an encouragement in season

my mind was in another planet last evening and i had difficultly concentrating in class.

then an sms came this is what a lovely angel wrote:

“hello gerry! random but thanks for being a model superwoman in my life! was just thinking you need to juggle work, studies and ministry and i only need to focus on my studies, God’s challenge for me in life is peanuts compared to yours, really think you’re strong! thanks for being such a great motivation! love you loads! i mean it jia you tgt!”

God knows our every moment.. like when we are struggling and need an encouragement, He sends an angel along not just to brighten up the darkness but also to remind us that He is omni-potent, just right there with us.

doesnt this just gives you the reason to push yourself harder and say “yes, i can do it..” ?

=)

embrace imperfection

let’s remember that none of us are perfect.. our family, friends, cg members, colleagues, etc etc

here’s a heart warming story to remind us to love those God has placed in our lives:

embrace imperfection

when i was a little girl, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. and i remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.

on that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. i remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! yet all my dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school.

i don’t remember what i told him that night, but i do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite! when i got up from the table that evening, i remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the toast. and i’ll never forget what he said: “baby, i love burned toast.”

later that night, i went to kiss daddy good night and i asked him if he really liked his toast burned. he wrapped me in his arms and said, “debbie, your momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s real tired. and besides—a little burnt toast never hurt anyone!”

in bed that night, i thought about that scene at dinner…and the kindness my daddy showed my mom. to this day, it’s a cherished memory from my childhood that i’ll never forget. and it’s one that came to mind just recently when jack and i sat down to eat dinner.

i had arrived home late…as usual…and decided we would have breakfast food for dinner. some things never change, i suppose!

to my amazement, i found the ingredients i needed, and quickly began to cook eggs, turkey sausage, and buttered toast. thinking i had things under control, i glanced through the mail for the day. it was only a few minutes later that i remembered that i had forgotten to take the toast out of the oven!

now, had it been any other day — and had we had more than two pieces of bread in the entire house — i would have started all over. but it had been one of those days and i had just used up the last two pieces of bread. so burnt toast it was!

as i set the plate down in front of jack, i waited for a comment about the toast. but all i got was a “thank you!”

i watched as he ate bite by bite, all the time waiting for some comment about the toast. but instead, all jack said was, “babe, this is great. thanks for cooking tonight. i know you had a hard day.”

as i took a bite of my charred toast that night, i thought about my mom and dad…how burnt toast hadn’t been a deal-breaker for them. and i quietly thanked God for giving me a marriage (friendship) where burnt toast wasn’t a deal-breaker either!

you know, life is full of imperfect things…and imperfect people. i’m not the best housekeeper or cook. and you might be surprised to find out that jack isn’t the perfect husband! he likes to play his music too loud, he will always find a way to avoid yard work, and he watches far too many sports. believe it or not, watching “golf academy” is not my idea of a great night at home!

but somehow, in the past 37 years, jack and i have learned to accept the imperfections in each other. over time, we have stopped trying to make each other in our own mold and have learned to celebrate our differences. you might say that we’ve learned to love each other for who we really are!

for example, i like to take my time, i’m a perfectionist, and i’m even-tempered. i tend to work too much and sleep too little. jack, on the other hand, is disciplined, studious, an early riser, and is a marketer’s dream consumer. i count pennies, and jack could care less! where he is strong, i am weak, and vice versa.

and while you might say that jack and i are opposites, we’re also very much alike. i can look at him and tell you what he’s thinking. i can predict his actions before he finalizes his plans. on the other hand, he knows whether i’m troubled or not the moment i enter a room.

we share the same goals. we love the same things. and we are still best friends. we‘ve traveled through many valleys and enjoyed many mountaintops. and yet, at the same time, jack and i must work every minute of every day to make this thing called “marriage” (friendship) work!

 

what i’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each other’s faults – and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences – is the one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting marriage (friendship) relationship.

and that’s my prayer for you today. that you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your married life (friendship) and lay them at the feet of Jesus. because in the end, He’s the only One who will be able to give you a marriage (friendship) where burnt toast isn’t a deal-breaker!

i say.. God says..

i say: “it’s impossible”
God says: “all things are possible” (luke 18:27)

i say: “i’m too tired”
God says: “I will give you rest” (matthew 11:28-30)

i say: “nobody really loves me”
God says: “I love you” (john 3:16 & john 13:34)

i say: “i can’t go on”
God says: “My grace is sufficient” (2 corinthians 12:9 & psalm 91:15)

i say: “i can’t figure things out”
God says: “I will direct your steps” (proverbs 3:5-6)

i say: “i can’t do it”
God says: “you can do all things” (philippians 4:13)

i say: “i’m not able”
God says: “I am able” (2 corinthians 9:8 )

i say: “it’s not worth it”
God says: “it will be worth it” (romans 8 : 28 )

i say: “i can’t forgive myself”
God says: “I forgive you” (1 john 1:9 & romans 8:1)

i say: “i can’t manage”
God says: “I will supply all your needs” (philippians 4:19)

i say: “i’m afraid”
God says: “I have not given you a spirit of fear” (2 timothy 1:7)

i say: “i’m always worried and frustrated”
God says: “cast all your cares on Me” (1 peter 5:7)

i say: “i don’t have enough faith”
God says: “I’ve given everyone a measure of faith” (romans 12:3)

i say: “i’m not smart enough”
God says: “I give you wisdom” (1 corinthians 1:30)

i say: “i feel all alone”
God says: “I will never leave you or forsake you” (hebrews 13:5)

joy to you and me

to be joyful is one of my goals this year and i’m quite determine to want to be a happy woman!

unfortunately, “our society tends to encourage cynicism and people know how to complain more than they know how to be happy”- psychotherpist stepehn lew, of the positive psychology centre.

if you want to kick-start a happier life like me, here are some advice (adapted from “mind your body, 29 jan 09):

1. count your blessings
   • reflect on what really matters and re-chart your course to one that will bring joy, meaning and fulfilment to your life
2. money cant buy happiness
   • material ambitions can sometimes be our downfall in building a happy life, as a bigger income can often lead to more desires and expectations. spend more time engaging with family and friends instead.
3. avoid “toxic” people
   • avoid those who may bring you down with their persistently negative attitudes. conversely, happiness is infectious.
4. show gratitude and appreciation
   • maybe can start to blog consistently purely of the happy events in your life, write a letter to someone close to you to thank them for who they are and what they’ve done for you.
5. keep things in perspective
   • balancing your expectations with the reality of your situation and your own perception of things is essential in maintaining high spirits.  

whee!

2008, thankful..

last december, even before the year ended, God revealed to me that i would end 2007 well, which i did. He also added that 2008 will more glorious for me, but with greater challenges. there was much uncertainty within me. after all, i almost gave up my race in 2007. how could i endure new challenges in 2008? God heard my fears and assured me that He will see me through every challenges, all i need is to keep trusting Him. i stepped into 2008 with His promises.in 2008, God tested me in the area of relationship. till today, i still think it’s like a joke played on me..

i had a miscommunication with a certain friend who left singapore. i admitted i busted our trust and i hated myself for doing that. i spent so much time to build the relationship and i almost lost it. thankfully God intervened and the relationship is restored.

next, was someone whom i used to hang out with. but with a change of decision, certain things which was done and said, i was very affected.. maybe hurt with the matter. it was also when i began to see friendship in a different light. i felt hard to trust friends and slowly it became bitter..

in march, my health check brought me to new level of trust with God. it was a time of uncertainty and i chose to kept it from my friends. i kind of expected a certain reaction from a certain friend. but when it did happened, “friendship” lost its meaning to me.. i became dull towards the whole situation.. but didn’t realize I was actually building a wall around myself. however, i knew i couldn’t let go of this friendship because it means a great deal to me. thank God we found time to talk over it and resolve the issues. we are best friends still!

in may, my dad’s health went hay wired. he went in and out of hospital and situations at home looked hopeless. there were a few times when we felt he wouldn’t pull it through. the bills were also getting worrying. thankfully, we managed to settle his insurance after much hassle. dad should be going for his heart operation next month and in the last 6 to 8 weeks, he has been doing well.

looking back, there were a few occasions when i felt i’m losing my sanity. without the promises of God, i couldn’t and wouldn’t have held on at all. i know, whatever the days ahead are, i can trust in You.

God was with me not only in the valley, but He brought me to the mountain top as well.

• my cg multiplied and chui came into the big fun family. i never wanted a teary multiplication cg, so my multiplication party was one filled with laughter and fun, as usual. appreciation cg was not teary too, the way i wanted, joy and happiness. this year, appreciation was done in a casual manner, but with everyone around, it just completed the event better.
• i crossed over from a customer service officer to an account exec, which was some sort like a promotion in my company. it’s my first time attempting to do sales and i’m thankful i’m doing pretty well and i like what i’m doing. 
• friendships are restored and i would say i have passed God’s tests. PTL
• of cos, i entered into a new phrase of my life- my relationship with caleb =)
• i ended the year with lesser debts too.   

as the year comes to a close..

• i’m thankful to pastor zhuang- that car ride with you gave me the courage to face the challenges i was going through.
• i’m thankful for wendy goh- thank you for your countless advices in every situation. thank you for giving me the best and wanting the best for me. you are more than a leader to me.
• i’m thankful for my career which has been progressing.
• i’m thankful for good school mates- you are the reason why i think going to school is fun.
• i’m thankful for good colleagues and lunch buddies- you are the reason i can pull myself out of bed every morning.
• i’m thankful for my family- for tolerating my nonsense.
• i’m thankful for my cell groups- thank you for running my vision, thank you for your sacrifice, thank you for your love. you guys make me look good and i’m so proud of you. thank you for all the presents i have received from you this year. thank you for your love.
• i’m thankful for my cgcs- you made my life easier and made all my events a breeze.
• i’m thankful for my guitarists (hao, jun, chui, jin, justin)- you make me realize vocals are not everything.. haahaa
• i’m thankful for chui- you are my super assistant. what would i be without you?
• i’m thankful for doreen, who helped me so much this year. 
• i’m thankful for benny- my best friend of all times.
• i’m thankful for my boyfriend caleb- your every phone call, every advice, every prayer, every effort to accommodate me makes me feel so special and loved. you are my hero-on-earth.
• i’m thankful for all friends and leaders who made our relationship possible.
• i’m thankful for friends (that’s you) who remained in my life.

2008 has been a wonderful year. what more could i ask for?

a even glorious 2009 of course =)

all glory to God!

asia conference 2008- touching asia, transforming the world

a very solid week of cultural mandate teachings.

personally, i was most blessed by dr bernard’s teaching on sunday afternoon. 

the world’s life destination is achieving wealth, power and fame. our life destination is to glorify God through wealth, power and fame. wow

while pst chris pringle’s message was about the lost of babies, i was ministered in the area of relationships. that afternoon, i made a decision to treasure the loved ones God has placed in my life. i figured out that losing these people are as painful as parents losing their babies.

during pst benny hinn’s miracle service on saturday night, what touched me the most was the offering time. seeing that hundreds and probably thousands of people who gave the precious seed in exchange for a debt-free lifestyle was like comforting to me cos i know i’m not alone. who wants to live in debts? doesnt matter what else he preached that night.

i’m also thankful that in such a mega event, i’m able to serve God helping out at the recept. yes it’s been so chaotic and so lost initially.. but i’m really thankful i can help in the little way.

what have you caught then?

a to z tips

affirmation

be encouraging

considerate

dress sharply

exuberance

fervency

graciousness

hospitality

initiative

jot it down

kindness

life-transformation

mutual respect

non-reservation of seats

observing regulations

politeness

quest for excellence

reverence for presence of God

spiritual hunger

total involvement

unity

vigilance

wisdom

x-factor (attitude)

yes & amen

zeal

the God of the valley

the man of God came up and told the king of israel, “this is what the Lord says: ‘because the arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord’.” – 1 kings 20:28

whenever we stand on the mountain, we are able to see clearly. it is the best vantage point to see what lies ahead. wouldn’t it be great to live on the mountain all the time in order to anticipate what is ahead? God allows us to experience the mountaintop at times. joseph’s first mountaintop experience was as a young man. he had the favor of his father, jacob. he was given a fine coat and even had a dream about his future. as a young man, joseph had a sense of destiny about his life. God often gives us a picture of our future so that we will remember this picture when we are being tested to trust Him in the valley. this picture usually does not reveal how God intends to bring about the visions for our life.

however, none of us really derive the character qualities God desires for our lives while we are on the mountain. it is in the valley where the fruit is planted and harvested. it cannot grow on the mountain; it must grow in the valley. God is a God of the mountain, but He is even more a God of the valley. in the valley, it is more difficult to see ahead; the clouds often cover the valley and limit our sight. joseph was thrust into a deep valley that left him wondering if the God of his father had forsaken him. Jesus hoped that He might be able to avoid the valley that caused Him to sweat blood.

there is a valley that each of us must enter, usually unwillingly, in order to experience the God of the valley-and to experience His faithfulness in the valley. once we have spent time in this valley, we come out with something we would have never gained if we had not entered it. the valley brings much fruit into our lives so that we might plant seeds into the lives of others. God does not waste valley experiences. if we are faithful in the valley, we will enter a new dimension with God that we never thought possible. there is a harvest of wisdom and virtue that can only be grown in the valley.

has God brought you into the valley? know that the valley is a place of fruitfulness; it is a place of testing. it is where God brings what you know in your head into your heart. the only value of knowledge is when it becomes part of your heart. look for God in the valley today.

spirit-led prayer

this morning, i felt led to pray for a certain person. just basically prayed that he (general term) will be strong as he enters into a new phrase of his life and that he will grow stronger emotionally and spiritually. prayed also for a particular person in his life too.

when i reached office, i dropped him a sms to let him know i’m thinking of him and that’s he’s in my prayers. really, all i wanted to was just to want him to know he’s being remembered.

this evening, he sms-ed me that he received a bad news during the afternoon from that particular friend.  

i hope my prayers will get him through in such times.

arise and build 08/09

exo 36:1-7 (nkjv)

1 “and bezalel and aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded.”
2 then moses called bezalel and aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.
3 and they received from moses all the offering which the children of israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. so they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning.
4 then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing,
5 and they spoke to moses, saying, “the people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.”
6 so moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” and the people were restrained from bringing,
7 for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done–indeed too much.

i had this mentality when i was much younger: ”i cant give alot now, but next year i will give more.”

but in the above passage, the people were building a tabernacle and they gave willingly every day, until it was too much and moses had to command the people to stop giving. 

imagine history repeats itself in chc this a & b 08/09.. 

everyone arose and gave their very best, and we would have collected more than enough to build a stadium once and for all, so that there wont be anymore building fund next year. if this miracle were to happen, how many of us would be thankful, and be proud to tell the next generation that we have gave our best, without any regrets? and how many of us, would tell the next generation, that they regretted for not having given their best, when they knew they could have gave more…

what if there is no more bf next year? 

are we giving our best this season? let’s give so that there will be no regrets.

let’s arise and build.