, may we all not ignore one anor on sundays anymore, but stop to talk to one anor. i pray too, tt one day, we'll all be able to truly see ourselves as ONE family of God, sharing not only our happiest moments but bearing one anor's burdens.

feels quite sad sitting here in front of my ibook actually. i wished i were at camp with my friends...but honestly, it isn't my supposedly closest friends whom i wanna be with right now...i don't know why, but i've been feeling so left out around them these days...and i can't help it. the ppl whom i least expected to enjoy myself with, were the ones who really made me happy and enjoy this 2 camps...i guess nobody can help me...all i pray now is for myself to remember tt even if nobody cares or understands, God does...

sunday school camp'06

2006-12-08T23:14:00.001+08:00

thank God for a meaningful week spent at ss camp. it's been wonderful working with the grp "growth" and i really thank God for each of them: samuel (i/c), jasmine (2i/c), shaun teo, isaac, seth, alicia, grace, beatrice, ian, korina & shaun tan :) this grp is always eager to learn and thus the decision to name them "most teachable grp at camp". thank God for His guidance as i followed this grp around for activities, led them in morning devotions and "connect" sessions, with my co-mentor josiah. thank God for their attentiveness during "connect" & of cos, alex for sharing his craft ideas with the juniors' mentors :) i thank our Sovereign God too, who granted us good weather thru the camp. it is def not by chance, but by divine intervention tt on the 1st 2 days it didn't rain in the afternoon during our hike & swimming carnival, but rained at tt time on the 4th day so we could have our campfire at nite! :) i enjoyed being with the teens/children - not just those from my grp - and i really appreciated how they made me so comfortable being with them. it was also exciting to see how the members of "growth" grow over the 5 days at camp and one thing i really need to thank God for would be how they've applied what i shared with them during one morning devotion, tt is, to give God the glory when they recieve praise, instead of just saying "thanks" or worse, rejecting the praise. God also proved Himself real to them when they gained victory during games, esp during the skit. they won not because they were good, but because they prayed and committed them into God's hands :)

campers with speakers : )

juniors

campers with pastors : )

camp counsellors & mentors

grp "growth"!

ice-cream, anybody?

2006-11-24T23:44:00.000+08:00

it's been almost a year since all 4 of us got together like this? and 5 years since we graduated from sec sch..? haa...
it's been quite a while eh? welcome home, mag...albeit for 2 weeks only

p.s. i couldn't help but note this down. right after we took this shot...
erica: "o you let me have tt photo i help you all photoshop away all the flaws."
aw. so kind of her... -.-" erica ericaaaaaa....

no fear when in Him we trust

2006-11-19T19:09:00.000+08:00

"and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose......what shall we then say to these things? if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? it is God that justifieth. who is He that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? as it is written, for Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. for i am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, not angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, not depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." romans 8:28,31-39

nothing can separate us from the love of God...nothing. not even the worst (or silliest) thing tt m gng thru now, or ever will. my God is a covenant-keeping God. since it says so in His word, i trust tt it will be so. so Lord, help me remember this always...

if i could turn back time...

2006-11-17T01:14:00.000+08:00

been clearing my room for the past 2 days and this evening, i finally came to sorting my letters. i decided to transfer the really old ones into anor box and in the midst of it, i couldn't help but go thru some of those letters. looking at them...i cried and laughed at the same time. at letters written by friends who used to be so close but i barely know now, letterS from a friend who used to sign off as "shelia xie" but over the years, now signs off as "dear". and then i couldn't help but laugh at the stuff tt we used to write on...many acs(i) foolscap papers, postcards, but the best of all was a page torn off a zuo[4] wen [2] bu[4] (chinese composition book with squares) from dear old josiah. i still remember i wrote back using a graph paper for 'revenge'. haha...but wait, then again, there was one written on a receipt! (hais, don't worry mag, i won't tell everyone it was you who did tt)

then there were lovely christmas cards, birthday cards, ang-pows i kept because of the wishes & notes written on them. 1 ang-pow read "big big ang pow for you!" from my 3rd aunt who stuffed a smaller one into this big one cos i had told her she'd better give me a big one (i was obviously talking abt the $) -.-" but a birthday card from beishan & qihui in sec 1 was the one tt really brought back memories. beishan had drawn a picture of 3 of us - all bespectacled & with short-hair...& on the right-hand side was our dear mr chua sticking his head into the card, with finger on his lips, gng "sshhh". guess only beishan & qihui will know wat's so funny abt it when they read this...then again, they don't know of this blog. ha. o well...

if i could turn back time...just "IF"...i would want to go back to my sec sch days...i don't mind the o levels. i just wanna relive my days as a tanglinian, and a almost-hyper-active-never-will-say-m-tired YTFer...

just not impt enough.

2006-11-05T15:49:00.000+08:00

maybe becos nobody speaks my love language. or maybe, simply becos nobody bothers to. at least not those whom i hold most dear to me...

this is for my dear :)

2006-10-21T23:22:00.000+08:00

alrite, m back...as in, to blogging. haven't been doing so cos i had so much on my mind, i didn't know how to pen them down. to jaime, jasmine & bel: m sorry bout tt. anyway, i've been pretty alrite. not exactly great, but God's been wonderful, and real. oh, and of cos, my only Hope. slacking a lot now. running errands, giving tuition to 3 kids, bible study, meeting up with whoever's free to meet me, sleeping, eating, reading...yeah, tt's pretty much how my life's like now. hopefully i don't get too used to it.

anyway, like the title says. this post is supposed to be for my dear. my friend of almost 15 years. prolly my closest friend. my mind-reader~ and of cos, my prayer partner & one of my sources of godly counsel - almost right after papa & mommy. i thank God for this friend whom i can be so honest with. well, even if m not, she'll know wat's on my mind. this dear of mine knows me so well tt m 99.9% convinced she can read my thoughts. it's scary sometimes you know. but on the other hand, it's wonderful to have a friend like tt...esp in times when i want so much to share something with her but don't know how to, or not sure if i should. she's God's blessing to me, and an answer to my prayer for a friend who knows me, thinks like me, and lives life with the same purpose and Reason : ) thank you, Father, and thank you, dear! i love you!

"and friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them..." glory to God for being the Lord of our friendship! : )

goodbye, chiangmai

2006-09-08T23:37:00.000+08:00

seven weeks passed so quickly. couldn't believe i was on my way home while on the plane last nite. there's so much to say but i just don't know how to...so maybe it's best and good enough to just keep them in my heart. i will miss chiangmai and the ppl i've met - a lot. i thank God for the wonderful ppl i've met and made friends with. they've taught me a lot...if there's one thing i need to learn from them, it's how giving they are. be it time or money, despite the little they have, compared to us...then again, maybe it's because they have so little...they cherish their friends so much. and m glad and thank God i got to be their friend.

so much seems to have changed in such a short time. jec looks different. the car park outside my home is different. even my own home's so different now. the bar counter i used to love sitting at (or on) when i was a kid (there's a little seat-like thing at the foot of it) is now gone...new doorway, different arrangement of furniture, etc...

iced milk tea here suddenly seems so tasteless...i miss the iced tea at payap's ufm...

a wonderful meet-up :)

2006-08-31T22:18:00.000+08:00

it was wonderful seeing lydia fong & her family here in chiangmai. we were hoping to somehow meet up here since her family & her are serving in mae sai, but i had thought tt by the time she comes to chiangmai, i would have been back in s'pore. few days ago, when i heard tt she was coming to chiangmai for a night before returning to s'pore, we agreed to try meet up for coffee. to cut the long story short, our msn chat on tue (a day before she arrived) resulted in bro nat & sis pat offering to put her family up for a night. so not only did we get to have coffee, we got to spend almost the entire night catching up, chatting till 4am (5am s'pore time)! never expected we'd have so much to talk abt and i really enjoyed last nite. tot it was just...meaningful, and i thank God for it. God-willing, we will meet again in singapore when i return :)

time is fleeting by toooo fast! just abt a week left here in chiangmai...m already starting to miss this place, the toast bread in front of the canteen, the iced thai tea at ufm, eng club meetings, their way of life, many other things...and most of all, the ppl...

sowing seeds

2006-08-24T21:49:00.000+08:00

thank God for an opportunity to share the gospel with 4 students today. koi's discipleship session today was to share the gospel with others, so bro nat, p'gade, koi & i went to this coffee stand beside the erc, where some students would hang around in between classes to have a snack or drink. i realised tt the thais can be really polite, even if they might not want to hear wat you have to say. so long as someone approaches them, they would smile and listen. either tt, or they were just trying to be nice becos prior to approaching them, i had given up my table to them. if there's one thing i could ask for today, i really wished i could speak thai, or at least know enough just to share the gospel in their language. it's my first time sharing the gospel on this trip (shared only my testimony of salvation during spiritual revival week)...and boy, it really isn't easy. but thank God for koi who worked with me to share the gospel with the 4 students. thank God for boldness :)

i thank God too, for the ppl who came for eng club today. bro nat pointed out tt it looks like we might be having a different crowd from now. many of those who used to come weren't here today...but by God's grace, 3 or 4 new students have been joining us for the past 2 club meetings :) we had a discussion to see what we could do to bring more ppl to the club. decided tt other than publicity thru posters, each of them could also try inviting a friend. took down hp no.s & email addresses. let's just pray this grp would be consistent...

today's reading from "experiencing God" was abt doing God's will. God is more interested in a love relationship with me than what i can do for Him. His desire is for me to love Him. realised i've been praying for the wrong answer. instead of asking "what's God's will for my life?", i should be asking, "what is God's will?". m i able to follow God one day at a time, even if He does not spell out all the details? will i be able to surrender all & pray: "Lord, I will do anything that Your kingdom requires of me. wherever you want me to be, i'll go. whatever the circumstances, i'm willing to follow. if You want to meet a need through my life, i am Your servant; and i will do whatever is required."..? o God, help me...