thanksgiving

ive gt sth to give thanks to God. last week, i went to make a new pair of spec. the optician told me that my current spec is 'overpowered'. meaning the spec's degree is higher than it should be. my right eye now is 225 (used to be 275). left eye 275 (used to be 325). this wasnt the 1st time it happened. a few years ago, another optician told me the same thing and lowered my degree when i was making my green spec. seems more like my eye sight is getting better. remembered that i ever pray to God to give me a perfect eye sight after hearing miracle stories from my colleagues that God healed ppl with short sightedness. no longer do they need to wear spec. i dont mean to belittle God. in the bible Jesus healed the blind. what's short sightness to Him?! the exciting thingy is that it's happening to me~! yea yea. im so happy. it's sth to rejoice. slowly but surely im able to do without specs in future. Praise God for His faithfulness in my life. Amen.

ps: pray for me yea? for a spec free life.

i can't believe everyone is so efficient in posting..*gasps*

we are the last group. but the last shall be the first. hehehe. right at the top of the page, our sharing and prayer requests!

elaine:
1. pray that she will make good friends in school, especially when her tutorials consist of different people. may God bless her with favour and one godly good friend!
2. pray for xin yi (her friend who accepted Christ the other time) that God will lead her to Him and that she may find her purpose in life in Him. also, for elaine that she will have wisdom in bringing her to church as well.
3. pray that elaine will not feel uncomfortable or 'don't feel like' meeting up with old friends from primary school, that their friendships will grow beyond superficial level to a deeper one with acceptance of who she is.

charmaine cheong:
1. pray that God will maximise her time (she's very busy haha) , also have time to practice for her piano exam coming in march
2. pray that there will not be awkwardness between her and her piano teacher when she goes for piano lessons next week (due to something that happened la) and that her fingers will be so anointed in playing all the pieces

nuan yi:
1. pray that she will make good friends and pick good project partners as she starts school on monday

-the end-

Prayer requests from Des, Val & Reg...

Please keep us in prayer...

Des - Family Harmony.
Val - Career Direction. Please pray for wisdom and God's direction as to her career...
Reg - Career Direction. Please pray for the correct doors to open, and that she will know that they are open...

Thanks... Due to privacy issues, we don't feel comfortable posting the sharing at this point... But, we'll post up our prayer requests... ;)

Ikea's meatballs are soo delicious.

Please keep Chng's grandma in prayer. Pray for communication between her and her grandma, that language will not be a boundary. Pray for relief of pain, pray for reality of God to show through. Pray for Chng to be strong, to be the light of God to her grandma.

Please keep Jennifer in prayer. Pray that she'll trust God in all decisions that she makes, pray that the Spirit will speak to her and lead her in God's will. Pray that she will have peace in making choices, and faith to let God take over. Pray that she will have the joy of God everyday, which will never be taken away from her no matter what circumstance she is placed in.

Please keep Yvonne in prayer. Pray that she will go to work a happy girl. And leave work a happy girl. Pray for fatigue (and dark eye rings) to go away. Pray that she will be obedient to God, and fear God. Pray that she will love unlovable people around her.

Thank you, you all. God bless =)

prayer requests from Peng

Peng is currently rushing for deadline...trying to finish up her design pieces in time for the exhibition next next week. Please pray for success n completion of project.
Pray for her health as she often has gastric pains whenever she is feeling stressed. Also bcoz of her irregular diet n late nites till 2am. tsk tsk.
Pray for her boss that he will not stress her up some more
Pray for journey mercies and weather in Paris as it will be very cold coz its winter. might worsen skin condition.
Pray for desired rest after exhibition is over
Pray that she will be motivated to read her psalms n that GOD will continue to speak to her during this period.

Ways to stay on the MRT seat tt's not meant to be sat on

Failed attempt



New tactic!


And...success!



Our cute lil' Pris

Hahaha tt was fun i was laughing bout it on my way home. Hehe.

stand firm

imagine you were standing at the pedestrian crossing, waiting for the light to turn green. however, the roads are clear and there are no cars in sight. people around you start crossing the road. would you join them? or would you wait?

i think many a times, we would cross without even thinking. so what if it's still red? the roads are empty and everyone's crossing already.

but today, just as i was standing in that same position, waiting for the light to turn green, the Holy Spirit spoke to me.

it is a law, a rule that we have to wait for the green light before crossing the road. we all know that. we've been taught that since young. and we know, that jaywalking like that is dangerous. but when peer pressure comes, when people around you start crossing, would you stand firm and wait? or would you give in to the world and join them?

crossing the road is a small matter. but when bigger things come along the way in your life, would you give in to the world, or would you stand right where you stood, holding on to your beliefs, your principles, your values and God's commands?

for some of us, perhaps we should try starting from little things today, like waiting for the green light. for others, we may have passed the traffic light test, but when bigger tests come, we need His grace and strength to stand where we were while the whole world is moving past us.

let us stand firm this day and not be complacent. continue to look to His grace for only by His grace can we be brought thus far.

"it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1

Leaders' Appreciation - For Pastor Debra

Can't really hear what they are saying...maybe it's time to get a new phone.

Psalm 4

"You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart than [they know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly."
(Amplified Bible)

"Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say. "More, more." I have God's more-than-enough, More joy in one ordinary day"
(The Message)

It's amazing, because there really are many occasions where i am the happiest on an ordinary day. When there's no sign of miracles exploding in the air, nor tangible blessings that i can hold, yet i feel happier than a time when i felt i had everything. Just a normal day, just doing normal things. Joy from the Lord is truly inexplicable. It is one that defies circumstances, one that flaunts its feathers most beautifully when sorrow strikes. What is joy when all is well? It is but a fleeting happiness, here this moment and gone the next. But joy in times of deepest sorrow and pain is one to be beheld, one that invites admiration. It is where joy parades itself in its fullest reign, it is where joy is complete. Thank you God for this joy you've given to us, that never fails, even when our worlds fall apart. =)

Psalm dua dan tiga

Psalm 2

When God laughed, how did He laugh? In a hysterical way, a joyful hearty chuckle, a mocking manner, or a bitter laughter? I believe in this psalm, God first laughs like a father would when his lil girl tells him, "Daddy, i'm going to kill the lion tmr." Laughing cos of his lil' girl's naviety, and her guts. But that laughter fades as God realises His children are trying to bring Him down, and His ppl along with Him. Though He knows full well that their efforts are futile, like a lil' mouse trying to kill an elephant by hitting it furiously with its lil' palms, it hurts Him deeply, knowing they have such an intention. It's like when the lil' girl tells her dad, "And after i kill the lion, Daddy, i'm going to kill you." And then his laughter turns to that of derision, and of mockery..

I didn't read the Message version until i'd finished writing this, and amazingly the translator seems to have gotten the same idea from God...
"Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he's amused at their presumption; Then he gets good and angry."

Psalm 3

I read this psalm over and over again a few times, and i asked that God would show me how David felt when he wrote this. How would you feel if your son, your own flesh and blood, betrays you, plots to take over your kingdom and now sends tens of thousands of your own army after you, to take your life? Anger, fear, hurt...i believe these are but some emotions that David experienced at that time. But i believe at the moment of writing this psalm, the main emotion is fear. David could be hiding in some cave in the mountains now, faint from hunger and haven't taken a bath in days. He started the psalm by telling God how he felt, exactly as the situation is. "God! Look! Enemies past counting! Enemies sprouting like mushrooms, Mobs of them all around me, roaring their mockery: "Hah! No help for him from God!" David is afraid, terrified, and he is honest with God.

And then, Selah. From Ps Debra's devotional, i found out that Selah could either mean 'pause or moment of silent meditation' or 'lifting up of voices or the lifting up/blowing of trumpets' or 'musical interlude'. I doubt David would be blowing trumpets at this point, from my conjecture this Selah prolly meant 'pause or moment of silent meditation'. Why? Maybe cos his emotions were too overwhelming at that point, maybe cos he was crying too hard to continue. After that moment of silent meditation, he goes on to seek solace in God, and declare the Lord's faithfulness even in his extreme circumstances.

Next he said, "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people. Who have set themselves against me all around." This is quite funny, because the reason i'm awake at this time is because i woke up in the middle of the night feeling wide awake, and i thought maybe God wants to speak to me, so i went to read this psalm, and "I lay down and slept: I awoke, for the Lord sustained me." jumped out at me. That sounds like what just happened to me, i thought. Haha. As i struggled to understand what David meant when he wrote this, God led me to the understanding that David must have been dead tired from days of climbing the mountains and hiding, yet was afraid to sleep lest someone attacks him in his sleep and takes his life. So he gave thanks to God for giving him the peace to fall asleep, and for protecting him from harm, when he awoke.

Psalm 1

This is a psalm that showcases the blessings of the Lord that will be given if we walk in His ways, and also a warning to those who do not. Two verses spoke to me today.

Firstly, "But his delight is in the law of the LORD..."
Delight, that's what God wants to give us in this season. What do we delight in? What we delight in shows where our heart lies. If we truly delight in the Word of God, we would rejoice over it, give thanks for it, and meditate upon it.
"If a person delights in something, you don’t have to beg them to do it or to like it. They will do it all by themselves. You can measure your delight for the word of God by how much you hunger for it."

"...and on His law he meditates day and night"
“Meditation chews the cud, and gets the sweetness and nutritive virtue of the Word into the heart and life: this is the way the godly bring forth much fruit.” (Ashwood, cited by Spurgeon)It's not just reading. Nor is it sitting in a yoga position for 10 hours in silence. It's going about your daily activities, but thinking constantly of the verses, slowly chewing it, savouring every taste and aftertaste that lingers.

Secondly, "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither." A tree by a river has a constant stream of water, and is strong and stable, sinking down deep roots. (Guzik D. 2006) Yupp, and it will yield its fruit in season. Not all year round, but in its season. Let's look forward to the many bananas, apples, strawberries, mangoes and kiwis that God will give to us this year in our own seasons!

Planning and Group Photo

countdown party 2007

View Album

Get your own

my journey in 2007

John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

yes let's overcome the world together!
yesterday's 2008 planning was good
I feel excited abt the year of sabbath
coz i find that questions abt hearing GOD's voice has been disturbing me lately
i look forward to hearing fr him more next year...to be more intimate with him like a boyfren! kiss..hug?
I really thank GOD for PD n mel's prayer of restoration
this year has been really tough for me...it feels like a never ending battle
actually it doesnt really feel like a year of victory to me at all...the word discouraged is like plastered over my forehead
but I believe next year there will be some closure...rainbows will appear after the storm
afterall he will not push me beyond wat i can bear
but its really when I ve reached the end of myself, i finally found not only answers but i found him again! that is a victory this year!

Appreciation fr mel is that I m open n receiving when somebody prays for me...
i feel the warm sensation running down my spine when sb prays for me....i feel really touched by their words..its makes me cry
she feels like sometimes she is simplifying my problems..but i hv been open to her encouragements n advice
she also mentioned abt the use of "mummy" in my emails to her.....an effort to be more expressive n more intimate with her

my turn now
Thank you mummy mel for walking thru the storms in my life. ur advice n encouragement have always been very objective, allowing me to make decisions on my own by seeking the Lord's favour
Thank you also for building me up spiritually n in character...i hv grown fr the shy, low self esteem gal to the one standing before yah
Thank you my dear sisters for ur one word description of me today as virtuous like proverbs 31 except the part abt cooking n washing clothes. yes even when i dun truly believe coz it sounds like a housewife! i will work on the speedy gonzales attitude... i need more patience!
Thank you guifang for ur presence is a big encouragement to me! i hv lots to learn fr ur childlike faith in GOD.
Thank you gwen for all ur support, prayers n encouragement! yes i enjoy the movie dates with yah!
Most importantly thank you everybody for bringing so much joy, laughter n colour into my life. I luv u all very much!
love fiona

MNG retreat

mastermind a game that requires serious concentration
i wonder who recorded this...val sounds funny


gift exchange search - von finally found her pressie!

the Shepherd and the Sheep

We all know Psalm 23.
We quote it a lot.

But do you truly understand what it means?

Sometimes, when verses become so known, we may lose the true meaning of the word or become desensitised to it.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."
-> It literally means I shall not lack fullstop. I shall not lack in anything.

Does the sheep keep the shepherd? Or does the shepherd keep the sheep?
I think one will know the obvious answer:
The shepherd keeps the sheep.

Here comes the next question we should ask ourselves:
If it is true that the shepherd (God) keeps the sheep (Us), why is it that we still worry?

It is the shepherd's responsibility to provide for His sheep, be it food, clothing, work, studies...
The shepherd will not look good if His sheep is not provided for.
The sheep does not worry about their meals but simply trust in their shepherd because the sheep knows that the shepherd will bring them to "green pastures" and "waters".

Truth be told, how do we truly follow the shepherd? Because as we all know, saying is one thing and obeying is another.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures..."
-> Ever seen a sheep lie down on green pastures? It tucks in its feet and stop running around being so busy.

Okay I can see some of you scratching your heads now...

Though we do our devotion each day, how many times do we actually spend time with Him in a relaxed environment, all comfortable to wait on the Lord? And how many times do we instead read His word in a hurry, because we have to. Or read and fall asleep? I will say that I'm guilty of doing so... Haha.

When the sheep tucks in its feet, it knows that it can trust in its shepherd to fend off any dangers. And so it simply sits still and wait on its shepherd.

God likes us to do so... Simply lie down in green pastures and wait on the Lord.
Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to His word.

Hey if we are sheep, lying down on green pastures is good news! It means we have abundance of food! :)

"He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
-> In Israel there are lots of grazing pastures.
And on these grazing pastures you will invariably notice a mount or a small hill. There are tracks on these grazing pastures which you will see which the sheep are fond of trailing and the tracks go up and up till you reach the top.
These footpaths of the sheep is called Paths of Righteousness by the Israelites.
The interesting thing is the name of the top of the mounts, the Apex, it means HOPE. Which means that in all that we walk, we will ultimately be led to the top. And paths of righteousness will bring you to hope.

Cool isn't it? The way God works... :)

John 10:11
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."
-> When I read that I was overwhelmed. How amazing is God huh? To give His life for us! And when 1 goes astray, He leaves his 99 to hunt for the 1 who left on its own accord. What more us, His children? We never did find God on our own. He found us when we were lost and gave us hope to live with purpose again.

How does God gives us His forgiveness? And how do we forgive one another?
When we humans say we forgive another, what do we say?
"Yah, I forgive you, but don't do it again."

Whereas God forgives simply, "I forgive you."

No conditions given. He will abundantly pardon. The way He forgives leaves no room for guilt. Only man makes you feel guilty. We can come back unashamed into His arms with no questions asked.

That's the difference between us and God.

Have you noticed that great leaders are great sheep themselves? The only reason why King David is a good leader is due to his ability to be a great sheep himself who knew his shepherd's voice, and obeyed God's calling. The Lord took David from following his sheepfold to shepherding the Lord's people. That's why he became a great shepherd of his people.

To be a good leader, we have to be a good sheep.

"Surely goodness and mercy me will follow me all the days of my life!"
-> 'Follow' what does it truly mean? I just read recently in the Hebrew context. It means that surely goodness and mercy will HUNT me down.. double wow...

We all want to enjoy God's word in the absence of our symptoms. But God wants us to have joy in the midst of our stress.

If goodness and mercy is hunting for me, it is coming from the back, following me...
Who am I following then?

The Lord says in John 10:4 "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice."
-> As long as we keep Jesus in front of us, goodness and mercy will hunt us down!
As long as we pursue Jesus, goodness and mercy will pursue us!

The devil tries to prevent us from knowing the word...

Don't let any weapon formed against us prosper!