muffin-top;

thank-you.

sacrificial and selfless.

learnt a great deal.

looking forward to what's ahead.

ahead, and ahead.

thank-you, and many more thank-yous.

just ate a mandarin orange that christine gave me randomly on wed.

as i ate, i was touched and reminded of the many things that she has done so far, that has greatly blessed my life.

thanks chris, you are a blessing to CCM, and your overcoming spirit in Christ, amazes me.

the prayer with you gripped my heart. the heartbeat for your people was so strong. and am so awed by your humility to surrender everything to God's hands.

and just like the orange, the fruits that you bear in your life are always so sweet, so peace-filled. :)

thank you chris.

"Dear Lord, please make my words sweet and gentle because tomorrow I may have to eat them"

- from a Business Comms textbk. :)


Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.- 1 Timothy 4:12

bought a good book at op shop at sunshine coast ytd for the flight back to melb.

'Not in the Common Mould'- about the life of a man David Lithgow, who went to empower people in Papua New Guinea.

was truly encouraged, cos firstly, Papua New Guinea is Hope Melb's inheritance; and secondly, his life possess so much that i can learn from. Diligence and single-mindedness were his mantra, and his humility and strength in Christ allowed God to use him wherever he went. Although circumstances were difficult, he was often blessed, cos he loved and he gave whatever he had.

anw, back fr the bris trip, and photos up when i get them! :) twas a great time shared with what God has created. Was reminded when i saw a church banner down at Gold Coast- Look Around, God is EVERYWHERE! it really shouted out to me, to give the nature around me a closer look, cos that's how God shouts His love and His presence to me.

3 weeks to home. :) am definitely upbeat, yet i have lots to leave behind for a moment during the time when i will be away. but it will be all good.

cos, absence always makes the heart fonder. :)

Heart's Heaven

Dear love- like velvet to my tired head,
Soft evening-tinted fragrant garden grove,
Soul, spirit thrown into the sweet still air,
To love and satisfy my own, Dear Love!
Cold earthy me, by call of love awoke,
I come, I take; nor yet not give to thee
Thine own, and mine; our spirits blended, one;
In warm, rich peace, my arid questing slaked.

-David Lithgow

count-down to gold coast;

a good time for a 'restoration' break (before we face what's ahead in the weeks to come); haha though its really unwise of us to plan it plonk in the middle of the craziness of school work.

but, thank God, it didn't clash with any of our major dates too. awesome.

am not so much looking forward to the worlds though, but really upbeat about the snorkelling at great barrier reef.

and just be away fr the cold melb and enjoy the warmth of sunny brissie.

flu, flu go away.

and all you in exams; i pledge to pray as i play.

saw this off a blog; check out this wedding dance.

bride in converse.

fun. ;)

at least, this made my night a lil' brighter. :)

be strong.

be stronger.

it will not be numbness i promise. it will just be a higher tolerance for the pain.

will get there. will get there.

Wait

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.

I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate
And the Master so gently said, “Child, you must wait.”

“Wait? You say, wait!” my indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?
By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I’m needing a ‘yes’, a go-ahead sign,
Or even a ‘no’ to which I can resign.

And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
I’m weary of asking! I need a reply!”

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, “You must wait.”

So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, “So, I’m waiting… for what?”

He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want – But, you wouldn’t know Me.

You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You’d not know the power that I give to the faint;
You’d not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there.

You’d not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You’d never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You’d know that I give and I save… (for a start),
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that’s beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

You’d never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that ‘My grace is sufficient for Thee.’
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,
But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I’m doing in you!

So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft’ may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still, ‘WAIT.’”

~Author unknown

beautiful. stumbled upon this and it hit me. especially the part: All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be. You would have what you want – But, you wouldn’t know Me...

and the final bit of all..:My most precious answer of all is still, ‘WAIT.’”

i thank You Lord for the stretching my heart, to experience Your love in pain; power when i was faint; and seeing You work despite times of despair; and trusting You during my down times and knowing You are there.

in my eyes, perhaps, the waiting has been over. and its great relief and joy. but somehow it just stirred within me and i had this impression, to continue to work hard and pray even harder to understand His heart- it's not over yet. wait, and the best is yet to be.

Praise God. and i rejoice in this!

thank-you Lord for this timely reminder to continue to do everything with You.

amen.

A devotional;


INCLINE YOUR EAR TO ME, AND COME TO ME. HEAR, AND
YOUR SOUL SHALL LIVE; AND I WILL MAKE AN EVER-
LASTING COVENANT WITH YOU.
( ISAIAH 55:3 *NKJV )

Dear Mingxiu,
Our Heavenly Father appears to us in many different ways, and
often we may not even notice.

Now it is written; WHEN HE UTTERS HIS VOICE--THERE IS
A MULTITUDE OF WATERS IN THE HEAVENS: "HE CAUSES
THE VAPORS TO ASCEND FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH;
HE MAKES LIGHTNING'S FOR THE RAIN; HE BRINGS THE
WIND OUT OF HIS TREASURIES." For; THE VOICE OF THE
LORD IS OVER THE WATERS; THE GOD OF GLORY
THUNDERS. ( Jer 51:16 ) & ( Ps 29:3 )

Now, Today's Message...

The man whispered, "God, speak to me," and a meadowlark
sang.

But, the man did not hear. So the man yelled, "God, speak to
me" and the thunder rolled across the sky.

But, the man did not listen. The man looked around and said,
"God let me see you." And a star shined brightly.

But the man did not see. And, the man shouted, "God show
me a miracle." And, a life was born.

But, the man did not notice. So, the man cried out in despair,
"Touch me God, and let me know you are here." Whereupon,
God reached down and touched the man. But, the man brushed
the butterfly away ...and walked on.

The man cried, "God, I need your help!" And an e-mail arrived
reaching out with good news and encouragement. But, the man
deleted it and continued crying.

I have found this to be a great reminder that God is always
around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted
.... even in our electronic age ...

So don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the
way that you expect.

My instructions were to send this to people that I wanted God
to bless and I picked you, Mingxiu. Please pass this to
people you want to be blessed as well.

Expect the unexpected...and Have A Happy Day!
---Author Unknown

Child Dementia.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s37727.htm


"..As time goes on and the brain begins to fail more and more seriously, it's possible for a child to be alive, but no longer to relate. And this is a very sad part, one of the tragedies of dementia is that you lose the child emotionally, and in your relationship with them, before you actually lose them physically. There are the four things that I think parents have to face. The first thing is they have to face that pervasive uncertainty, all the things that are so hard to understand, to know, because we know so little about it, even though we've known for a long time many of these different diseases.

The second thing is the disintegration of their humanity. When you've got a young child who you've come to love and know, and their personality, and then you watch that personality being dismantled, piece by piece, that disintegration process, and one parent said to me very clearly, she said, 'I feel like I'm falling apart, piece by piece.'

The third thing is that over all of this is the prolonged sense of the Damocles Sword hanging over the child. That is, everyone knows at some stage they're going to lose this child.

And the fourth thing is that many of these conditions are genetic. And so you may have more than one child affected. So you've gone through all this tragedy, and often you've already had your children by the time the first one's diagnosed, only to know, 'I've got to face this again.' From the moment that there is some certainty, many of the parents begin to prepare for the loss within. They have to be able to play with their child, love their child, they have to be able to nurture their child's education, knowing that within a period of time, that education will probably be completely lost..."

today's JG (joshua generation) was refreshing. about praise and worship. we had a study on 2 Chronicles 5 :1-14.

sing a new song to the Lord everyday, every moment!

Psalms 33:3
Psalms 40:3
Isaiah 42:10
Ephesians 5:19
Psalms 96:1
Psalms 98:1
Revelations 5:9
Psalms 144:9
Psalms 149:1
Revelations 14:3

it brought to me a greater boldness, and freedom, to sing unto the Lord your heart, your here-and-now.

i have heaps to give thanks for. i know its bad of me to give thanks only when i see it. i pray i can grow to give thanks in all circumstances. give thanks.

thanks ma and pa and sis. thou i dont think you will ever see this.

and thanks to my churchies who have been supportive in prayers.

and thanks to a dear friend who has been ever assuring.

and all thanks to Him who made it possible.


i pray that i may not take everything for granted, but to continually keep my eyes on you, and my being in prayers and praise.

help me to know that this is the beginning of all hardwork that's ahead, and you will have your perfect plan for me, to fulfill Your will.

there's really freedom in surrendering, and it feels so good. praise the Lord.

the shows at 11.30am have been increasingly great. :)

i enjoyed ytd's: Yesterday's Children. it was talking about a lady from US who had recurrent dreams about this Irish lady of the 1930s, and she knew every single detail of their lives. She finally unites the children of the Irish lady, who were seperated after their mum's death. When they finally united, they were already well into their eighties.

Today's: Mom at Sixteen. a great educational show about teenage pregnancy. it portrayed the struggles of a teenage mum, Jacie, and how the world's media lies that premarital sex is not a huge responsibility and doesnt hold much consequences.

great company for school work in the cold morning.

"It’s a sweet little reminder of God’s care and what’s happening in our lives too....I’m learning that His will isn’t always easy or simple, and the journey may not be what we expect, but we can trust His heart..."

Sweet testimony i gotten from Dayspring. enjoy. :)

baby's so adorable! his hair! :)))

reminds me of little rhema- a ball of joy!

http://store.dayspring-store.com/julie.html

her testimony spoke to me. :)

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING,
BY PRAYER AND PETITION, WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT
YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD.
( PHILIPPIANS 4:6 *NIV )

Dear Mingxiu,
I ask you wouldn't it be wonderful not to have any worries
at all! That is hard to imagine isn't it, for it seems like worry is
part of this life. The part of life that causes us to lose sleep,
damages our health, controls our thoughts, and causes us to
lose faith in God.

Jesus Christ asked: "WHO OF YOU BY WORRYING CAN
ADD A SINGLE HOUR TO HIS LIFE?" (MATTHEW 6:27). The
answer is simple, no one! Jesus also said: "DO NOT WORRY
ABOUT TOMORROW, FOR TOMORROW WILL WORRY
ABOUT ITSELF." ( MATTHEW 6:34 ).

So why not turn your worries into prayers, after all God
promises to supply all of our needs anyway! Therefore
there is also an added benefit when we turn our worries into
prayers, for God also promises us that: WHEN YOU LIE
DOWN, YOU WILL NOT BE AFRAID: WHEN YOU LIE DOWN
YOUR SLEEP WILL BE SWEET. (PROVERBS 3:24)

Therefore Mingxiu, turn your worries into prayers and
you will have sweet dreams, instead of sleepless nights! Also
then you may even start to count your blessings instead of
sheep as well! Amen.

****

an e-devotional that i receive daily.

i love the way how God choose to speak sometimes. :)

i was having a sleepless night ytd. and this came. praise the Lord.

my sleep will be sweet sweet sweet!

I will say of the LORD; He is my refuge, my fortress; my God; in Him will I trust. Psalms 91:1-2

*****

Father, You are ever-faithful.

Thank you for opening up the eyes of my heart, to get me to pray for others apart for myself.

Forgive me Lord, for the times that I have failed to see the needs of my family and friends.

Forgive me Lord, for the times that I have failed to understand Your heart for the nations that have turned away from You.

Forgive me Lord, for the times that I thought my problems, sorrows and challenges were the most important, and nothing else matters on Your agenda.

Prune me Lord. Prepare me Lord. Empower me Lord.

I can do all things through Him, who gives me strength.

And the joy of the Lord, IS my strength.

Amen.

Acts 17:26-27
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

****

I desire inspirations from Him. for moments in my life, i have had the sense i have been far from His voice, and there were moments too, that I know He was audible and i could hear Him clearly.

then what comes closely is to act on what you hear.

i know it when i am far; i feel strangely "off-form", irritable and hopeless.

i know it when i am near; i feel "on-form", peacefilled, and confident despite circumstances.

even as a Christian for coming 6 years, it has been a feat to find that perfect balance within myself many times, to always be able to commit everything to Him.

reading "In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart" by Ruth Graham currently. There was no special reason why i bought this book, except to make steps in making sense of the prophecy in my life- restoration ministry.

God works through your ruins, restores it, so that you may be a restorer for others in time to come. His big picture, His great plans.

Lamentations 3:22-24

Thirty Ways to Praise God!

1. God the creator (Nehemiah 9:6)
2. The only God (Isaiah 45:4)
3. The Almighty God (Psalms 89:8)
4. The Everlasting Father (Daniel 7:9; Isaiah 9:6)
5. A Loving God (1 John 4:16)
6. A God of Justice (Romans 3:26)
7. The Trustworthy God (Deuteronomy 7:9)
8. A Merciful God (Nehemiah 9:11)
9. God my refuge, my fortress (Psalms 62:7)
10. A longsuffering, persevering God (2 Peter 3:9)
11. The only wise God (Jude 1:25)
12. The holy one (Revelations 4:8)
13. A personal God (Matthew 8:11)
14. A giving God (John 3:16)
15. The provider God (2 Corinthians 9:7)
16. The shepherd God (Psalms 23:1-3)
17. God my victory (2 Corinthians 2:14)
18. God my peace (Romans 16:20)
19. The God who heals (Exodus 15:26)
20. The God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)
21. The God of miracles (Psalms 77:14)
22. A forgiving God (Nehemiah 9:17)
23. The Burden bearer (Psalms 68:19)
24. A faithful God (Psalms 36:5; Lamentations 3:23)
25. God the King of Kings (1 Tim 6:15)
26. God the Liberator (Psalms 70:5)
27. The Lifter of my head (Psalms 3:3)
28. A God of light (Psalms 27:1; Daniel 2:22)
29. A God of joy (Psalms 21:6)
30. The God who answers prayers (Isaiah 65:24)
31. The God of all the Earth (Isaiah 54:5)

miss xiu; ming u

:)

am happy, and at peace with how things are now. :)

thank you Lord.