start afresh, know God as the God He is. not the God whom we think He is...

fare well to the HPetch Engr.
Saturday, March 31, 2007//

the end is only but the begining of a better start!

take care my dear etching engr! :)

njoy your overseas training and the future job opoportunities in UMCI.
please, dun let me see you back in ST again.haha.
"be a good horse", go for a greener field.

all the best and gOd blses you!

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
1:33 AM

Wednesday, March 28, 2007//

Your love walk is a choice that you make, not a feeling.

You don’t wait till you feel like loving someone before you love them.
You love them because that is what you have decided to do no matter what they say or do.
You choose to walk in love over and over again
until you discipline your flesh to automatically react in love.
We are disciples of God, which is LOVE.
A disciple disciplines himself after his master.
When you genuinely walk in complete surrender to love,
it causes a wonderful indescribable feeling.

This is that connection that our souls long for. We try to find it in all kinds of ways, but God
is the only one who can give it to us.

Once you experience this, it puts your life into the right perspective.

You’ll see that the most important things in life is not what you can see and touch.
It is not anything physical or material.

It is SPIRITUAL. It is LOVE. It is GOD.

When you walk in genuine love, you won’t have to go around
telling people you are a Christian. They will know it by your actions.
An apple tree doesn’t scream it’s an apple tree, it just produces the
fruit and then you can see for yourself.

We have to practice the behaviorof the fruit of the Spirit.
To see how people really are, watch them when they are stressed and under pressure and see how they handle themselves and the people around them.
How do you act in those times? You will know people by their fruit and people will know you
by your fruit.

Don’t complicate Christianity or God.

Just be nice to people and trust in God that He is with you constantly in everything you do and
go through. God wants us to have fun and be happy.

God has given us the privilege to be vessels of His Spirit and His love.

Without it we are nothing, nobodies.

We think we are all that,when we are not.

But when we have God, we have love and that is what makes us special, a treasure, separated from everyone else.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
11:57 PM

50years from now.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007//

God is amazing.
He has been teaching me a lot about spiritual accountability.
things that can be sooooooooo easily done, which i know, i could do it easier.
have to be accounted to my leaders 1st. to inform them first. before i act on to my own actions.

there is nothing wrong with that. the intention is good. but the sequence is wrong.
in the past, i will be seriously mad about it. make a big HOO HAA. pissed, sweared and cursing even though i was already a believer.

but as for now, i decided to learn. to be humbled. to understand the meaning of leader covering, spiritual accountability.

i need God's wisdom in a lot of things.
things that are meant well, often may not end up with everyone's best interest.
bcos the devil can also turn it around to destroy, confuse and deceive.

anyway, i attended the landbanking seminar (2) GOOD!
it's definitely a good pdtn. even if i dun end up working for my cousin, i will definitely invest. been always interested in investing.

busy days these 3 days.
reali busy. never at home at all since morning to midnight.
tuition->seminiar.
PLMGS->seminar
meet SIM CHUN,tuition->seminar->maybe meet up with colleagues.

it's difficult to live a pure and obedient life. it's difficult to live a perfect live for God.
at least for me, it's not natural yet. i am still putting a delierate effort to make sure i am doing so.
many ppl will angry, WHAT FOR? jus be yourself la! i cant be bothered to pretend,i am who i am..

that's where you are wrong.
if you have the fear of the Lord.
afraid that when you called upon the Lord when you see Him , and He answered,"i do not know you."

would you have done otherwise?

would you rather enjoy 50more years of happiness,joy, attention,fame,beauty etc on earth.
or you rather start building your treasures in heaven for e t e r n i t y.
i mean e t e r n i t y .

i believe we are all smart human.
we know how to calculate a better offer.
$40 for a PRADA and $20 for a Pierce Cardin.

though $40 means alot alot. 2 times more expensive/difficult to attain compared to the $20/
but to think of it. if you calculate by the percentage discount, you know, $40 is a better deal.
and it's PRADA. PRADA.

that applies to having fun by conforming to this world VS obeying the Lord to prepare for Heaven.

i believe, if you truly know there is a HEAVEN. there is truly truly a Lord Jesus, you will live your life differently.

spend some time to think of it.
i am.
but most imptly, after thinking about it.
what is your response to it?
it doesnt matter if half way thr you fall again and again.
what is more impt is your heart, do you want it?
when you fall, jus pick yourself up, your spiritual family are there to help.
that each time you stand up, you try even harder.

God understands our limitations.
He was once a human too. dun forget.
everything that we experience, He understands they are very reali issues.

trust me.
think about what i have mentioned.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
6:48 PM

50yrs from now.
//

March 27, 2007

Radiant Certaintyby Jon Walker

“I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:20-22 NIV)

Worship/Fellowship — There are some days when, frankly, I don’t feel much like worshiping God. There are probably more days like that than I’d care to admit.

But usually those are days are when I’m staring at my circumstances and making faithless judgments about what I see around me. And I struggle with the God-truth that he is in the circumstances that surround my life – all the circumstances.

Have you ever considered that heartbreak is part of God’s plans for you, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”? (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) We put so much energy into avoiding the hurt when God would have us embrace it. He wants us to know that he can heal our hurts, even use our hurts for his benefit, and for us to faithfully believe that sometimes the circumstances we think are harming us are actually positive situations God is engineering.

God, who is omnipotent, sees the breadth and depth of our circumstances, and he knows his plans for our lives. Thinking, then, like Christ, we can slowly, ever so slowly, begin to understand that avoiding the pain in our lives is actually an act of faithlessness. God calls us to faith in him during difficult circumstances; we’d rather place our faith in avoiding the circumstances.

As always, Jesus shows us the way – because he is the Way. Jesus embraced the pain of God’s plan for his life, and he did it with full faith that God was still working the plan to bring a “hope and a future” to your life and mine. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) Christ was so sure that his grief would turn to joy that he showed a radiant certainty in God’s faithfulness (“Radiant certainty” is a phrase William Barclay uses to describe the attitude of Jesus at the Last Supper).

Our Brother Jesus, who is also our King, was heading into a crisis that would cost him His life, yet He was so certain – radiantly certain – of God’s faithfulness that not one of his disciples even discerned the gravity of the crisis! Jesus was so certain of God’s faithfulness that it radiates throughout his whole being.

And we, too, can have this radiant certainty about God’s hand in our lives. We can say, when it comes to God’s faithfulness, “I know because I know that I know.” That’s radiant certainty! The Cross was Christ’s glory, not His penalty – and the same is true of difficult circumstances in our lives.

So what?

· God’s faithful character - You will develop this radiant certainty in God when you learn to trust in his faithful character. Your daily worship of God is irrevocably tied to your faith in God.

· Praise God anyhow - You must choose to praise and worship God every day, no matter what the circumstances of your life. Developing a radiant certainty in God begins with simple steps of faith and obedience.

· Respond to God, not your circumstances - When faced with a painful or difficult circumstance, ask God, “How do you want me to respond to this?” Keep your eyes wise for the ‘Why me?’ traps that lay about your circumstances.

You can be radiantly certain of this: Difficult circumstances are opportunities for you to intentionally focus your faith in God and to see what he will do to give you hope and healing

******************************
man hates to be criticised and to be disregarded.
1 wrong can eliminate all the rights in your life.
perhaps, that has always been the mentality in me.
cos i hate to fail. i cant be bothered whether ppl praise me or not.
but it seriously matter to me, when criticism comes in.
perhaps. a perfectionist like me function this way.

went to landbanking seminar (2). getting more and more interesting. it's a good product. that i know i reali believe in it.
we will see, what is to come in the future.

pastor emailed me and told me that i shouldnt mass email some stuff over the internet, as we should always verify it's reliability and credibility.

to be frank, God already prepared me for this email.

cos somehow, after toking to sharon yday on the phone.
i just felt perhaps i shouldnt be forwarding the ebook yet, till it's confirmed.

so i emailed pastor to apologise.
i tot she was reali angry. but yet she replied me via sms, to say she wasnt. but jus concerned about the reliability that's all esp few days back someone asked her about some stuff about the author.

sigh. sometimes, we read too much into something.we tend to be harsher to ourselves (depending on the ppl individually too) than what the situation should be.
sometimes, we tend to "add-on" to wat the person acutally means.

that's when negative emotions, strain of relationships etc etc comes in.

but still, feeling extremely guilty now.
in the past, i will chose to wallow in depression and blame myself for being an asshole, perhaps even start to withdrawn.
but, at least now, i want to try to overcome it.
to be humble before God and admit that it's a mistake i make. to apologise and to learn from my mistakes. to stand up. to perfect myself thr HUMBLE mistakes.

today, my 1st volunteer lesson in PLMGS.
hmm, interesting. i was scared. becos it has been a long time since i lazst taught O level syllabus.
to be frank, i am reali rusty le.

but i thank God. cos everytime when i know that i have helped others, i felt happy, satisfied and contented.
it's like time is all well-worthed it.
this is what $$ cant buy.
the girls are reali funny. haha, but then, very mischevious and pampered too.
imagine. $17 allowance per day.
but, one of them actually lost both of her parents, jus came out of aneroxic and eating disorder.
1 of the girl's frd suffering from eating disorder and didnt come to sch for today.

it struck me.

eating disorder. sec 4-5.

issues were getting more and more real.

it seems like the standard to live in this world is getting higher and higher isnt it so?
god says that everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made and created. irregardless of shapes and sizes. or abilities and gifts.

everyone is equally beautiful. do you buy it?

50more yrs on earth approximately. then eternally in heaven.
imagine with me.
if this is seriously seriously true.
how would you want to spend your life?
he said,"only the pure and obedient can enter into His kingdom"
even in mathew chapter 4, God mentioned those whose heart are not aligned with Him,when you called upon Him, he will say,"i do not know you."

do you have the fear of the Lord?
do you rather continue to pursue the world, to sin and go after the things that will make you happy.
or you rather start buildin treasures in Heaven. to be a good steward.

which is a better investment?
do you seriously seriously believe there is an after-life? a heaven? eternality?

my dear frds. spend some time thinking abt this question.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
9:28 AM

a frd is a treasure found. i thank God.
Monday, March 26, 2007//

went to landbanking seminar lesson (1) today.
ok, interesting biz there.
though i dun think it's gotta be so easy.
but frankly, i am more interested in the biz-doing & entrepre ship there than the money coming in, though $$ wise can get pretty good.

but it's interesting, to go to the technical terms.haha, SIGH, maybe cos i am still cut out to be an engr?

NO IDEA.

kelvin, you know what? i sms my cell group leader to keep you in prayers, and she replied something that reali struck me, she said" ok! we will pray for him and also until his mother become a christian"
haha.
you may think it's impossible. but there are so many testimony out there, to overthrown this tot of yours. dun belittle God. He is greater than who you think He is! "p AMEN!

anyway, i spoke sharon for like 2hrs on the phone after like 9mths since we graduated??
missed her SOOOO much la.
miss the nightly toks and runs we had.
it's jus amazingly.
to dicuss about God. to discuss our lives. to just have a heart to heart dialogue.
fellowship, sister-ship,frdship.

life is about these. relationships.
much more impt than career, status, money etc.
thanks sharon for such a lovely night. so shag but yet so refresh after all the advice and discussions we had.
makes me realise a few things.
that God is not a sadistic God.
that opportunities to do God's work is everything, seeing someting happening may not neccesary mean that this is where God wants you to be, though it could be. it's not absolute per se.

hope, if God reali calls me to go landbanking, i will meet you DAY and NIGHT!! haha...."hamsters" being & watching TV...haha :)

miss ya! :p take careee!

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
10:30 AM

installing LOVE.
Sunday, March 25, 2007//

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Installing Love

In my work, I teach and conduct training about cyber wellness values to youths. One of the topics I touched on is regarding SPAM mails which circulates everywhere. However, there is this one special circulated material which caught my attention. It's lengthy, but worth reading on. (extracted from Jaren's blog):

Installing LoveTech Support: Yes, ... how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running ?

Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.

Posted by Ee Jay at 10:21 AM 0 comments
Labels: Inspirational

-----------------------
i believe God is speaking to me once more.
before i can love others, i need to love myself.

only God can feel this void in me.
only God can heal me.
only if i believe and trust.

everything goes back to God.
and it boils down to your relationship with the Lord.
so simple, yet so difficult.
you know it, the battle between the heart and the mind.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
11:40 PM

thumbs up(9)
Saturday, March 24, 2007//

the 1st time i drove overseas.
the 1st time i met with a car accident. it's gonna be the last time! in the name of JESUS!!!
$1k for damage each.
but i trust God, He allows everything. every thing for a good cause. AMEN!

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
2:54 AM

thumbs up(8)
//

this is at Mount Olhsen!
flinder's range.
once of this tiny hole in the rock, then being the michievous and cheeky YY, decided to gif a thumbs up shot again!
HAHAHA. :p

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
2:31 AM

thumbs up(7)
//

seee, the thing over my head?? that's the aussie flying net! to protect yourself from the thousands of french friesssss, OHHH, i mean the aussie FLIESSS attack.
i totally feel like a POS there. yes, oh yea....a piece of shit.
do i smell THAT MUCH???? bleah!

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
2:11 AM

thumbs up(6)
//

this is one of the hike we did, for like 15mins?? the place where adriyan fall hard to the ground behind this brown steel bar.HAHA. thats the place where 3 engrs discussed about the powerful theory of F = MA & Newton's 3rd Law.
this is the place, where Fangyin decided to back up bcos of the great heat. frankly, she din miss out much...cos it wasnt a fantastic place too mans.
but what is memorable is....the FALL. :)

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
1:47 AM

thumbs up(5)
Friday, March 23, 2007//

thumbs up!! this is miss.junidar, indonesia chinese, working in ST as an etch engr too. she is the best thing i have received this trip :p her accompany is amazinggg, super funny gal. :)

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
1:24 AM

thumbs up(4)
//

thumbs up! this is adriyan, he's a malay. he's the driver for this trip. working in ST as an etch engr. :) funny and nice chap. his photography is realliiii good.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
12:50 AM

thumbs up(3)
//

***thumbs up!!! :) i bought this niceeee jacket for my brother! :) bought this at Queen Victoria mAarketttt, nice shopping place! :p

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
12:11 AM

thumbs up(2)
Thursday, March 22, 2007//

thumbs up!!! for my frd's niceeeeee beenie! wanted to buy, but tot aiya, hardly get to wear also, someone already has 1 billabong at home liaos. btw, the hot chocolate in MACS in aussie is reallliii nice! :p

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
11:49 PM

thumbs up (1)
//

nice vietname restaurant in Melbourne.
love it, expensive though. it cost about $10. for this 1 bowl.
but hot and spicy. THUMBS UP~!

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
2:15 AM

God answer me pls, soon...
Tuesday, March 20, 2007//

sometimes, i reali feel God is interesting and yet so difficult to truly understand what's He is doing.

perhaps thats why God said that many things are simply beyond human undertsanding.

that's why all we need is. Faith.

last week, while i was away from aussie, my colleague-kelvin (mask engr) sms me to check if i have the book "heaven is so real."

after which, he bought it himself, and pastor managed to lend me this book from sharon too.

it's reali an interesting book, which i am still currently reading.

so yday, i was sms-ing kelvin a lot of itneresting things.

and God is so interesting.

God is speaking to him & using ppl to speak to him as well.

all of a sudden,he has been downloading christian movie clips, documentary shows, reading christian books....in fact God actually drove him somewhere near to his house, to a church (which he never knew it's existence at his hse arena)

so he sms-ed me a lot of qns, and immediately i called him.

cos i think it's very amazing how this brudder of mine who is although still a pre-believer, yet is able to ask such in-depth qns that even christians are sstill discussing about.

so i spoke to him for about 1hr, and i believe God has planted something in him.

it's amazing how God can use you.
yday, i met up with my fcbc cousin Joey.

he has been working in walton landbanking for pretty long yrs.

so he invited me over, bcos he felt God speaking to him to ask me to enter this industry and be his consultant.

to make a diff in ppl's lives, to make an impact in ppl's lives.

i have always respected this cousin of mine alot.

and if i ever agreed to go over to be his consultant and quit my job, i believe i will be in good hands, where i will get moulded.

i have faith in God, and i hav trust in this brother-in-law of mine too.

so, all will depend from now on. still praying & seeking.

though, i am reali interested in this land-banking biz cos it allows me to meet ppl, to share & to benefit ppl.

or rather, it's my interest to know more about investment all these while too.

BUT, jus fearful, to make the wrong step. to make the wrong decision. sometimes it's reali hard to know exactly if what God wants you to do. is this what He wants? is that what He wants? what He wants? izzit what i want as well? but i guess, as long as you know what God wants, life cannot be wrong. everything would be made good.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
6:59 PM

Jesus gave me all these.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007//

sinagpore -> brisabane (transit) -> adelaide.
met up with adriyan, Fangyin & junidar at hostel.

then our ROAD TRIP began.
places covered are Quorn,hawker,wilpena pound,cooper pedy,flinder range,uluru,kin canyon,melbourne.

had lotsa of jokes and fun.
nearly get to a car accident, cos we were way TOO playful.
hikse & droved.
my first virgin DROVE in aussie!
met up a lot of frdly and interesting foreigners :)
on my way back home alone in the plane.

it totally warms my heart, by these ppl.
those old folks, husband and wife, palying scrabble and caring for each other totally inspired me.
for this 1 God-sent man, i shall wait patiently for God to bless me with! :)

adriyan was nice, but sometimes way too nice. but if ever there is something that is NOT correct, i will definitely clarify things up.

junidar was way FUNNY. my God, she is such a good sport and entertain :)
this is trip is totally good bcos of her presence. thumbs up!

fangyin, she's nice but way tooooo longggg windeedddddd. haha.

infact, jun and adri quarreled with her a few times.
i mean, the sian-ness part was fy was not invited, but she insisted on joining....
so you know.....that's the tricky part.
as usual, i will be the nicer fellow, to entertain Fy, to try to make the atmosphere alittle less tense up bah...

aussie food is nice.

list of my first time.....

i went for star gazing. ORIOn was cool. Venus was brightly red. Virgo, cant find.
i saw the moon ascend up into the sky.
i saw the sun ascend up besides the ayers rock.
i saw the sun set.
i was like a piece of shit, swarmed by million of flies.
i wore a face mask called the aussie flying net. you NEED them in central aussie.
i drove overseas.
i saw dead kangeroos and cows by the road.
we nearly got into a car accident.
i pumped petrol into a car.
i chatted with so many ang-mos overseas during my alone journey.
we saw a kangeroo jumped onto the rock at the mountain.
me and adri stood on the flinge of a dormant volcano.
me,adri,jun tried the famous vietnamese restaurant in melbourne. spicy HOT HOT HOT.
i learnt the act of photography.
mine overseas hiking & treking.
i wore hat,ray ban shades & long sleeve,shorts,shoes for almost all afternoons in central aussie.
i sat thr a total of prob 40hrs-50hrs car drive throut journey.
we saw cows crossing the roads.
i was so overwhelmed by ROCKS & big and majesty rocks.
compared to the previous aussie trip, there is no sight of seas & the blue oceans.
mine first virgin trip to a central aussie desert place.

all in all.
i so missed aussie.
who ever wants to go to europe and aussie, pls find me!
doctor tay, if you are keen, we can start saving up too! HAHA. :)
i wont find another aussie or europe trip at end of yr :)

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
7:17 PM

there's a yy back in TOWN.
//

I AM BACKKKKKK~~~~ back in town!
Anybody missing me already????

MR. francis! when will you be back from perth mans? time to meet up too.

will update more about my trip hopefully soonzzz...which is TML!
before i start working again..... :(

i SOOOOO miss aussie.
cant wait to marry an ANG-Mo & migrate over!
YEAH! :)

ok, perhaps i am thinking too much.
cant blame.
it's already 1am.

TIME TO ORH ORH!

tuition tml & then send the bottle of vodka to candice zhu yanli..............!

nights peeps!

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
9:13 AM

sg - > brisbane -> adelaide (uluru, king canyon, alice spring) -> melbourne-> sg :)
Sunday, March 04, 2007//

hi peeps!
i am in changi airport now..just had a lovely sakae diner with daddy.
actually i thanked God for such an oppt.
my relationship with my daddy has deproved so much over the mths. hardly tok.
but glad, i actualy spend 2hrs time with him. walking ard, explaining things to him (since he is not very literate and well educated) and also to walk and eat.

it was a good experience.

holidays for a good 10days.
gonna put all the work and sian=ness and to quit or not to quit idea behind.

yday night was a good night.
i had such a lovely chat with fannries for the past 2 nights.

reli, i believe the ppl, the human touch, the company is something that i will miss from this job & from this company.

to be frank, how many jobs allow you to have such company, bonding (for a start it's good enuff le) & fellowship.

i thank God, cos everyone ard are reali nice.

though there are still lotsa things that pissed me off, but mr.weipern, what said that morning does wake me up a little.
from my perfectionism, from my demand for a perfect and flawless expectation from everythg.

it's a struggle that i have always been struglling. to let go, to be willing and able to accept imperfect things in my life.

but, do hope after your china trip with your gf , you will start a good and fulfiling career in UMC.

alright, cya you peeps when i am back. do hope you will miss me a little while i am away...................... :P
HAHA. ok, quite BHB, but nvm~ WHO CARESSSS.

God bless you! :)

miss ya!

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
3:55 AM

thank God for this message - contentment.
Saturday, March 03, 2007//

March 2, 2007

Cultivating Contentment
By Karen Ehman

“… I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV)

Devotion:
Five-year-old Ryan was our next door neighbor. A blond-haired, brown-eyed spitfire whose favorite past time was to ride his bike. His rickety, red, girl’s Schwin bicycle had been handed down through several cousins before making its way into Ryan’s garage and heart. Badly in need of repair, it didn’t matter to Ryan. He proudly paraded that contraption up and down our block each afternoon. So imagine my surprise when one day, I happened upon Ryan kicking his beloved bike as it lay on the ground.

“What are you doing, buddy?” I questioned.” Stupid bike,’ he murmured still striking it with the toe of his tennis shoe. “Cool kids have a bright blue-- mud puppy-- dirt bike, not some dumb old, girl’s bike from their cousin.” And then, it dawned on me what day it was. It was Ryan’s first day of kindergarten. And sure enough, at recess the kids discussed what bikes they owned and in Ryan’s eyes his prized possession had suddenly turned stupid. His contentment had vanished. Why?

Comparisons. Comparisons deal a fatal blow to our contentment. My house is just fine….until my sister builds one larger and more functional. My clothes are satisfactory….until I see the latest new must-haves of the season. Why even my husband’s not bad of a guy…. until I think of my friend’s handy hubby who can build an addition on their house, while mine can barely fling a paintbrush. You see, we’re usually content with our own red Schwin hand-me-down until we spy our neighbor with her new, bright blue mud puppy.

The great playwright William Shakespeare said it fittingly in his work Much Ado About Nothing, “Comparisons are odious.” That’s right, they stink!! And if we wallow in comparisons long enough … we begin to stink.

The apostle Paul penned today’s verses from a dark, lonely, first century prison, with no internet access or air-conditioned exercise room. Yet just when did Paul say we should be content? When life is clipping along, with circumstances going our way? When we’ve just told Howie we’ll take the deal? No it says in any and every situation.

The Greek word rendered “content” in this passage denotes more than just a throwing up of arms in reluctant acceptance. It means literally “to be satisfied to the point where I am no longer disturbed or disquieted.” This is the calm place God has prepared for us in the midst of life’s storms. He’s waiting for us to lift our eyes off of our circumstances and instead, fix them solely upon Him; to look to our position in Christ for our worth, not our position in society.

We must stop struggling to change our circumstances. What will make the difference is the peace of Christ living in us, not us living with someone else’s circumstances. Don’t our human minds reason that the opposite is true? You know the audio reels that play through your mind: “If only I had a bigger house … a little more money … mild-mannered children … a kinder, gentler husband.”

Not available in microwave form, godly contentment needs to be patiently cultivated. We must cease comparing and instead embrace our current lot in life, welcoming all that God will teach us through it. Only then we will discover the secret Paul knew; that true contentment is not having what you want; but wanting nothing more than what you already have.

Dear Lord, help me to take my eyes off of others and fix them instead upon you. May I discover the peace You graciously offer me, no matter the circumstances of my life at this moment. I praise You for the good times and I thank You for what you teach me during the not-so-wonderful times. Use all of them to make me what You want me to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Material Girls, article by Rachel Olsen

Homespun Gifts of the Heart by Karen Ehman

Do You Know Him?

Application Steps:
Make a list of ten blessings in your life at this moment. Rather than comparing yourself to a friend or relative, think about others less fortunate than you; those homeless, hungry or dying. Thank God for even the simplest of things; running water, a warm home, having more than one set of clothing to wear; being able to experience the smile of your child or the listening ear of a friend.

Reflections:
What does God want me to learn about Him that I might never discover if He were to suddenly pluck me out of this situation?

What noble character traits is He trying to grow in me…patience, trust, compassion, contentment?

Power Verses:
Proverbs 19:23, “The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” (NIV)
Hebrews 13:5, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (NIV)

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
12:27 AM

Friday, March 02, 2007

Away with Jesus?

"He who is not with Me is against Me."
— Luke 11:23

After Jesus cast the demons out of the man who lived among the tombs, they went into a herd of pigs and ran over a cliff.
When the people saw that, instead of rejoicing that their neighbor was saved, "they began to plead with Him to depart from their region" (Mark 5:17).
That really sums up the reaction of all humankind to Jesus Christ.
You are either saying, "Jesus, I want to be close to you." Or you are saying, "Jesus, go away. I don't want you in my life."
You might protest, "Now wait a second. I admit that I haven't yet made a commitment to Christ. I'm simply saying I haven't decided yet."
But if you don't say yes to Jesus, you are essentially telling Him to go away. Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me" (Luke 11:23).

Either you have faith and trust in Christ or you have unbelief.
There is no other option.Have you said, "Away with Him?" You say, "What do you mean, away with Him. I have never said, 'Jesus, go away.' " Maybe you have, indirectly. Maybe you resisted God's work in your heart.
Maybe you don't want to give up some things in your life that you know are wrong. Or maybe you are just too busy—you have time for everything but Jesus.
It really boils down to this—what have you done with Jesus?
What are you going to say right now? "Away with Jesus!" Or are you going to ask Him to become a part of your life?
He offers you His forgiveness.

Take it. The choice is yours. Don't put it off.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
12:23 AM

God centered relationship.
Friday, March 02, 2007//

surprise surprise, i was so in a better mood yday at work.
not because i am enjoying my work or wat-so-ever, but i guess.
it's because of my decision that i made before i go to work.

i was reading JOB once again, after stopping my quiet time for almost 1week.
and suddenly, i just felt i need a purpose in life, esp after reading what huiyi you mentioned.

so, i sms Miss.gan, to told her what are the opportunities available if i want to start serving and preparing.
and she offered me tutoring in PLMGS.
infact, she wanted to approach me on sunday, but thanks be to God, who gave me the deliberate decision to make the first move to commit my life to Him.

sapphire so seriously need a God-magnified life.

was toking to fannries about BGR & love issue.
pretty amazed with the "love" relationship that she has for 7yrs and still counting.
2 person who are worlds & poles apart, could still like attracted together.
so i asked, "dun you get bored with him & think he is super boring?"
and her answer was "yes.bored already."

HAHA. man oh man oh man.
how many couple how there are feeling so?
are they together bcos they have all along been together & has no reason to break up?
no valid reason to break away from the habitual cycle?
or truly, they have found the right one?

i guses, this is a question that always worth thinking about.

her msn nick was,"what is love? love is what makes you smile when you tired."

was thinking abt it last night during work.
hmmm. it can be quite true.

but like what i still believe.
i want my husband to love God more than He loves me.
He must be securely secured with God's love.
before he knows how to love me.

this, applies to me.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
11:38 PM

Thursday, March 01, 2007//

huiyi, this was somethg that spoke to me as i read ur blog.

*************************************************************8
was very heartwarming.
Really. I don't know for what reasons they were in prisons, but I know for some of them they have sought a new meaning in life.
I'm encouraged. As we left the bars, I tried to blink my tears away. I recalled my zeal for wanting to sign on as Police during JC.
But now I've chosen another path of career. Sometimes I wonder if I've made the right decision since it's always my heart to want to serve people.
Now in retrospect, perhaps in this position, I may be able to tap on far more opportunities than what I can see. It's in His plans.
I believe its not by coincidence I could have these precious visits. It has truly spurred me on and encouraged my heart.

I could jolly well write my thoughts in my diary, but I wanted to share.
Perhaps when you are drown with all the realities of life, take a step back to reflect, there is hope in life if you want to see it.
There's genuine love if you want to feel it. There are people around us who wants to treat us with their hearts if you allow them. =)

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
11:45 PM

i still chose to thank Jesus.
//

those who want to help me, pray for me.

i believe only prayer will help.

whenver my walk with the Lord is unstable, my life become a mess.
God is my tower of strength & comfort.
He knows what i am gog through & He sees it.
as much as i am angry why He allowed it,yet i still have to suppress my bu-shuang-ness. cos i still chose to believe that God allowed them.
God allowed them bcos He is good. & that everything happen for a good reason.

i still remembered those times, or rather i forced myself to recall the goodness of God even as i was typing this entry.

since young, i always wanted to go to australia for my graduation trip.however, i have this "perfect" dream tat to graduate you must go to australia & to marry, you must go to Europe Paris.i thanked God, cos He made my dream come true, everythg was disgusting unhappy when planning. PPl dropped out 1 by 1, leaving only little Verlyna & weiling. but we still chose to go ahead. and i thanked God. it was a good experience. that i will always remember.

my FYP was a God-given Grace.
my professor was my hostel master. He is reali a good man. He and prof Ciprian never give me stress. He encourages me, motivates me, cheers me up. HAHA.
even as i am typing this, a smile jus came upon me as i was recalling my fav prof Ciprian said everyday he saw me," mei mei, everything good?? JUST DO IT!"
it was lovely :)
when ppl trust you, empower you & give you the freedom to jus experience.
perhaps cos my FYP was attached to IBN - it was an R & D firm. it allowed mistakes. haha.

God also blessed me by granting me with my good A level results.
though i tored my ligament & was crippled & down with depression for almost 2yrs, but he taught me a lot. endurance, perseverence and also to experience the love and care from my Daddy.
He brought me to hostel, met huiyi, and then knew this spiritual family & knew God.
Qiaoyun, the leader whom God gave me is ever so comforting & encouraging.
thank God for his annioting upon her to speak to me.
but i miss those times. been a long long time since i catched up with her.1-on-1 to share our hearts.

thank God for blessing me even with this job.
this may not be the perfect job, but i met a lot of nice ppl along the way.
everyday may not be exactly the best day & the most fulfiling day.
But, i still thank God cos i know He is pruning me.
many times, i jus want to break down & cry. to give it a good cry & then to start my journey all over again.
but, tears jus couldnt come out. suffocating.
i am weak but my God is strong.
i am poor but my God is rich.
i am faithless but my God is ever faithful.
i am lost but my God finds me back.
i am fearful but my God is love.

i thank God for my family. though my brother quitted poly & i was tremendously disappointed, but i still chose to thank Him. cos i still chose to believe He still has a good plan for him. & He is moulding him in this journey too.
i thank God that my whole family went for the MOL last yr with my aunt.
i thank God that my dad & mum & aunt & grandparents visited church are have good impression of it.
i thank God that i brought a few frds to church, even though they have not yet to receive the love of God. but it's a small mustard seed tat is planted.

i thank God, cos He uses me among the ppl.
from me, ppl knows that being a christian doesnt mean you are strong & might & smooth sailing always.
God never promised Believers to have a good life. He never did.
in fact, i heard from my frds that Believers could be experiencing even more temptations & tribulations in this journey with the Lord.
but i thank God, cos He is God.

Jesus, remove my fear. grant me with happiness from the Lord.
that no matter what i face in life, big or small, i still confront it with confidence, with Joy & with Hope.
use ppl to speak to me.
speak to you my Father & let me be observant, attentive & obedient to listen.
let me not deceive myself any more.
let not the devil take control of my life.
let this life be God-magnified, God-controlled, God-lived one.

guard my heart & mind.
calms me down. let the peace flow in me.

i thank You God.

for you alone, deserve all Glory.
for you alone, deserve all Praise.
Father we worship & adore You.
Father we long to see Your face.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
10:46 PM