Sunday, April 30
shared what i wanted to share with my cell grp today...having able to draw the stength and courage from the Holy Spirit and release the inner struggle, i'm found a new inner peace in my heart today as i prepare myself for a new level of commitment ahead....the peace and comfort which i've nv felt before....
35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
-Mark 4:35-41
even in times of adversity, Jesus remained calm...He has peace in His heart, a peace that not even the darkest storm can erase...and He has this peace because he has complete trust and obedience in the plans for Him...there is no fear or worries simply because there is total dependence in God for His plans....
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
-Psalms 4:8
David has proven that true security is when is experienced not because of the absence of adversities, but because the presence of the Lord is with him....its easy to feel peaceful when everything is going on well in your life, but the real challenge comes when disasters occur...
Many of us seek for this calming presence of the Lord...the Lord is lk our Shephard whose lullaby allow us to sleep in peace even in the darkest of nights....how wonderful it is to hear His voice during this period of times, bringing our anxious hearts into the ultimate safety of God's comfort....and its only possible when we comtinue to have this living and growing relationship with our Lord...to have complete dependence and surrender totally to His plans for us....when we continue to seek for His guidance in our lives, you'll be surprised at how He has allowed u to have peaceful nights, even during times when you are facing difficulties....
I pray for all brothers and sisters all there peaceful nights in every day of theirs lives that they walk with the Lord...
jel; 8:10 pm
Friday, April 28
had been quite busy for the past 2 days..didn't really have anything to blog abt...was quite weighed down by a few issues during this period but they're not really much of a bother at this moment for me...and i'm just glad the weekend is coming...hope i have some time to wind down cause i know i'm going to get more busy when may comes...and i'm not even thinking abt what is going to happen now...i'm just lk taking it one step at a time, handling various probs day by day...hopefully, i'll get to a well-deserved rest some time soon when i can relax my mind for the moment...
finally going to check on my laptop when i get back home...and to start doing the stuff i need to do this wkend...this long wkend definitely gives me more time to do them but i'll end up having as little rest as the usual wkends with all the additional things i'm occupied with....
jel; 12:41 pm
Tuesday, April 25
share with u an extract from teck horng's devotion for today...
"Speak the truth to your neighbour (neighbour can mean anyone ard you). The word "truth" here is not what we perceived as personal laws that demand judgement of others. Truth here means God's love. Speak God's truth. Speak God's love.
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
-Ephesian 4:29
This verse urges us to edify and impart grace to hearers. Speaking the truth is not about debating that you are right. Incontrary, it is the meekness of our conversation with others that we can win them over."
the last point reminded me of a conversation i had yest and serves as a reminder to the attitude we should have when sharing our faith to pre-believers...it is really not about comparing what is right or wrong abt the faith we each have...we dun have to condemn any facts or justify any rights, but most importantly, it is abt how we present our faith to others, how we reflect His name and glory...so the next time you share Christ with others, bear this in mind and potray ourselves as true disciples of Christ...
jel; 3:15 pm
ok, apparently there's nothing wrong with my laptop...there was a very big woo-ha over it yest night...but u can blame me cause i really dun know how it actually works...i was actually quite embarassed when i found out..haha..anw, i'm just very glad the issue is over now..and i can finally start setting up the laptop...
i lk to thank God for all the things that happened yest...small yet significant things...i looking forward to more things in the week ahead...
jel; 10:24 am
Monday, April 24
oh ya, my baptism this fri is postponed to a later date...most prob to june...well,i'm quite alright with the date, prob just a bit disappointed cause i've been getting prepared for it since march...but nvm, somehow i feel that june would turn out to be a more meaningful date..i dun know how but i'll find out when the date comes..yup
to those whom i've invited to come this fri, sorry that you can't come on fri, but keep your june date free...most prob it'll be 23 june...and prob more pple can come at that time and i'll be more free too cause that week is my block leave period...hmm..and 24-25 june is the miracle wkend too
jel; 9:25 am
attended a session on the da vinci code project to prepare us for the coming of the movie..learned alot abt the fact vs fiction of the book...i not here to discuss all the discrepancies abt the so called 'facts' mentioned in the book..more importantly, its to prepare us to have the right attitude to defend our faith...
i really think christians should be encouraged to watch the movie instead of boycotting it cause we wldn't want to create the impression that we are not interested in the truth or getting involved in critical discussion...cause questions wld definitely arise from pre-believers and it creates an opportunity for us to share the truth with them..as the tagline for the movie goes "seek the truth", its an opportunity for movie-goers to seek the truth, not through the 'facts' mentioned in the movie but from those who know the truth...
jel; 8:48 am
Sunday, April 23
The plans You have for meWill prosper me, not harm meSo I trust You with all my heart,no matter where i may beMay my destiny be fulfilled,my testimony revealedthe reality of Jesusunveiled thorugh my life for all to seethis is the chorus for "for all to see"...and it really sums up my feelings for the past week when i was troubled by a lot of plans that i have and i've since committed my plans to Him, to surrender to His plan for me instead cause He has the best plan for me...and since then i've found the calmness and peace in my heart...
realised today that i've not let go something abt my past...but i've seek His guidance through this and i'll be sharing it with my cell next week...somehow i dun know whether i'll be sharing this with anyone during this week....i have this feeling i will...
jel; 8:39 pm
Saturday, April 22
cool man, i just got my new laptop! haha..so happy...acer aspire 5560...its quite value for money...for $2599, its core duo 1.66ghz, 100gb hdd, 1 gb ram, ati x1400 up to 512 mb, 14.1" crystalbrite lcd, 1.3 pixel webcam...and i bought it at best denki, i had more benefits...1% discount, free 40gb hard disk, 512mb thumbdrive and optical drive (even better than the offers at the acer roadshow this wkend)...
but the sad thing is when i bought this laptop home, apparently the optical disk refused to eject, so i had to bring it down to exchange next week...they dun have any stocks left, but one set will be reserved for me when i go down to exchange next wk...meanwhile i can't do anything on it but to serve the internet..haha...but i'm really glad to finally get a laptop...i've been waiting for this for a yr already....
thank you God for this precious gift
jel; 7:43 pm
Friday, April 21
an update on the issue i mentioned in my previous post...i'm disheartened to see how the army has brought up the ugly side of pple...i'm sure most pple at diffrent points of their time in ns would have resorted to doing unrighteous deeds...not to mention those whose minds are scheming all along...and somehow in army, there are plpe who tend to simply forget abt their ethics...i really want to comment that we are still leading our lives in the army...its not lk we are living a different live here...we're still going to be judged upon our attitudes and actions even in the army
i'm rather disappointed over the things that are happening ard me...its hard not to show it on my face at times...i've tried to hide this disappointment at times but it somehow reflects on my behaviour instead...i tend to keep particularly quiet but nevertheless i'll not let it affect my attitude towards my work...
Lord, give me this strength to face the situation...keep me strong in my faith and not to surrender to the sins of this world...
jel; 12:20 pm
Wednesday, April 19
humans just doesn't know how to be satisfied...of course i did mention in one of my previous post that we shldn't settle for anything less that Him Himself but thats not what i meant now...it comes to a point when greed comes into place...envying what others have and wanting to have more as well...it just erks my nerve just to see that happening ard me...not being satisfied with where God has placed you..instead of trying to get out of the situation, why dun one think abt where He has placed you there? aren't you doing anything to fulfill His purpose for you here?...
another issue is seriously abt the slacking attitude...and this prob is REALLY out of control sometimes...everyday i'm faced with different situations with diffrent pple displaying the same prob...i dun know whether the cause of the prob is the fact that one is in the army..but wherever you are in, you still have to reflect who you really..unless you tell me you'll slack too in your work in society later...and i'm saying all these regardless whether you're a Christian or not...but if you're a Christian and is guilty of that too, rmb that wherever you are, you are a testimony of His name in every action you do...even if you manage to escape the law or the eyes of the world, do u really think you can hide your guilt from the Almightly One?
sometimes, my blood really feels lk boiling...and i constantly have to suppress my temper...reminding myself that it wldn't help the situation at all by blowing my temper...and it definitely wun help in my personal growth...i'm still learning to control my emotions..and really not to allow others to take control over my emotions...instead to keep my focus on Him, to seek for more His presence at all times....
finally, its the end of one more working day...i'm looking forward to what i can expect more from this place i'm in....
jel; 6:33 pm
Tuesday, April 18
i'm really excited over what candice has to share with me just now...really glad abt whats happening in her life now...it just pleases my heart that what i'm been praying for her over the past weeks have been reflecting on her recently....i really hope she'll continue to have the faith and desire to seek His presence and to grow even stronger...it wun been an easy effort..but believe strongly, candice and have trust over the Lord's control over our lives...i'm really glad the Lord has used me to bring her back to Him and to show her the things that He can do for us....
candice, continue to develop on this special relationship with Him and most importantly is to regularly have this special meeting with Him every sunday, k?
jel; 9:20 pm
Why settle for what the world has to offer for you when God can offer the best for u, and that is Jesus Christ! never be satisfied with the pleasures and temptations of this world..they can only satisfy your desires temporarily...only with the salvation we received from our Saviour can we enjoy everlasting joy and love...this gift is immeasurable and its beyond what the capabilities of our human minds can imagine...
Satan is always out there to stop unsaved souls from accepting Christ into their lives...obstacles are placed and difficulties arise...He causes them to indulge in the worldly possessions and have the impression that those possessions are what they should pursue...nv be satisfied with what u have cause the best is yet to come! dun procastinate and wait for the 'right' time to accept Jesus in your lives...there is nv a right time if u wait...start believing and you'll see the faith in you grow...and this is the moment to start believing right now...and see the work He has done on you...Have the faith!
jel; 1:54 pm
Monday, April 17
i just wanna share some stuff that i've learned/ been through for the past 3 days:
1) 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
-1 Peter 4
this verse came up as i was sharing my reflections with my cell grp members after tgigf..i could still rmb the hurt i suffered during those incidents..but i know this is how the world is and its inevitable that it will occur...but i know i'm placed there for a purpose and it just dawned upon me how heavy the responsibility i'm having based on the current situation i'm in..but it brings joy to know how i can be used to face challenges and obstacles to go through this test of faith...
19So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
-1 Peter 4
yes, i'll always bear this in mind and carry out His will in where i'm placed.
2)during cell on sat, something which i've learned in the past was being brought up...in order to gain authority and respect over others as well as to lead them, you have to learn to serve them first...it really means having that spirit of servantship , to have a bowed and surrendered heart to help serve them before they can trust in you...and this happens to be one of the valuable spirit that i shld have in winning the test mentioned in the previous pt...i'm so glad i'm able to look at a different perspective from this week onwards and i believe the situation will be different in time to come...
3) i actually had a struggle in my mind on sat night...a past experience just resurfaced and it caused a certain fear in me cause i'm currently facing a similar situation and there's this fear that i'll be faced with the same result...i know i shld not worry abt the outcome but the outcome was of significance to me...this struggle linda bothered me through sun morning..during service, Ps eugene mentioned abt the new life that Jesus has given us through His ressurected power, that any despair, disappointment of the past no longer are obstacles in stopping us from moving forward...furthermore as what Ps Khong preached, God moves the stone on resurrection sunday to give us a new life, a new beginning and a new hope for tmr...it just reaffirms the fact that my past disappointment no longer has control over my emotuions and be of any hindrance to me and that i claim the power of our Saviour...furthermore, i've already known the path that He has set me in and this time time round, the result is definitely different cause i believe and trust Him, the answer He has for me...itbrings upon a new level of comfort when i know He has everything planned for me and its definitely the best He has for me...
Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for us....
jel; 12:15 pm
Thursday, April 13
tmr is gd friday...still keeping hopes high...received a mesage this morning from my friend..was very delighted to recieve that and i'm hoping for more to come during this last day...
my mum is coming back tmr..haha..kinda miss her during her absence...
jel; 12:20 pm
Wednesday, April 12
thinking of getting a notebook soon...this is not a want but a need cause i really need a proper working comp at this moment...was deciding bet desktops and notebooks but chosen the latter in the end...get a laptop wld definitely make life much more convenient for me...and i've been trying to survive with the prob for almost a yr now and finally, things are going to be done...
been searching the net for the whole day in search for suitable ones..and the views i gathered from everyone and in forums are quite varied...end up till now, i still can't decide which brand to buy...decided to go down to funan this wkend to look at the models...think i can make better decisions if i can see and touch them physically...and most importantly i have to wait for my mum to come back from the states before deciding on the budget too...
2 more days to gd friday...tgigf!
jel; 8:24 pm
congrats candice for passing your driving test yest! i'm so happy for you the moment i read your message..i knew this time would be different from your previous tests...as long as u believe and have the faith, i'm sure everything is possible...
the next few months wld be quite busy..and it doesn't help when the pple ard aren't the best grp of pple to work with..i really think one needs to put in the effort to work your best even if the situation doesn't allow you...i guess in ns, many plpe are trying to find the easy way out to do stuff..i wun deny that at times, i'm guilty of this too...but by doing this, sometimes, one may resort to ways which may not reflect His glory ...and the attitude in which you carry out your work is impt..i know nsf loves to complain abt almost everything, trying to cao geng or simply trying to find an easy way out to doing things...u may not enjoy what you're doing at this moment, but the attitude in which u face these problems/difficulties really reflects the person u are in Him...one is placed in a particular position for a purpose ..in fact be glad that you're placed in an uncomfortable situation..cause then you'll be able to undergo a test of faith, where you'll feel His presence and experience the things that He's doing in you...only then will you grow and continue to seek more of Him in your life...when u stay in your comfort zone, u tend to be carried off and be complacent with your life..then how are you going to expect your faith to be tested?
some of you may not fully comprehend what i'm saying but i fully seek all of you, including myself, to really reflect upon every actions that we do..whether are we doing it to our own benefits or for the purpose He has in us....
jel; 8:44 am
Monday, April 10
the wkend was indeed very rushed for me..esp yest when i ws literally busy at every single moment...and i didn't even the time to start on the deco stuff...i end up bringing everything to camp this week so that i can do it when i'm free...but i believe everything can be ready by good friday...
i have to keep myself focused on the right things and not be distracted by other thoughts and always to remind myself of my motive and purpose..i have to keep this in mind...most importantly is to know what where i stand at this moment...
jel; 1:15 pm
the wkend was indeed very rushed for me..esp yest when i ws literally busy at every single moment...and i didn't even the time to start on the deco stuff...i end up bringing everything to camp this week so that i can do it when i'm free...but i believe everything can be ready by good friday...
i have to keep myself focused on the right things and not be distracted by other thoughts and always to remind myself of my motive and purpose..i have to keep this in mind...most importantly is to know what where i stand at this moment...
jel; 1:15 pm
Saturday, April 8
my schedule is a bit tight this weekend... came back late last night from rehearsal and didn't manage to do anything concrete...i have to complete my testimony and application by tmr, do a birthday card by tmr (which i haven started), get the deco materials prepared by tmr and to get them half done at least...and i can only do those stuff in late nights and early morning when i'm at home...and because i'm a stay-in personnel, thats why i have to get most of the stuff prepared by this wkend...i'm not complaining cause i believe that i get everything done on time and it definitely wun be some sloppy work...anyway, all these stuff are craft work which is what i'm always good at, so there aren't any prob and i'm most willing to do them...in fact i'm quite excited over the final products....
jel; 1:11 pm
Friday, April 7
hmmm...somehow for the past 2 weeks, i seem to be blessed with free treats from diff people..and these were at times when i'm rather hungry but didn't buy anything cause i was trying to save some money..just felt kinda weird when they suddenly offered to buy me food out of no particular reason...i'm definitely thankful for the kind gesture...and it reminds me of last night when i offered the last slice of blackforest cake to lek for his kind gesture...
jel; 4:27 pm
finally..i'm seriously getting down to learning guitar...somehow the music theory book that edwin brought to office today sparked this prolonged interest in picking up guitar...and i bet i've been telling pple since jc times that i wanted to learn the guitar..i guess now its time to seriously start learning...and the time now is just appropriate...
was browsing through a few sites just now..thought that self-taught wld be much better that learning from sch..will be much cheaper and time is definitely more flexible...looking at how my schedules are planned each week, i dun think it wld be worst if i add one more music lesson...
just found kevin to accompany me to get a guitar next wkend...thats fast, considering that i just decided to seriously learn this morning...thats shows that if i want to get down to doing things, i can actually do it...looking forward to learning this new instrument...
jel; 1:21 pm
Thursday, April 6
u meet all kinds of pple in ns...and its inevitable that u meet some pple who really gets to your nerves with what they're doing...and u feel lk hating them at times...and it doesn't help when everyone ard shares the same sentiments...and i guess one has to be careful when making comments abt that person...cause the line between speaking bad behind smeone's back and purely speaking the truth abt that person's actions gets faint when everyone just shares their comments during discussions...
i'm not too particularly bothered abt what had happened recently...although no relevent authority is present to melt out the appropriate punishments for the actions, ultimately one wld have to answer for their own actions...and there's really no point in getting your mood affected by others..why let theirs take control over your emotions? you have the power to decide how u feel and it definitely wld not improve the situation if nothing is done...
there's quite a lot of stuff for me to do ovder the weekends and there's quite little time for them with my schedules for weekend already planned out...guess i have to make use of every liitle time i have in between my schedules...
jel; 10:02 am
Tuesday, April 4
changed my blog template again...not that i too free or have nothing better to do..just that i didn't really lk the layout of the previous template...and i just happened to chance upon this template and it looks pretty gd...anw, i'm much more satisfied with this one...
jel; 12:46 pm
Monday, April 3
the previous entry was typed in the morning...and i was really hoping i dun need to do guard duty tmr cause i just did last fri and this duty is just too near ahead...and i really want to go down for the reccee...but hey, a twist of events last min really changed everything...just as i gave up thoughts abt changing duty, somehow a shuffle of duties happened and my duty is changed to next mon...woa..i was quite shocked when i found out abt it...this is what i call a true miracle...
anw, response for invitations to the good friday celebrations is not bad at this moment...still waiting for replies from a few...hey if you're free on gd fri from 4-7, just leave me a tag, k? at the serenade @ holland...there'll be live band, games, food and more...and dun feel guilty abt eating free food...its all abt sharing the joy during this holiday...
jel; 4:31 pm
sian...wanted to go for reccee tmr but i'm on guard duty and no one can exchange duty with me..argh..nvm, i'll get the photos from them when they go...
jel; 8:59 am
