YEAR 2009 =)

The year 2009 is a year of God's delight, favor & acceptance.
A change of hands in wealth & a transition period. The most acceptable year of the Lord.
The most blessed time when your family's salvation and the free favor of the Lord is profusely abounding.
This is the word from the Lord:
Pastor prince mentioned ''turning point'' being emphasized for this coming year. A year of transition.
Every area of your life will turn around. Some quickly, some slowly, but surely. There is a turn around coming.
Even for those you love, there is going to be a turn around for them, Amen.
This coming year, a year of transition, transits into a better place, to a larger place, into a good and green pasture beside still water. Amen!

Let the Lord be your shepherd.
He will lead you beside still water.
You will not see war.
You will experience still water.
He will lay you down on the green pasture.
In the midst of evil, we can experience the presence of the Lord covering over us.
We will be able to stand in the evil day.
Have a bright future mentality.
Put on a helmet of hope, positive expectations of good.
May God's favor hit you from behind when you least expect it.
When you go to work or school, remember you are God's favorite.
Say 'Amen' which is an act of faith reaching out to receive God's shower of blessings!
God wants us to see good days.

An sms from my auntie Christina. =D looking forward to the new year!! May we all grow more strongly in the Lord =) happyy new yearr!!

SOUTHIE FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTYYY

*ahems* HELLO EVERYBODY!!

I'm sure you guys are enjoying your holidays yeah? okays, here's the updates for the southie family christmas party! =)

DATE: 23rd DEC 2008 (TUESDAY)
Time: 5pm - 930pm
Meeting Place: 5pm at Serangoon MRT station! (try not to be late! if you're going huiyi's house straightaway please let us know too!)
Location: Huiyi's house (huiyi has very kindly sent us a map of her house and i've already attached the file here)
Theme: WINTER PARTYYY (so come dressed in winter accessories!!)

Okays, here's something to take note of! For FOOD (yum yum) we'll be having potblessings!! SOOO, please let huiyi (97837453) know what food you'd like to bring OKAYS! :D

We'll also be having gift exchange! (YAYYY) so just buy a present (budget the most 15 dollars, preferably if the gift is suitable for guys and girls yeah?) and we'll have gift exchange at huiyi's house!

Here's roughly the programme for the night!
We'll all have dinner first, followed by playing some games, then have gift exchange, before ending the night with probably some Praise and Worship and a time of sharing.

YES YES, so PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDENCE ASAP even if you're not going can just reply? haha yeah you can reply here or you can drop me clarice-91069455 or jo-91889625 a text. Feel free to ask any questions too.

Lastly, here's something that YOU MUST BRING to the party - YOUR EXCITEMENT PLUS ENERGY!! I'm really looking forward to seeing all of ya! so yeap, I'll see you guys there! GOD BLESS YA RICHLY!! :D

His beloved CLARICE.

14th Dec

Today I just wanna blog about some nugget I got from Pastor's rabbit trails.. it was his last phrase:

In Christ all prayers are answered. Christ is the reason every prayer is answered

I thought it was awesome 'cos i was on the 147 bus after George and I got down the 133 bus. I wanted to recap what Pastor said today and the 1st thing I saw was this line I wrote in my notebook. Immediately daddy nudged me to go study it and see why Jesus was the reason every prayer is answered 'cos honestly I doubted in my heart when I prayed for someone over the phone. like will God really answer my prayer.. I believe therefore I speak but.. erm yeah.. so this is what I wrote in my notebook

Daddy loves Jesus so much that he WILL grant whatever the son asks

Matt 18:19-20
v.19 if 2 shall agree it shall be done
v.20 when 2 or 3 are gathered in my name there I am in the midst

Jn11:42 Jesus: you ALWAYS hear me..

Jn16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father Will give you whatever you ASK in MY NAME.

Because I am in Christ the prayers I pray are prayed by Christ. Jesus takes all my prayers removes the self-centered-ness and excess unneeded stuff and adds HIS beauty perfection and perfume so that everything I pray in Jesus name is perfect and holy!

Be blessed! and stay adorable [boss' favourite line (: ]

Something that really blessed my heart=D

Hey southies!! long time no see!! i miss each of you alot alot!! haha=D anyways here's something to share with you guys that has really really blessed my heart. it is an article featuring my favourite band-big daddy weave and what they do in life, which is worship. though it is about music, worship (like what pastor daniel preached) is really about life, a lifestyle. the article is really cool, especially for people who have a desire to serve Abba, in every which way they want to.=D check it out!=D

Mike Weaver doesn’t really know how he got to where he is today. As one-fifth of Big Daddy Weave, one of Christian music’s most endearing bands, he readily admits, “I don’t think we’ve ever known what we were doing.”

A bold statement for the lead singer, songwriter and acoustic guitarist of a band that has sold nearly a half million records, released three No. 1 singles and toured with some of the biggest names in the industry since making its national debut over six years ago.

But Weaver insists it has been that simple. “We’ve always said, ‘God, if this is what you want us to do, you have to make it happen. Wherever we go, we’ll make it plain who you are—that Jesus is God and Jesus has changed our life.”

Expressing the greatness of that change in a musical format comes naturally for the melody-driven quintet. On its fifth release, What Life Would Be Like (Fervent), Big Daddy discovers and explores a new perspective of living, one that engages the miracles of God as not only possible, but real.

“When we went to Ecuador and saw what God was doing through World Vision, it challenged our hearts. We felt like there was not a lot happening through these little dollars that we were giving for child sponsorship. But once we got there, what seemed like a little bit was really changing entire communities in this country,” Weaver explains. “We visited one place where the crime rate had literally dropped from 80 percent to 20 percent in just a matter of years.”

Returning home self-aware, the band members began to question their own personal doubts and views of God. “The truth is, what we feel like is insignificant. What we feel like is not enough. In the hands of Jesus, He does the miraculous,” Weaver professes. “It increased this ability to dream again.”

Incorporating the effects of Ecuador into their next creative output, the men based their writing and recording on a fresh reality of God. “I feel like this record is about expectations: our expectations of who God is and what He’s capable of doing through the messed up people that we are.” The first to admit his shortcomings, Weaver, the band’s unofficial spokesman, replaces systematic sound bytes with true confession: “I think we have sold Him so short.”

Big Daddy injects the same vulnerability into the title track’s opening line: “I wish I was more of a man . . . What if I could fix myself/Maybe then I could get free/I could try to be somebody else/Whose much better off than me.” Even Weaver notices the openness of his own lyric. “Listening down the record, I don’t know if we’ve ever said anything that completely honest. I think there’s a level of transparency with this record that’s deeper than before.”

In what has become a mission for the guys, ministry takes first place when interacting with the audience. “We want to be real people in front of real people, as much as you can do that with making music. We’re finding out He wants to use what’s offstage maybe even more than onstage,” the personable front man realizes, continuing to administer the band’s priorities of people over music and music over media attention.

“We aren’t the coolest looking dudes. We don’t have the coolest music there is. Maybe the entire reason we were [at a concert] wasn’t because we needed to play this set of radio songs or have this moment of worship as much as it was that one really weird guy that wouldn’t leave us alone, and honoring the Lord by taking some time out of [our] day and loving him.”

After 10 years together, the original five members of Big Daddy Weave are the same five fellas that step on stage night after night, a rare feat in today’s evolving music scene. Weaver makes no qualms that the guys “fight like brothers.” But at the same time he acknowledges, “There’s a depth in our relationship because of the time we spend together that is unlike any other friendship I’ve ever had before.”

Weaver understands the seemingly divine call on their lives though the band, but he still wonders, “Do we need to get it more together than this?” They are learning it is not the work from their feeble hands, but the graces of a very big God.

“Over the past couple of years, what God has shown us more than anything else is [to] allow everybody to be who they are. Give permission for people to be messed up. We all have problems. It’s about grace.”

To learn more about Big Daddy Weave, visit the band’s website at bigdaddyweave.com.

© 2008 CMCentral.com. All rights reserved. Used with permission

MOST ANTICIPATED EVENT OF THE YEAR.

hello beloved jc south family! i know some of you are having your exams now (way to go!), while some of you have already finished your exams (way to go too!) and some of you probably don't have exams (way to go three!). but just wanna let ya know that you all have been missed dearly!

AS SUCH, we have decided to have our annual CHRISTMAS PARTY on 23nd DECEMBER 2008 (tuesday).

Mark it down in your calendar!! and please reply us if you can make it on 23nd dec ASAP okay? So that we can make changes if any needs to be done! you can either text me (Clarice - 91069455)or (Jo - 91889625) more details will be given in time! =)

AND, let us know if you'll be free to help out for this christmas party! confirm got things to do! part of the joy of parties is the planning part! hehe, alrights await to hear all your replies! WHAT'S A PARTY WITHOUT THE PEOPLE RIGHT? :D i'm really looking forward to meeting up with ALL of you! and one thing that this party's definitely gonna need is - YOUR EXCITEMENT! LOVES! =)

-clarice.

22/11 את

Hey guys I've got something super to share with you all.. I was doing quiet time this morning and I just google-ed bible and typed in prosperity.. one of the verses that I got was Psa 25:13.. it's beautiful

12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

13 He will spend his days in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.

14 The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.

But that's not the main thing I got.. You remember Pastor preached about the Aleph Tav? That Jesus is the AlephTav the beginning and the end?

22 Redeem (פּדה (את Israel ישׂראל, O God אלהים,
from all their מנּי מנּי מן כּול כּל troubles צרה!

Psa 25:22 I checked my e-sword. Strong's literal had these 2 letters after the word redeem.. wow!! I'm telling you wow!! פּדה את yeah it's amazing omg!!

okay now I went to look up more about את and I found Jesus just all over the old testaments.. this is amazing God hid his son everywhere in the Old testaments and I'm so honoured as a King to dig up these secrets.. Beloveds I encourage you to dig up his secrets too not just את but many many other secrets.. be blessed

Prov25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

Of child-like innocence

Hello you guys! I couldn't help but smile throughout watching the video which sheryl has put up in the previous post. This is another short clip featuring God's children talking to Him in writing when told to. Children are really so precious amen? (haha yang yan look at this!) Let us not forget to approach our Daddy God with hearts like those of children :)

I personally like this version from the New Living Translation:


"Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children."

Luke 18:16

Jesus please answer them and let me know the answers too!
Thank you for hearing me.

From your precious gem of a child.

I see grace

See this really nice video. super cute. posted by John Gabriel's mum in facebook.



One saturday morning 2 year old boy Joshua heard the song "I See Grace" from his bedroom, then he stopped playing and started to sing from his pure heart... watch and be blessed by a 2 year old boy singing, praising and worshiping our living God. ...

Behold....

Ok, i know ive been telling people that the new church is building really near my house but i havent really been sure where it exactly is. But.. recently, they've finally put up the barriers and.. ITS RIGHT OPPOSITE MY HOUSE. :O OMG!

i know ive been saying it alot but i'll say it AGAIN: ITS SO SURREAL I CANT BELIEVE IT... !! its friggin at my doorstep...

Ive seen them fell the trees (im still mourning over the loss of greenery when i look out my window), and started work and all.... So, i decided to take some pics for u'all to seee.. :D

[from my living room window]

And how do i know if that plot of land IS for the church building? Cos i saw this while i was waiting for the bus to go to school. (yeah my bus stop is opp this. i can totally watch the church grow, oops i mean build. haha.)

I feel this is like a pregnant woman going for her first scan.. where u cant really see anything but something is there. haha. But im sure as time passes, it'll look more impressive! And its so awesome i can share this with u guys. I doubt this priviledge anywhere else! hehe! u blessed southies!

All the best for ur exams! :D The lord is with you!! all the wayyy!!!

amazing?

Hi! I would like to share sth dat happened I felt was quite very amazing. haha. so u see, I haven't really been attending caregroup lately, cox it didn't really worked out. n i noe dats a stupid excuse. but i have been wanting to attend, juz e ppl there din contact me, so i din really felt like carrying on (like asking for the details myself), although i noe somehow deep inside, i wanted to go join in the fun and all. but i guess i juz let it go n tot probably next year i will go. so i din really tot bout caregroup for some time.

but juz last week, my aunt at my ah ma hse suddenly mentioned about her friend living nearby who was having her place open up for her niece to one of the arrow caregroup, n so she asked me bout it. but i juz shrugged it off n we both agreed dat there were so many caregroups in arrow. so it must be one of them.

Den just last sunday, after church, i was to meet yl at suntec, but instead change of plans to meet at toa payoh cox his bus goes there. haha. so anyway, while there, i unexpectedly met my new cg friend, Yu Hua . we exchanged no.s n i asked bout e cg venue anyhow. n she told me they moved to tanjong pagar, cantonment there, where my ah ma hse is. oh my. lol. was i so surprised.

so now Im going for cg, not going to miss this opportunity, n i can walk from my ah ma hse too! haha. Praise Abba. He definitely nv does miss out anyone who's left behind. ya, n with him, nv feel left out or lonely, coz his only concern and attention is all to you. =) yay

Having it the right way

To be a Christian is, in a sense, to be a man without a country. If you truly are obedient to Christ-if you take the scriptures to heart and attempt to live them-you will inevitably come into conflict with the world. You belong to no one but Christ, while those in the world give themselves to people, possessions, institutions, and idols other than to Christ. To be a Christian is to stand apart yet to remain within-to dare to be different. You look at everything through the prism of Scripture, and things look different when viewed biblically.

Success in the world means power, influence, money, prestige. But in the Christian world, it means pleasing God. This quest for obedience may lead you to do things that are wholly contrary to what the world wants and rewards...

Obeying his commandments means reading and understanding Scripture, then determining that you are going to live exactly as Scripture teaches. I don't believe anybody can do that, because it is almost impossible not to be caught up every day in the ways of the world. But you can make an effort to live biblically. That is how the process of sanctification works- learning how to obey God, how to listen for his commands in your life. It is reading the Scripture and allowing it to soak into you. It is understanding the requirements of God's commandments and then gradually, day by day, in large ways and small, allowing that understanding to control the actions of your life...

If i had to pick the one thing... that has caused the most failure in obeying God, it would be that we figure God's time is our bible study, our prayer time, the meeting with our prayer group, and Sunday morning church service. That's just not true. God's time is every moment of our lives. Bible study and church simply prepare us for the moments of our lives... If we would "wear" him all day long, we would discover obedience becoming a reflex reaction.

(From "The Quest for Obedience" by Charles Colson in Practical Christianity)

Let every moment of our lives be filled with Abba's presence and love.

I got a question that my brother asked. "If God speaks to Pastor Prince about the gospel and everything, how come he doesn't speak to the other pastors?" or its cox they are not listening?

10/10 Friday..

Wah.. look at today's date.. wahahas.. so lawful.. ok I claim GRACE over it!!! haha.. times 1/2 lol!

Erm I don't know but I think something's interesting 'cos I get the Friday Saturday Sunday "spiritual" stuff haha..

Anws.. I'm on off and my mom's alarm woke me 7:02am.. guess her alarm? My redeemer lives.. so cool right.. I thank God I've got a hip mother!!! this is even cool-er

remember what pastor preached? yeah wow!

I know he rescued my soul
His blood has covered my sin
I believe
I believe

My shame His taken away
My pain is healed in his name
I believe
I believe

I'll raise a banner
'Cause my Lord has conquered the grave

My Redeemer Lives
My Redeemer Lives
My Redeemer Lives
My Redeemer Lives

You Lift my burdens
I'll rise with You
I'm dancing on this mountain top to see your kingdom come

remember our standard Jesus Christ!! 'cause my Lord Jesus Christ has conquered the grave.. isn't the grave anything negative.. death war sickness or just the Devil and all his little minions? our solution to our end-time troubles is JESUS the banner over our lives.. His banner over me is love!

But interestingly what went on through this week brought 1 line to my attention.. I BELIEVE

sounds easy to say and sing.. but does it really really seem that easy? How do I let go of every circumstance in my life and choose to say Daddy I believe in you Yeshua..

my Salvation is secure in your hands because Jesus can never be shaken..

Daddy I don't feel your love or hand today, but yet I choose to believe..

But what do you believe in? I choose to believe in good.. JUST BELIEVE! not that easy but declare it and "act" it if you will.. take your mind off that situation.. set your hands to do what you claimed and keep rehearsing in your head that Jesus loves you even if you really don't understand what it means.. don't worry no one knows the fullness of his love either.. neither have I, but I pray like Paul did that you will catch a glimpse and slowly understand the height, depth, breadth and length of his love..

Beloveds, imagine what you're singing.. it's so powerful the devil trembles when you sing and listen to anointed praise! hallelujah! cya all @ CG! (:

kinda weird actually I've heard that song soooooo many times and even more times since it became my mom's alarm.. but it's only until now that I've actually fed on the words.. haha okay I'm gonna do that for EVERY NCC song haha.. ciaos (:

04/10 Saturday..

Hey beloveds just thought I'd like to share with everybody my bible study this morning.. hey it's rare these days I actually get a chance to do research and everything haha..

I was reading 2 Sam 23:20-23 you know the part about David's mighty men? yeah I thought I'd wanted to learn and see more for myself.. what struck me was that I was Googling names of these mighty men and this appeared in one of the site-ref http://www.growingchristians.org/dfgc/mighty.html

I didn't agree to some parts of it 'cos spiritual warfare is not tiring.. It is easy and light.. cos Jesus has already won the victory.. the part where he quotes the devil comes as a roaring lion.. cast your cares onto Jesus.. it's easy.. the struggle that may be tiring is turning your eyes to see yourself actively throwing your cares upon Jesus.. that's hare for someone who was hidden his cares in his heart for at least 18 years wow!

Hanyway.. Benaiah's name means God has established

20And Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many notable acts, slew two lion-like men of Moab. He went down also and slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day.

21And he slew an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptians hand, and slew the man with his own spear.

22These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and won a name beside the three mighty men.

23He was more renowned than the Thirty, but he attained not to the [first] Three. David set him over his guard or council.

1 thing I noted was that He killed lion-like men and a Lion.. sounds familiar huh.. David himself killed a lion and Goliath whom David himself claimed was not as lion-like as a lion.. I mean if David could say I have killed a Lion and a bear.. which means he placed Goliath on par with lions and bears (: is that why David had higher regard for him than all his other 30 men to place him charge over his council?

2 when fighting the Egyptian he went down with a staff.. what kind of staff?maybe a shepherds staff? hmm sounds familiar I think? 1 Sam 17:43 "Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?"

what was Davids reply? I'm sure David must have prayed.. and he did he prayed in fact earnestly like what pastor preached..

46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands.

He declared his victory and he knew where his victory lay.. it is the Lord's battle and his victory.. I'm sure David knew He already had the victory.. that's why he had so much courage.. I mean he could have thought what if my stone misses? I only have 5? his armour is so thick how am I supposed to penetrate it?

back to benaiah..

where did he find his strength this strength and courage? remenber, those who were at Adullam cave were distressed in debt and discontented.. how would a distressed man with all the cares in the world fight a lion and even go into the pit to destroy it.. it's like walking into the gates of hell.. singling the devil out and spraying him with a water pistol till he surrenders..

So beloveds.. I want you to remember that Jesus is our David.. to do these wondrous exploits is not easy naturally, but knowing that a fellowship with our heavenly David removes your cares worries and burdens gives you the strength to kill lions, slay demons and terrorise the devil!!!

Shalom! and don't worry especially at this time where it is the most crucial study period.. don't worry about what results you want to get for it is the Lord's exam and it is his victory.. can God fail? neither will you just keep trusting in his favour and grace.. keep studying with the peace inside you! Jesus is faithful to his word and whatever you ask in his name you SHALL receive AMEN!

Dear Beloveds

hey Beloveds,
i really really enjoyed myself on saturday :) just realised that some of the photos i look abit stone... yeah... its not like i got no feelings... haha. I was genuinely surprised.. when you all were singing happy bday... i thought how come joel pronounced clarice name wrongly... CHARLES and CLARICE very different spelling leh... only realised when i saw the names on the cake.. haha

Didnt have the guts to say to you all in person but just wanna let u guys know that i really love you all too... and i definetly feel loved by you all :) Daddy God is so amazing... my first CG in new creation and he placed me in JC south. i definitely see God's love through u all in so many ways, like how u all encourage and take care of one another... haha... i still remember all the reservations i had when i thought if i should join Arrow and a CG... cos of last time in my old church.. but thats the past :)

Thank you so much for everything manz... May we continue to walk in Abba's favour and love for us! Happy Birthday KAILIN, CLARICE AND YEUKEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthdays!

Dear Charles, Yeu Keed, Clarice & Kailin,

Blessed Birthday!

Love,
The Southie Family

Saturday, 27th sept, JC southies outing!

HarlowHarlow!!! =)
This sat 27sept, we will be meeting out to grab some ice cream at Island Creamery, Serene Centre.
We understand dat this period of time is a crucial studying time, so in view of dat, we could go to HuiYi's house for a mass study session tgt after ice cream if you want.
All JC southies are welcomed to join us. Do try to make it! =)

Details are as follows:
Meeting: Toa Payoh MRT
Time: 12.30pm
(If u can get there straight on your own, greatt! we will see you at 1pm!) But do let us noe.
Also, do get a light lunch on your own before meeting.

lastly, do confirm ur attendance and whether u will be meeting at TP MRT by either replying to this post or contacting HuiYi at 97837453, or Sheryl at 98469882. Thank you!!! =)

Don’t work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone.

Read if you have the time.interesting.no link though.

The following text, a speech presented to graduating WKWSCI students in the recent Convocation. The speaker, Adrian Tan, is a litigation lawyer, who wrote the popular The Teenage Textbook which was later made into a film in the late 1990s.

Life and How to Survive It

I must say thank you to the faculty and staff of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information for inviting me to give your convocation address. It’s a wonderful honour and a privilege for me to speak here for ten minutes without fear of contradiction, defamation or retaliation. I say this as a Singaporean and more so as a husband.

My wife is a wonderful person and perfect in every way except one. She is the editor of a magazine. She corrects people for a living. She has honed her expert skills over a quarter of a century, mostly by practising at home during conversations between her and me.

On the other hand, I am a litigator. Essentially, I spend my day telling people how wrong they are. I make my living being disagreeable. Nevertheless, there is perfect harmony in our matrimonial home. That is because when an editor and a litigator have an argument, the one who triumphs is always the wife.

And so I want to start by giving one piece of advice to the men: when you’ve already won her heart, you don’t need to win every argument. Marriage is considered one milestone of life. Some of you may already be married. Some of you may never be married. Some of you will be married. Some of you will enjoy the experience so much, you will be married many, many times. Good for you.

The next big milestone in your life is today: your graduation. The end of education. You’re done learning.

You’ve probably been told the big lie that “Learning is a lifelong process” and that therefore you will continue studying and taking masters’ degrees and doctorates and professorships and so on. You know the sort of people who tell you that? Teachers. Don’t you think there is some measure of conflict of interest? They are in the business of learning, after all. Where would they be without you? They need you to be repeat customers.

The good news is that they’re wrong.

The bad news is that you don’t need further education because your entire life is over. It is gone. That may come as a shock to some of you. You’re in your teens or early twenties. People may tell you that you will live to be 70, 80, 90 years old. That is your life expectancy.

I love that term: life expectancy. We all understand the term to mean the average life span of a group of people. But I’m here to talk about a bigger idea, which is what you expect from your life.

You may be very happy to know that Singapore is currently ranked as the country with the third highest life expectancy. We are behind Andorra and Japan, and tied with San Marino. It seems quite clear why people in those countries, and ours, live so long. We share one thing in common: our football teams are all hopeless. There’s very little danger of any of our citizens having their pulses raised by watching us play in the World Cup. Spectators are more likely to be lulled into a gentle and restful nap.

Singaporeans have a life expectancy of 81.8 years. Singapore men live to an average of 79.21 years, while Singapore women live more than five years longer, probably to take into account the additional time they need to spend in the bathroom.

So here you are, in your twenties, thinking that you’ll have another 40 years to go. Four decades in which to live long and prosper.

Bad news. Read the papers. There are people dropping dead when they’re 50, 40, 30 years old. Or quite possibly just after finishing their convocation. They would be very disappointed that they didn’t meet their life expectancy.

I’m here to tell you this. Forget about your life expectancy.

After all, it’s calculated based on an average. And you never, ever want to expect being average.

Revisit those expectations. You might be looking forward to working, falling in love, marrying, raising a family. You are told that, as graduates, you should expect to find a job paying so much, where your hours are so much, where your responsibilities are so much.

That is what is expected of you. And if you live up to it, it will be an awful waste.

If you expect that, you will be limiting yourself. You will be living your life according to boundaries set by average people. I have nothing against average people. But no one should aspire to be them. And you don’t need years of education by the best minds in Singapore to prepare you to be average.What you should prepare for is mess. Life’s a mess. You are not entitled to expect anything from it. Life is not fair. Everything does not balance out in the end. Life happens, and you have no control over it.Good and bad things happen to you day by day, hour by hour, moment by> moment. Your degree is a poor armour against fate.

Don’t expect anything. Erase all life expectancies. Just live. Your life is over as of today. At this point in time, you have grown as tall as you will ever be, you are physically the fittest you will ever be in your entire life and you are probably looking the best that you will ever look. This is as good as it gets. It is all downhill from here. Or up. No one knows.

What does this mean for you? It is good that your life is over.

Since your life is over, you are free. Let me tell you the many wonderful things that you can do when you are free.

The most important is this: do not work. Work is anything that you are compelled to do. By its very nature, it is undesirable.Work kills. The Japanese have a term “Karoshi”, which means death from overwork. That’s the most dramatic form of how work can kill. But it can also kill you in more subtle ways. If you work, then day by day, bit by bit, your soul is chipped away, disintegrating until there’s nothing left. A rock has been ground into sand and dust

There’s a common misconception that work is necessary. You will meet people working at miserable jobs. They tell you they are “making a living”. No, they’re not. They’re dying, frittering away their fast-extinguishing lives doing things which are, at best, meaningless and, at worst, harmful.

People will tell you that work ennobles you, that work lends you a certain dignity. Work makes you free. The slogan “Arbeit macht frei” was placed at the entrances to a number of Nazi concentration camps. Utter nonsense.

Do not waste the vast majority of your life doing something you hate so that you can spend the small remainder sliver of your life in modest comfort. You may never reach that end anyway.

Resist the temptation to get a job. Instead, play. Find something you enjoy doing. Do it. Over and over again. You will become good at it for two reasons: you like it, and you do it often. Soon, that will have value in itself.

I like arguing, and I love language. So, I became a litigator. I enjoy it and I would do it for free. If I didn’t do that, I would’ve been in some other type of work that still involved writing fiction - probably a sports journalist.

So what should you do? You will find your own niche. I don’t imagine you will need to look very hard. By this time in your life, you will have a very good idea of what you will want to do. In fact, I’ll go further and say the ideal situation would be that you will not be able to stop yourself pursuing your passions. By this time you should know what your obsessions are. If you enjoy showing off your knowledge and feeling superior, you might become a teacher.

Find that pursuit that will energise you, consume you, become an obsession. Each day, you must rise with a restless enthusiasm. If you don’t, you are working.

Most of you will end up in activities which involve communication. To those of you I have a second message: be wary of the truth. I’m not asking you to speak it, or write it, for there are times when it is dangerous or impossible to do those things. The truth has a great capacity to offend and injure, and you will find that the closer you are to someone, the more care you must take to disguise or even conceal the truth. Often, there is great virtue in being evasive, or equivocating. There is also great skill. Any child can blurt out the truth, without thought to the consequences. It takes great maturity to appreciate the value of silence.

In order to be wary of the truth, you must first know it. That requires great frankness to yourself. Never fool the person in the mirror.

I have told you that your life is over, that you should not work, and that you should avoid telling the truth. I now say this to you: be hated. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Do you know anyone who hates you? Yet every great figure who has contributed to the human race has been hated, not just by one person, but often by a great many. That hatred is so strong it has caused those great figures to be shunned, abused, murdered and in one famous instance, nailed to a cross.

One does not have to be evil to be hated. In fact, it’s often the case that one is hated precisely because one is trying to do right by one’s own convictions. It is far too easy to be liked, one merely has to be accommodating and hold no strong convictions. Then one will gravitate towards the centre and settle into the average. That cannot be your role. There are a great many bad people in the world, and if you are not offending them, you must be bad yourself. Popularity is a sure sign that you are doing something wrong.

The other side of the coin is this: fall in love. I didn’t say “be loved”. That requires too much compromise. If one changes one’s looks, personality and values, one can be loved by anyone.

Rather, I exhort you to love another human being. It may seem odd for me to tell you this. You may expect it to happen naturally, without deliberation. That is false. Modern society is anti-love. We’ve taken a microscope to everyone to bring out their flaws and shortcomings. It far easier to find a reason not to love someone, than otherwise. Rejection requires only one reason. Love requires complete acceptance. It is hard work - the only kind of work that I find palatable.

Loving someone has great benefits. There is admiration, learning, attraction and something which, for the want of a better word, we call happiness. In loving someone, we become inspired to better ourselves in every way. We learn the truth worthlessness of material things. We celebrate being human. Loving is good for the soul.

Loving someone is therefore very important, and it is also important to choose the right person. Despite popular culture, love doesn’t happen by chance, at first sight, across a crowded dance floor. It grows slowly, sinking roots first before branching and blossoming. It is not a silly weed, but a mighty tree that weathers every storm.

You will find, that when you have someone to love, that the face is less important than the brain, and the body is less important than the heart.

You will also find that it is no great tragedy if your love is not reciprocated. You are not doing it to be loved back. Its value is to inspire you.

Finally, you will find that there is no half-measure when it comes to loving someone. You either don’t, or you do with every cell in your body, completely and utterly, without reservation or apology. It consumes you, and you are reborn, all the better for it.

Don’t work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone.

You’re going to have a busy life. Thank goodness there’s no life expectancy.

random.

hello JC south peopleeee!

Just wanna tell you all here that: I MISS YOU ALL VERY MUCH!!! yup, i hope everyone's doing good eh? yups im sure you are cause you're God's child! yeah sorry for this very random post here, but i just wanna tell ya all that I MISS YOU! (:

hope to see ya all around during arrow this sat, if not then on the 27th for ISLAND CREAMERY!! im very excited excited! yay!! yozzz God bless ya all in everything that you set your hands to do and yup, JESUS LOVES YOU!!!! (but He loves me the most muahahas)

CHEERSSSS! <3

From Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life by Charles Swindoll

I fear our generation has come dangerously near the ''I'm-getting-tired-so-let's-quit'' mentality. And not just in the spiritual realm. Dieting is a disciple, so we stay fat. Finishing school is a hassle, so we bail out. Cultivating a close relationship is painful, so we back off. Getting a book written is demanding, so we stop short. Working through conflicts in marriage is a tiring struggle, so we walk away. Sticking with an occupation is tough, so we start looking elsewhere....

Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous composer-pianist, was scheduled to perform at a great concert hall in America. It was an evening to remember- black tuxedoes and long evening dresses, a high society extravaganza. Present in the audience that evening was a mother with her fidgety nine-year-old son. Weary of waiting, he squirmed constantly in his seat. His mother was in hopes that her boy would be encouraged to practice the piano if he could just hear the immortal Paderewski at the keyboard. So- against his wishes- he had come.

As she turned to talk with friends, her son could stay seated no longer. He slipped away from her side, strangely drawn to the ebony concert grand Steinway and its leather tufted stool, staring wide-eyed at the black and white keys. He placed his small, trembling fingers in the right location and began to play ''chopsticks.'' The roar of the crowd was hushed as hundreds of frowning faces turned in his direction. Irritated and embarrassed, they began to shout:

''Get that boy away from here!''
''Who'd bring a kid that young here?''
''Where's his mother?''
''Somebody stop him!''

Backstage, the master overheard the sounds out front and quickly put together in his mind what was happening. Hurriedly, he grabbed his coat and rushed towards the stage. Without one word of announcement he stooped over behind the boy, reached around both sides, and began to improvise a counter melody to harmonize and enhance ''chopsticks.'' As the two of them played together, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy's ear:

Keep going. Don't quit, son. Keep on playing... don't stop; don't quit.

And so it is with us. We hammer away on out project, which seems about as significant as ''chopsticks'' in a concert hall. And about the time we are ready to give up, along comes the Master, who leans over and whispers:

Now keep going; don't quit. Keep on... don't stop; don't quit.

Is there a project in your life that you've given up on because of discouragement? No matter how great the task, God promises to help us through if we are obedient to him. Today, get back on track with your project and hold fast to the promise that God will see you through it.

Being obedient to God means allowing God to help you. Don't rely on your own strength and effort. He is God, trust in him. For he will never fail you. And for God, a promise is a promise. He will see you through. =)

Just feel like expressing my thoughts

Hey dear friends,
Now can feel the work pilling up... I'm trusting Abba to bring me thru day by day... just feel like writing something and i'll be quick.
Just wanna say that I really feel that confessing God's word and speaking God's promises really helps me to go thru the day. if there is anything to be stubborn about, it is to know that God's Word is true, even if we dont see the manifestation yet. Continue to claim God's promises for our life. Dont let other people's experiences or even our own experiences dictate what we can recieve from Him. Pastor said before, the Word of God shouldnt be brought down to our level of experience but we should let our experience measure up to God's Word. Meaning that if we have been believing God for something but we still cant see the results, doesnt mean the promises of God is not true for us or only a selected few can recieve them. If you have a sickness that has affected u for a long time already, Daddy God wants you to be well and whole. For me its my sweaty palms and my pimples.. haha.. dont laugh... Whatever your need, Jesus will supply. Claim it, everyday in faith.
His favour is upon you and because He dwells in you, u are a success! Amen! Blessings will chase after u because of Christ in you. Jesus is the fifth cubit, He is everything that we try to achieve based on our works/flesh but cannot.
Jesus, you are my saviour. I cannot but u can... I have to depend totally on u already cos im at a lost as to what to do. I cannot cope with my studies, You'll have to save me.. I cannot cope with my peers, they are so much smarter than me, Dad, u are my wisdom. When im lonely, u are there. When i am afraid, u comfort me. Jesus, you are more than enough for me.
watch what Jesus will do... our situation will start to turn around for good before we even realise. Jesus, I trust in your Word. After all, He has already brought us so far....
Sorry, what i write is in a mess :) Share a song that i like :)

Healer

hey beloveds,

i came across this post by this amazing guy concerning afterthoughts about the whole mike guglielmucci saga, his illness being fake and all.

its really sad, cause i know that so many of us (myself included) had drawn strength and leaned on Him in the midst of singing that very song.

but despite the confusion and some faint, odd sense of betrayal, maybe we could just take a step back and listen to a whole new view, a whole new perspective.

http://www.chrisfromcanada.com/?p=710

read the post on that link. (okay, its not working as a link and i don't know why. well, just copy and paste it into your browser)

grace is bigger. and even for mike, there is grace enough for him.

amen.

THIS is KINGDOM friendship=D

Hey peepos!! sheryl's post is really really awesome. I'm blessed not just by her journey but, actually the heart of gratefulness she has towards Daddy for for placing her in JC south. And this stirred me on to really wanna pen down some stuff here.=D

you know, JC south to me is SOOO SOO SOO PRECIOUS. It is not just a caregroup caregroup, but LITERALLY MY FAMILY!! It all started out with us not knowing each other and to some extent disliking or hating each other and stuff(maybe it's just me haha). some of us used to hate going for cg because we didnt know anyone here, we didnt even know if we belong here, we found the people here are weirdos, either that we couldn't clique at the same frequency and stuff.. yada yada and the list goes on. And there are other people busy studying for their A's , busy with their ccas , their other commitments. And there are even some who have yet to know Christ yet.

BUT as each of us at some point in time, (i don't know when, but you know cuz it's between Daddy and you=D), took a step of faith because Daddy guided us to, giving us divine appointments to come for cg, everything gradually changes.=D

We're ALL like SO DIFFERENT. (some of us may be alike but not one of us are the same=D)

we look different.

We come from different family backgrounds- some grew up in christian families while others are from traditional families. some come from "well to do, everything taken care of" family while others are trusting Abba for provision, for restored relationships with mom and dad etc.

We come from different schools- some guy schools or girl schools all the way, while others were in in co-ed institutions all their lives.

We have different interests - from shopping to PSP to playing guitar, taking to soft toys, cracking jokes, liking trishaw man, imitating cartoon characters, bickering, eating at subway, playing frisbee, munching on ice cream, playing guitar, making a joke out of themselves to bring joy and laughter, changing their names on msn just to do surveys etc.

We have different personalities - some talk alot, some love to laugh out loud, some are really witty and super smart, while others are quiet yet observant, laugh with a little chuckle, and there are those who just cant get the essence behind the jokes yet they are full of wisdom. hahaha

And we have different characters- some can be very focused and determined, some are just loving and kind, some are competitive yet compassionate, some are just solid and stable, while some are wise beyond there age, looks, actions etc. Indeed we're all like SO DIFFERENT.

BUT there this something that we are all COMMON in.=]

That is ALL of us, in each and every one of our lives, we have a God. And His name is JESUS=D And this is the very One that holds ALL of us together,though it all.=D A family is made up of people, and where there is people there bound to have conflicts. there will be times 'omg i'm so pissed off with so and so" "mans, i cant stand so and so" or "mans i cant stand the changes, why like that." or "Daddy , i don't feel so close to jc south now, i feel left out and so alone.*sad face*".

But you know, our Jesus is SO BEAUTIFUL and SO GRACIOUS?=D even with all this found in the family, HE STILL HOLDS US TOGETHER. Despite our differences, our conflicts, disagreement with one another, our weaknesses, HE STILL HOLDS US BY HIS GRACE!!=D and At the end of the day ,He makes everything beautiful!! the anger, the irritating feeling and negative emotions we have towards anyone or everyone in this family cant stay forever!! Simply because His love is IN CHARGE. At the end of the day, we grow strong closer, loving one another more intimately simple because Jesus pours out HIS love into our hearts by the Spirit, to love each of us through all of us.=D

In each of our individual lives, we can move on with life .(like those that have moved up to uni and even those like me having exams, those working and stuff) And we can rejoice with moving on in life, simply because My God, Your God, Our God (Jesus Christ) is always with us. And through each of our journey with Him , He brings us CLOSER and CLOSER to Him and with Him around, it is not that there are no sucky moments but just that after the sucky moments we'll definitely enjoy this SUPER SWEET happiness that no one can give except our dear Jesus=D

But one thing that is SO PRECIOUS about FAMILY that Daddy GOd has ordained is that, ONCE A FAMILY MEMBER, ALWAYS A FAMILY MEMBER. We can never choose which family we wanna be in, NEITHER CAN WE EVER BE OUT OF THIS FAMILY. We didnt choose JC south, Abba PLACED us here by the JC we enter. We couldn't choose which schs we wanna form a cg with , but Daddy put CJ and SA together, not us .yes, those who have moved up right, you guys have a new journey and a new family. Well, to me, that just means Daddy is MULTIPLYING in your life because you have ONE MORE FAMILY- your uni cg.=D but for THIS family- JC SOUTH is ALWAYS FOR YOU!! As in Our journey together as a family doesn't just ends here, because i really believe relationships are meant to be eternal, just the the one we have with Jesus=D

Even though for some of us uni stuff, uni cg,may take priority (because this is our appointed season), we can always still have this sense of trust that 'Abba this kingdom friendships i've made in JC south, this kingdom family, they are still here for me, and will stand by me all the way, because You love me and You brought us together."=D During Arrow services, cluster dinners, jc south still meets up as a cg and do things as a cg in JC cluster.

BUT BEYOND THAT, we can and WILL meet up and eat ice cream together,pig out together, play frisbee together, go sentosa together, chill at huiyi's or whosoever'splace together, do stupid stuff together, come together to worship Jesus with our voices and instruments, share our lives our journey with Abba, our weaknesses, our doubts, our joy our sorrow together and watch each other grow in the Lord together. And we do all this together NOT JUST AS A CG, BUT AS A FAMILY- THE JC SOUTH FAMILY!!!=D ( i hope and i want! In Jesus name amen!)

And maybe 5 to 10 years down the road we can attend each other's weddings. 10 to 20 years down the road our kids hang out together!!!=D wahahaha and we'll ALL get raptured holding hands together!! hahahaha

I used to dream of this but in the end because of some personal journey i lost this dream- that kingdom friendships can actually last not just within the seasons, but for life, for eternity.And i came to accept the fact and live under the fact that seasons change people change. because of the changes, because of the different lives we're leading, because of all the differences we have and we don't share anything common anymore, i just have to say bye bye to my once-closed friends my "once-commando" friends and accept the reality that we can ONLY be hi-bye friends already.

BUT, being with the current JC South, with you peepos (each and everyone of you), Daddy REKINDLED this dream!!=D Because Daddy used you peepos to put back the common denominator that i have long forgotten-Jesus=D=D=D And NOW, i would REALLY love to see this becoming not just a dream but a REALITY. And i pray by the grace of God we'll ALL have the heart to keep this family together!!!=D

And to me,This family- JC SOUTH FAMILY will LAST THROUGH eternity!! Simply because My Jesus is the God of eternity. yups.=D

LOVE YOU PEEPOS MY JC SOUTH FAMILY =D=D=D

awesome gathering!=) 08/08/08

My heart, your home




Harlow, everybody! last friday was really greatt, n i really was blessed by each one of e sharing. so i would like to share my experiences too, which i din really do so dat day. yep!

firstly, there is something really amazing i want to share. currently my ah ma is in e hospital coz she had quite a bad stomach upset a few days ago, so she had to stay in for further checkups. tml she have to check e inside of her intestine which is quite scary. so i was planning to ask for a prayer request dat day after everything ends. but unexpectedly, during praise n worship, Ireen asked if any family members were unwell, dat we can ask God at dat time for healing n protection, sth lidat. ya, i felt so loved n touched. Like God, he noes wat i need n want n i din have to ask. ya, dat was real cool. haha.

About my experience, during my JC cluster life, i started to be more firm in Christ. n more aware of his presence dat has always been there with me. sometimes, it doesnt matter if im alone. ya lor, u juz noe he's there with u. also, i began to see the little little good things and thank God for them. like last time it would be 'hey so lucky lei, i cant believe it'. now i would smile to myself 'God, ur so good.' =)

Also, i realise im fighting each day only juz to be at rest and at peace which is quite very impt nowadays, becoz outside in this world when we r out of church, its so easy to fall n flow with the world, like coz its very hard to see God in situations. like u have to be constantly reminded of God's love no matter wat. n keep going to him, no matter how difficult it is, or busy u get. n not juz go to him when trouble arises, which sometimes i do.

Bout Jo's sharing, i can relate to myself also. i learnt from pastor prince dat we have to do the natural so that God will do the supernatural. like if ur sick, though u can dun take medication but its not 'must not take medicine, u must trust God, dun do anything.' but actually do normal things but expect crazily good results. haha. ya lor, like previously, my reason was 'but God is God ma. i mean he is God ma. n he loves me ma. surely i can slack at home alr.' haha. ya, but Jesus is not honey-flavoured nice, he's loving, he noes wat's best for us.

Another thing which i see a change in me would be dat now i so look forward to church services n arrow. n really expect huge awesome things to happen. ya, dat would be quite a big difference from den n now. haha. sth i like bout WeiLing's sharing was dat she said nth can cause u to fall from God's plan. ya lor, every path u take, every decision, every situation, they were and are alr in God's plan. haha. nth else matters. ya lor. so 'so wat if i din get good grades? so wat if i din make it to local uni? so wat if my school doesnt have activities going on like everyone else?' uh huh. i have God. =)

''Are u living the rich and victorious life now? despite negative circumstances or happenings. And not in the future which is possible to be never. Why not live it now and it would last till foreverr.''~Ireen's qn which got me thinking.

oh ya, den after all e graduates talked bout their cg, i cant wait to meet my new cg. haha. also, many thanks to Huiyi for opening up her home for us, n her parents for providing dinner n driving us. Thanks Jo for planning also n thanks everyone for taking e time. really really greatt n awesomE time. n so i wana end off with this:
=) JCsouthies young n young, continue to be CHAMPIONS of the champions!!!

His provision

i received this in an email, thought i'd share it with all of you :)

This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa.

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).

We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.

Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). 'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.'

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.' While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'

As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, 'Amen'? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything, the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home.

Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door.

By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes.. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out - yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly too!' Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked: 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon'.














isn't Jesus just wonderful? i really like the part where the little girl prayed, asking God to send a hot water bottle in the afternoon - because it'll be no good later. she really saw Him as a big God that can do big things. sometimes we all get scared that we're asking for "too much" - but maybe we should ask Jesus, do we honestly think we're being greedy or is it that we're "paiseh", or that we think we're "pushing it"? how do we measure His love? it really made me think, this testimony.

like Jesus said to the blind beggar in Luke 18, "What do you want Me to do for you?" He knows what we need, He know what we desire - but what would we ask of Him?

Re-live Arrow Student Camp

Hey Beloveds! The following post is just for fun :)
This is similar to the video that we were made to imitate... haha

Insane Japanese Aerobics - Zujkin Gals

July Arrow Recap

Heyz Beloveds,

I think the past July Arrow Services were super good. Here's a recap:

5th July - What is True Love?

Qualities of True Love vs Attraction (or Infatuation). The points are meant to be seen in parallel comparison.

True Love is...
- Patient
- Kind
- Completes and celebrates
- Respectful
- Forgiving
- Lives by the truth of God's word
- Believes the best in truth and maturely accepts one's imperfections
- Constant and enduring
- Works through conflicts
- A decision as much as it is a feeling

Attraction is...
- An instant desire
- Given because of perceived value
- Jealous and competitive
- Demanding and rude
- Petty and keeps accounts of wrongdoings
- Lives solely by feelings
- Chooses to be blind and disregard the flaws that one sees in reality
- A rollercoaster of emotions
- Shuns conflicts and confrontations
- Nothing more than feelings

When God wants to bless us He sends a person. Just as He sent Jesus to bless us when God wants to bless us at the appointed time, He will send a person (in some cases persons). It is a blessing so it's not something that we can earn. Sometimes we might try to "earn" a person and the relationship because of its perceived value and even though we might succeed in getting that relationship we will be the one who has to maintain it. Personally I would rather God bless me at the right time and He will be the one to keep the relationship together because if it is from Him, He will definitely keep it intact.

As such, love is more than a feeling. It is a person. That person is Jesus. When we become so full of His love for us loving others will be from an overflow. I would rather draw love from God and let it overflow than give love out of myself, His supply is never-ending. Get this: If your future life-partner has God as the first priority, you are blessed! Some people actually see this as a negative thing because they want to be the first priority in the other person's life but that is trying to draw from a well that has limited supply. Draw from the bottomless well of God's love and both parties will be satisfied.

References:
I Corinthians 13:4-8
I John 4:8-10
Ephesians 3:19-21

Random notes:
God does not want us to react to every attraction.
In relationships, begin with the love of God as foundation.
Love never fails because love died on the cross. Jesus is love personified.
Emotions are real but it does not mean we should act upon them.

Hero

Hey MY DEAREST SOUTHIES! im just posting for fun :)

On sunday in suntec i was early and bored so i walked past this exhibition on Singapore's heroes. You guys heard abt it? or saw it? basically a little campaign by the heritage board to promote the history of singapore through singaporeans who accomplished something great or made a great impact. so there were names of yishun, or elizabeth choy, etc.. gold medal winners.

Then i saw this little board where people are encouraged to write who is their "HERO". and i was quite amused.

Cos there were a lot of 'right' answers. like.. 'my mother', and a lot of 'LKY'. and i also expected a lot of names that were shown at the exhibition.

BUT i saw lots of these too...

it is quite a happy thing to see. haha. i wonder if they are written by the children from rock kidz.. haha

Keeping score

Thanks, Huiyi for uploading e pics. haha. all our activities. wahaha. ya, i also wan to say to all those going to uni soon. ya, dun worry bout it, instead be super excited bout it becoz Daddy God is going with u. ya, for me, i started my classes alr, n my greatest fear was i was going to be alone all e way, as in no friends coz its juz classes after classes, there's no interaction. ya, but recently, someone talked to me, so i got a friend. lol lol. okay, so i learnt actually i could juz go out there to make friends. lol. ya. not very funny but, at least i feel better. also, Daddy God was with me thru out also. hahaha. n for e rest who's in for exams, u will be in for an even better time. Expect God's glory n favour all over u. Yep, He will never never leave u, n ur always on his mind. =) likewise for everyone else. =)=) There's this article i wana share, though no link, but quite interesting. Also related to grace grace. wahah. enjoy!

No keeping Score
by Phyllis Kersten

Keeping score and getting even -- that’s what enemies do. Time after time the Tutsis and then the Hutus have waited their turn to get even with each other in Rwanda. In the last outbreak of violence, loyalty to tribe even outweighed allegiance to religious vows for some clergy.

Sacred sites in Jerusalem separate rather than unite. Each side believes it a sign of weakness to permit any violence to occur without a retaliatory response. So the body count increases, and the promise of peace is more of a mirage with each passing day.

In such a world as this, what do we make of "the ethics of the kingdom"? You know the words: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Forgive."

Maybe the first thing to say about these teachings is that they’re largely ignored. We catch glimpses, however, of how Jesus’ teachings could provide a new way for us to live together: in the U.S. Marshall Plan’s assistance to former enemies following World War II; in the recent work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa; in the World Bank’s partial forgiveness of the debts of poor nations at the urging of church coalitions.

The second thing to say about this section from Luke is that it is a dangerous text and has often been misused in the past, especially by the church. It became a word preached to slaves and others in abusive relationships in order to keep them in their place. Jesus did not intend his words to be applied against the oppressed. Instead, he tells the disciples:

"You know the system this world runs on? It is all based on keeping score. If anyone injures you, you retaliate and injure him.

"And what about the positive relationships in your lives? There, too, it’s all about keeping score. Someone gives you a gift, you give one in return. Someone invites you to his house for dinner, you reciprocate. But what credit is there in that for you?" Jesus asks.

Three times Jesus asks, "What credit is it to you if you love someone who loves you, if you do good to someone who does good to you, if you lend to someone who will later lend something to you?" The Greek word translated as "credit" is charis, which most often is translated as "grace." So we could paraphrase these verses to ask, "What grace is that of ours to love just those who love us, or do good to those who do good to us, or lend to those who can lend us something back in return?"

What Jesus calls on his disciples to do is "keep score no more." To trust the God who pulled a paradigm shift on the cross, settling a whole world’s "old scores" then and there, and then tearing up the ledger.

Most of our worship services include public confession and forgiveness. Yet in our individual lives, in our families and in our congregations, there are often unresolved rifts of long duration. Siblings who haven’t spoken to one another for years and who, like Joseph, don’t even know if a family member is still alive. Parishioners and pastors who hold on to their grievances and can’t seem to get beyond them.

Reconciliation is always tough to come by, but especially difficult when someone has taken away something that can never be given back. The life of a young person with a promising future snuffed out by a drunk driver or a random act of violence. Children whose innocence is forever taken away by rape, torture or abuse. A congregation in Colorado seemingly unable to minister both to the victims of the Columbine High School massacre and to the parents of one of the attackers.

How does reconciliation or forgiveness happen? It is not something that well-meaning bystanders can legislate. To be forgiven and to forgive are always gifts of grace that come from some place beyond ourselves.

What Joseph does is simple: he "keeps score no more. As Walter Brueggemann puts it in his Genesis commentary, Joseph breaks from the past and "invites his brothers to put that pitiful past behind them" as well.

"Do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because of how you treated me," Joseph says to his brothers. "For God sent me here before you to preserve life." Somehow Joseph could see God at work not only in the good things that happened in his life, but also in the evil done to him by others. Joseph’s decision to keep score no more creates the possibility of a new future for himself and his family Otherwise they would all still be controlled by and captive to the past.

It is important to remember, however, that no one else could say to Joseph, "God has brought you here." Until Joseph discovered that for himself he was unable to see good coming out of evil. Nor can we tell someone who has suffered a great evil at the hands of others that God is bringing good out of the tragedy. If it is going to happen at all, the victims must discover for themselves that God has somehow created something new out of their suffering, that out of their survival God’s grace can even provide food to save someone else from famine.

In Joseph we see a foreshadowing of Jesus our brother, who says, "Come closer to me. You needn’t be paralyzed by your fear or tortured by your guilt any longer. For I was sent by God to give you life, and to be the bread of life for you. To lend you all the grace I have, that you might be a sign in the world of my new measure for giving and living, ‘pressed down, shaken together, running over.’ And so that you can enter a new future, where once and for all, keeping score is no more."

Phyllis Kersten is associate pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, Illinois. This article appeared in The Christian Century, January 31, 2001, p. 11. Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. . This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock.
http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2154
(Gen. 45:3-11,15; Ps. 37:1-12, 41-42; I Cor. 15:35-38,42-50; Lk. 6:27-38)

~awesome......