not sure where i heard this or saw this from, but yea, it must have hit me loads when i saw/heard this cos i have hurriedly typed these words into my mobile and saved it in my drafts.

now clearing my drafts, reading this brings a renewal and refreshment to what 'community' means.

In a world of flawed communication, community is possible through understanding others.
In a world of painful alienation, community is created by accepting others.
In a world of broken trust, community is sustained by forgiveness...

isnt it powerful?

The Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

can't say enough thanks to all friends. meet ups have been the most enjoyable for me. and a mini impromptu tour around KKH today was great too. thanks hannah ceyu and steph! :))

you guys know who you are, and truly appreciate the friendships and the time spent!

and of cos, not to forget the very very advanced birthday surprise. that was reaallllyyy coolll. :)

being singaporeans, all farewells comes with foooddd. and i have been very much stuffed with food for the past week especially. great delight!

some more packing to go. once again, it's so surreal. i must truly say, i have enjoyed my bit of time much with family. and it's a period of time that i think i've truly spent time with every family member. and so of cos, it makes it harder to bear the thought of going away from home tmr.

o. i shall stop thinking. shall shower. pack up the last bit. sleep.

and how i pray my nose will stop runninnngggg. amen. :)

and a pic of grad last fri w the folks! :) (haha. dad's actually much kinder than what he looks on photos!!)

yesterday, my dad did something small in surprise that actually brought tears to my eyes. i was extremely touched by the simple love of a father.

and just as i was pondering about life- ups, downs, challenges and celebrations, i really must admit that there's more to life than what currently meets the eyes.

before i snoozed off in bed, i was reminded of this chapter in matthew:

Ask, Seek, Knock

7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

as i was being updated about the lives of some friends, and seeing how strong they are still in Christ despite what i deem big obstacles in faith, i praise the Lord for such people in my life. i can so see Christ in them.

praise the Lord, and i know that the Lord's protection and guidance willl always be on them.

i often dream dreams. but honestly, i dont often remember the dreams that i dreamt.

but i remembered vividly a tiny part of my dream yesterday. before i heard my mum's voice to wake me up.

i was in this building that looked contemporary. as i walked in, i can't help but to see that at the front of the place, it had a cross, and the three digits of 3 on it. it was either "3:33" or "33:3", i can't remember. but anw. it was as if it was some sharing going on in the place; i can't remember what was shared, but all i remember was a sense of peace, and calmness as i sat in that place with others.

i woke up, and as i brushed my teeth and ate my breakfast, i was thinking of this scene. when i entered the train, i just decided to say a simple prayer, and to spend a lil time on the connect journal.

i was on day 2, which was talking about fanning the flame of the gift of God in our lives. Jeremiah 1:11-19 shares about him receiving his first vision from God, and he is able to interpret it. It further shares that God does not only empower us with gifting and anointing, He also encourages us to walk in our specific calling.

so a snippet of my personal response to the questions of the devotional went like this:

? community welfare

• to have spirit of love, compassion. enduring spirit.

? pw/ intercessory
? restoration ministry?- spirit of compassion...

just as i wanted to close up the bible and connect journal, thought about the dream again. thought of jeremiah 33:3, since i am currently on jeremiah.

an all time m&m: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

not an unfamiliar verse, but certainly, this time round, i felt a deep prompting within me to just pray and mull over the Word, since the Word is already so clear- 'call to me.'

honestly, i dont know what i ought to pray for. not that there's nothing that i want to pray about; maybe there are simply so many that i dont know where to start. the thought of Him telling me 'great and unsearchable things' that i do not know excites me, cos it's so true, there's so much about everything that i always find myself having no answers to. and i am assured by His Word, that as we call to Him, He will find most pleasure in answering us, and talking to us.

as i flipped the pages to read on chapter 33, it was a passage on the promise of restoration on jerusalem from the Lord to jeremiah! how timely!

you know, i haven had this great sense of confidence that it's a direct Word from the Lord to me for quite a while. so, with this time, there was overwhelming sense of comfort within me. in my walk with Christ, as i read the Word, there were occasional struggles to have greater faith to claim what i read, to acknowledge that the Word is for me. everytime, i got to go on and confess to the Lord that i really need mustard seeds of faith to trust that my Lord is a personal Lord, that He will speak to me just like how He spoke to the people in the Bible of the old testament.

and i know that the Lord has never given up on me for this. :)

of cos, it may seem like life are full of coincidences, like i dreamt this, and i flipped to that, here and there. but i always remember something that's shared by someone before-: coincidences are God's ways of remaining anoynomous.

all i know is that everything that's being placed in our lives adds to the bigger picture of our lifetime. i've encountered great things today; similarly, i was really upset over an incident. i took really, really long to get over it, in fact.

but i praise the Lord for the great things, and for the encounter with this particular stranger. i give thanks for them (not easy thou. haha. i am still human.). but i am really convicted that God has purposed them, and there's a season and reason for everything that's happened. amen.

was listening to some praise and worship songs on my lappie, and yea, the process of just listening and singing along or humming does wonders to the soul! ptl!

heard that the Supernatural Service at Darebin was powerful! Peter Truong is visiting the melbourne churches and he had spent some time with the student group over the week. Praise God for the students with great faith to invite people in need of healing from the uni! Praise the Lord for the healings of the visitors!

and of cos i know Carl must be jumping up and down for his finger- bet his young faith has further been touched by the grace and healing of Christ!

the upcoming weeks will be tight ones with all the meet-ups once more. and doing some shopping around. haha. i think for food factor, i have fulfilled much already; meeting up friends factor- still have plenty to go. shopping factor- fair- window shopped most of the time; movies factor- fail- i think i only caught 2 so far since i returned. :(

ok. so my goal is to catch some more movies, get some decent shopping done for my needs, and meet up more friends over food. haha.

oh, and i am slowly becoming a mini couch potato. (maybe thats why i am not really getting myself out to movies nowadays?) tears of the sun that was on tv ytd was fab. i mean, how bad can shows with bruce willis get? :) it spoke to me a lot about compassion. strange, but yes, compassion. a war movie, all military, but the power of the compassionate heart of a doctor that led the leader of military group to make decisions that goes in line with his conscience- that is to save one if they can save one.

i love the moral of the whole show; the only element required for evil to triumph, is for the good to do nothing.

similarly perhaps, the only element required for the world to not experience the love of Christ, is for the followers of Christ to do nothing.

if you can save one, save one.

now-

• going to catch project RUNWAY on channel 5!!!!!

tomorrow-

• Data entry @church office.
• "UNVEIL" @ nexus; a superstar contest of the young adults in church! catch the talents!

OK! PROJECT RUNWAY NOW!

working in the airport has enabled me to meet with people of all walks.

i've learnt a common lesson, that is; appreciation.

it may be appreciation of gifts, of things, of service, of people, of facilities, but really, there's so much to thank God for by just living around in Singapore.

was just having my break one night, and i sat near where the boarding lounge was. eating my siew mai, i just sat down and gazed at the aircraft. It was an aircraft that was preparing to take on passengers in a while's time. suddenly, as i peered harder, i saw many many people walking around near the aircraft.

it dawned upon me, they were the aunties and uncles who were cleaning up late in the night, with bags and bags of trash that they carried down the stairs.

i dont know if that day i was emo or what, but i just thought of "unsung heros". I mean, maybe these things are not considered heroric, but they are the "backstage" peeps who contributes largely to make your flight a pleasant one.

and they work in the darkness where no one sees (unless you happen to be eating siew mai peering through the glass panels like me..).

just like any occasion, the people unseen are often easily forgotten, aint they? like backstage peeps, planners for a party etc etc.

even as i took the whole break just relishing four siew mais and watching them work, i know that Holy Spirit was speaking to me about groups of people in life and how we have not seen them at work, how we have taken them for granted, and how we have forgotten to thank them for their great contributions in your personal life.

what a time to meet with God tonight under the sky. it was awesome.

i thank the Lord for ministering to me through the words of this particular song.

you-tubed. and chanced upon this keyboardist who worshipped the Lord with this song. what a personal and powerful time of worship.

i yearn to grow in my personal worship to the Lord.

Complete
Parachute Band

Here I am, Oh God
I bring this sacrifice- my open heart.
I offer up my life.
I look to You, Lord
Your love that never ends
Restores me again

So I lift my eyes to You, Lord
In Your strength will I break through, Lord
Touch me now, let Your love fall down on me
And I will be complete in You.

Here I am, Oh God
I bring this sacrifice- my open heart.
I offer up my life.
I look to You, Lord.
Your love that never ends
Restores me again

So I lift my eyes to You Lord
And by faith, I will walk on, Lord
Then I'll see beyond my calvary one day,
And I will be complete in..

I look to You, Lord
Your love that never ends
Restores me again

So I lift my eyes to you Lord
In your strength will I breakthrough Lord
Touch me now, let Your love fall down on me
I know Your love dispels all my fears.

Through the storm I will hold on Lord
And I pray I will hold on, Lord
Then I'll see beyond my calvary one day
And I will be complete in
I will be complete in
I will be complete in You

saw sis's msn nick:

" Your 'I.Can' is more important than your 'I.Q.' "

today was a fruitful day. will share more about insights from the lesson learnt from the course by campus crusade.

but for now; for tonight. i shall do what i need to do to be on balance again.

all to You Lord.

and shall sleep it off.

good night.

4 life lessons i've learnt today :) ;

1. advertisement can either direct you, or mislead you. lesson learnt: power of accurate advertisement.

2. to always be aware AND meet the needs of others; be sensible, be sensitive, be observant, apply clinical knowledge learnt; man with symptoms of parkinson's with fine motor issues who won a mini luggage combination lock. displays difficulties in fine motor manipulation and handwriting issues. finally clicked within me that should have changed the gift to something that he may enjoy better; which we did change for him in the end. and he enjoyed the bag way better than the lock. lesson learnt: an occ.therapist in life; not in name. striving to allow others to enjoy maximum quality of life according to their abilities!

3. "a gift is a gift". gift defined as something that is bestowed voluntarily and unconditional. hence, in essence, no better gift than another. "a gift is a gift". a gift is only "better" when you know how to appreciate it at its value, and understanding the principle of that we have it though we did not earn it, or perhaps, we didn't even deserve it. lesson learnt: always be grateful, and full of thanksgiving- and you will enjoy life to its worth.

4. a smile is a common language, despite language barriers. lesson learnt: smile more and you will never go wrong. when it goes wrong, it's probably we've being stingy with our smiles.

what powerful lessons are there in life, praise the Lord! how creative is the Lord, to always teach and guide with the H.S., using all circumstances.

yearning for more lessons everyday.

current two favourite everyday past-times;

1. people-watching in the airport transits and terminal everyday.
2. of course, the ever eyeball-peeling olympics.

and series of happenings have stirred within me a great sense of thanksgiving.

Praise Him for His unfailing faithfulness.

fr left: yupy (think i spelt it wrong!), irene, kelly, meagan, CN, ben, christine, tian tian, mx, lucy!

this is JEDI 1. :) the caregroup that i've been with for the past weeks.

it's an interesting mix of peeps fr all over- indo, hongkong, m'sians and of cos, s'poreans.

and it has been great time sharing lives with them. i thank God for their open hearts and united desire to see JEDI shine for Jesus.

p/s. a special thanks to kelly. our chat at maxwell market- i knew it was fr the Lord to me. thanks for your sincere and open heart. i sense it and it's an inspiration to me. :)

thank you Lord.

and last by not least!

we rejoice with loges! (thou apparently unimelb does not have motarboards to throw in the air as a symbol of celebration. haha).

Dear Lord,
Please bless these graduates
as they go out into the world
to make it a better place,
while they pursue their dreams.
Gently guide them, lead them,
show them Your way to success and happiness
through service to others,
as they maximize their own potential.
Fill them with joy when they reach their goals.
Strengthen them, as they deal with life's obstacles,
and show them that every challenge
is a path to character development.
Give them the intelligence
to make a plan for their futures.
Give them the patience and persistence
to pursue their ambitions.
Most of all, give them caring hearts
to look for ways to help the people they meet
on their life's journey.
Encourage them and lift them up now,
as they spread their wings
into a clear sky of limitless opportunity.
Let each and every graduate here
be wrapped in the warmth of Your infinite love,
and let Your wisdom show them the way
to make the most of their lives.
In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

By Joanna Fuchs

seeing this at google reminds me!

08 08 08 at 8pm- OLYMPICS GRAND OPENING!

directed by zhang yimouuu!

olympics! more gymnastics, more swimming, more tabletennis!

on a sidenote,

PTL for jack's and kyle's salvation at lifegroup! go go la trobbeeeeee!

pray and fast; fast and pray!

check out this blog on singapore's playgrounds by an occupational therapist.

Room full of Fun!

there's more to playgrounds than what meets the eyes! :)

destination.

Philippians 3-4

devotion. decision. destination.

will get there!

thanks liyan for your three 'I's! :)

Impact. Impart. Influence.

going to take a good shower. and sleep early!

night was great. :) thanks shannon shera enghow. shera shares her auditing job's ups and downs; shannon shares US time; enghow shares about cells growth. HAHA. and coupled with the lamest-of-the-century jokes. man. but i like it! haha. awaiting photo!

****

want to re-cap on what Jasmine shared in service last sat. a wonderful msg on servanthood leadership of Jesus, from Matthew 20:25-28.

"25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

1. Consider the popular view of greatness (v25)
Leadership is top-down
Consider position, consider power

Deut 28:13.
What's the underlying motivation?
Job 24:1
Matthew 19

2. Discover God's view of greatness! (v26-28)
Others-centred stewardship

(a) Begins with a cause
Galatians 5:13-14
We serve because we love!
We love because He loves us first!

(b) involves a sacrifice
Acts 4:32
1 Chronicles 29:2-3

(c) Leads to life!
Be a channel instead of a reservoir!

So, be a great steward that God has made you to be today! :)

oo. calling the bursary awardees of Hope Centre has been interesting. :)

while i am still very in touch with my mandarin, the grandma that requested me to speak hokkien or teochew caught me off-guard! rusty rusty ah! haha where has the built-up dialects from clinicals gone to!

i could only say basics of my name, when is the ceremony, where, how many people and the basic "thank-you". anything else, i just masked up my incompetence with some nervous laughter and saying "tio tio" (yes yes) to her active questions. haha!

nevermind. practice makes perfect.

oooo. and challenge 2. a mother asked me if i could speak melayu!

sedikit sedikit! hahaa.