1 Timothy 4:12

Amen.

2007-08-29T11:05:00.001-07:00

A Prayer of Serenity.

God grant me the serenity

To accept things I cannot change,

Courage to change things I can

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time

Enjoying one moment at a time

Accepting hardships as the pathways to peace

Taking as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right,

If I surrender to His will

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

And much more happier with Him,

Forever in the next. Amen.

I really like this prayer. I'm not sure what it is about it. It just seems to bear soo much meaning to me. Hope it touches you guys as much if not more.

Found these really nice pictures and thought that they're more than worth sharing with everyone. =) God Bless.

Hymns 4 Worship.

2007-08-19T02:39:00.000-07:00

DISC 1:
1. All Creatures Of Our God And King - Slater Armstrong
2. No, Not One - Lenny LeBlanc
3. Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing - Sara Groves
4. Solid Rock, The - 4HIM
5. Fairest Lord Jesus - Amy Grant
6. Mighty Fortress Is Our God, A - Brian Doerksen
7. Love Of God, The - MercyMe
8. Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty - Paul Baloche
9. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Michael W. Smith
10.How Great Thou Art - Eoghan Heaslip
11. There Is A Fountain - Crystal Lewis

DISC 2:
1. Because He Lives - Kristin Chenoweth
2. What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Paul Baloche
3. Take My Life And Let It Be - Leann Albrecht
4. I Surrender All - Israel Houghton
5. All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name - The Maranatha! Singers
6. Here Is Love Vast As The Ocean
7. Amazing Grace - Darlene Zschech
8. It Is Well With My Soul - 4HIM
9. Blessed Assurance - Leann Albrecht
10. Pass Me Not - Fernando Ortega
11. When I Survey (The Wondrous Cross) - Kathryn Scott

I must listen for those who enjoy soft, light, easy, old hymns. Newly shipped in on Saturday morning. Got it from Hidden Treasures. Gorgeous.

RM49.90 for two discs.

Chicken Soup for The Soul

2007-07-14T07:56:00.001-07:00

Not too long ago, I wondered to myself whether the fact that I wasn't doing anything to spread my faith had anything to do with my gradual loss of faith in God.

I recently purchased a Chicken Soup For the Soul : 101 Stories to Open The Heart And Rekindle The Spirit for the low low price of RM15. =))

This book features the most touching, hair-raising, goosebump-ing real life stories that will change your life in some way or the other.

So, recently a programme was started in St. Joseph's church. It is a programme that encourages us, the congregation, to read the Bible more. I didn't manage to get myself a pamphlet but I did, however, catch what Father Joe had said. According to him, the programme goes like this-- we choose a chapter or a passage from the Bible to read and afterwards reflect on what it is we have just read. That's about all I managed to catch.

I decided then on to read the Bible every morning instead of just on the rare occassion that I have nothing to do. Let me tell you, it does wonders. I'm not sure why but the more I read, the more I feel a part of this religion, feel closer to Him personally.

But I could not seem to find anything to reflect upon in the chapter of Acts as it is mainly about how the apostles had travelled around, spreading God's word and standing as living proof of God's love and power. I decided that I would only carry out the second part of this programme once I've moved onto the next chapter.

Not too long after that, I came across this particularly touching story in my new Chicken Soup for The Soul book, entitle 'A Brother Like That'. It started off with how Paul had received a brand new sports car as a Christmas present from his brother. So one day, he saw a street urchin admiring his shiny new car. The boy asked Paul about the car and he told him that his brother had given it to him as a Christmas present. Then the boy began, 'Boy, I wish..'

Paul, of course, knew that the boy was going to wish that he has a brother like that but instead the boy said, 'I wish.. that I could be a brother like that.' Paul, astonished, offered to give the boy a ride in his car.

After a while the boy turned to Paul and asked if he would mind driving in front of the boy's house. Paul smiled, he knew that the boy wanted to show his neighbours that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.

'Will you stop where those two steps are?', the boy requested. He ran upstairs and a little while later returned, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, squeezed up against him and pointed at the car. 'There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it.. then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about.'

Paul picked the boy's brother up and and sat him onto the front seat. The boy climbed in beside his little brother and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

"That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said: 'It is more blessed to give...'"

It just so happened that on that very same day, right before I had read that story, I had been reading on Acts and came across the exact same line, "Jesus said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'", written in red.

It was then on that I realised something. Everything had fallen into place. I did have something to reflect upon. Acts speaks of how the disciples travel around spreading God's word and standing as living proof of His love and power. They do it selflessly. They do it without bondages to hold them back. They do it for God. And to add even more to that, it just so happened that the passage that I had been reading speaks of Paul's preaching to the Ephesians and how he tells them of his journey and sacrifices for God. (Acts 20: 17- 24)

A friend of mine deduced that maybe this is a message from God. Maybe He is trying to show me the next step to take in my spiritual journey with Him. One thing's for sure though, I have never felt closer to Him. My faith has been renewed and a great peace has fallen upon me.

Great is our God who knows no boundaries. Great is our God who can do anything.

So, go out and spread your faith. Stand proud and do not be afraid to proclaim what you are-- a child of God. Never let rough patches in your faith hold you back and keep you from experiencing His love. Just keep seeking. When you truly want and strive and fight for it, you will get it. He knows when you really want it and He will definitely give it to you. =))

A Home Where Love Thrives.

2007-06-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

I got this from the Daily Reflections section from my Bible. Found it to be particularly touching so I thought I'd paste it up here to share. =D

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MONDAY.

VERSE FOR THE DAY:
Psalms 127:1

AUTHOR:

Charles Swindoll

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

Psalms 127:1-5

THE first two verses of Psalm 127 are the piers and beams of the home, the foundation from which all else derives its stability and security.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders' labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain."

Solomon, the writer of this psalm, compares the home to a city. When an ancient city was built, it was not uncommon for its walls to be finished first to keep out the enemy. If the people trusted in the walls to protect them, to give them security, their trust was misplaced, creating only a false sense of security. Likewise, walls we erect around our families and possesions offer only an illusion of security. Like Jericho's walls, they can tumble as quickly as a shout. For ultimately, it is not the watchmen or their walls that protect the city; it is the Lord. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10). In the same sense, unless a husband and wife trust in God, their work and their watchfulness are wasted.

In verse 2, Solomon qualifies the phrase in vain:

"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat--"

Many feel that by working longer hours that they can provide more things to bring happiness to their home or afford a nicer, newer home in hopes that it will bring happiness... It doesn't satisfy that empty longing in the pit of your soul, that longing for a home, a real home-- a home where love thrives, lush and fragrant. The reason why it's futile burning the candle at both hands-- rising early, staying up late-- is that God, not our labors, is the source of our blessing, as verse 2 indicates: "for he grants sleep to those he loves" [or, as the alternative translation reads, "for while they sleep he provides for those he loves"].

Hallelujah.

2007-06-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

Lyrics by Leonard Cohen
Covered by Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright

I heard there was a secret chord
that david played and it pleased the lord
but you don't really care for music, do you
well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
the minor fall and the major lift
the baffled king composing hallelujah
hallelujah...

well your faith was strong but you needed proof
you saw her bathing on the roof
her beauty and the moonlight overthrew
you she tied you to her kitchen chair
she broke your throne and she cut your hair
and from your lips she drew the hallelujah
hallelujah...

baby i've been here before
i've seen this room and i've walked this floor
i used to live alone before i knew you
i've seen your flag on the marble arch
but love is not a victory march
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
hallelujah...

well there was a time when you let me know
what's really going on below
but now you never show that to me
do you but remember when i moved in you
and the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah

well, maybe there's a god above
but all i've ever learned from love
was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
it's not a cry that you hear at night
it's not somebody who's seen the light
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
hallelujah...

I've listened to this song so many times, and when i first heard it, the lyrics baffled me. Actually it still does. I love this song and how cryptic the lyrics are. I suppose its one of those pieces that will hold a different meaning for each person. I do wonder what was going through Leonard Cohen's mind when he wrote it. (Hopefully it wasn't cause he wrote was high or drunk. Like when we were attempting to analyse Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in English and THEN we found out that the guy wrote it while high on opium... seriously.)

The first mystery in the lyrics - who is david? After some research, I came across this story. David was King David of Israel. The story goes:

*****

David was a good king, David was famous with the people because of the victories God gave him over their enemies. During one of the wars, however, David stayed behind in Jerusalem when his soldiers went off to fight. It was at this time that David fell into grievous sin, which would haunt him for the rest of his life.

As David walked on the roof of his house one evening, he saw a beautiful woman taking a bath. Someone told him she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, a Hittite soldier off fighting with David's army. David should have put Bathsheba out of his mind when he heard she was married, but he didn't. Instead he had her brought to the palace and sinned with her there.

Sometime later Bathsheba sent David word she was going to have his baby. David the king over all Israel had committed adultery with one of his soldiers' wives and now there was going to be a child! Desperately he tried to think of a way to cover his sin. Finally David had a plan; he would bring Uriah home from the battlefront and let him visit his wife. Then everyone would think he was the baby's father.

But David's plan didn't work. Uriah came back to Jerusalem, but he wouldn't go down to his house, not even after David got him drunk. He slept with the king's servants instead. He wouldn't let himself enjoy being home with his wife while the other soldiers were having a hard time on the battlefield.

What could David do now? Soon Uriah would hear Bathsheba was going to have a baby, a baby that was not his.

David wrote to Joab, the leader of his army, commanding him, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die. Then he had Uriah take the letter back with him.

When David heard Uriah was dead he told Joab not to feel guilty. "The sword devours one as well as another." David said, just as if Uriah's death had been an ordinary casualty of war.

*****

The story certainly fit in with the lyrics. It provided the back story for the song, but i don't think Cohen intended that the song be just an expression for the story. In fact, it seems to draw away from the story towards the later stanzas. It feels like its the themes of the song that he draws upon. There are 3 layers to this song:

1. The story of David
2. Religion
3. Love

In each stanza there is reference to the 3 elements mentioned above. The title "Hallelujah" means praise.

(Adapted from Mindy Chang, sunny*)

I adapted this from a friend of mine, a fellow blogger. I'm not sure what this has to do with living life as a good Christian or whether or not a lesson would be found behind all this (and I hope that you do discover a personal lesson for yourself) but throughout the chapter of Acts, which I am currently on, the name of King David comes up quite often. I'm not one who knows the Bible all too well, honest to say, so I was kind of baffled as to who this 'King David' really was.

Well, thanks to Mindy's ingenious researching skills, I now know. So to all of you who have also been wondering, here's the story behind it all.

Enjoy.

Christians.

2007-06-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

Christians. A word that bares much pressure, don't you think? When you say "I am a Christian", people start to look at you in a different way. They expect you to be perfect. They expect you to always do the right thing and screwing up, well, its just not a word that's suppose to exist in your dictionary.

No human out there is perfect, I would like to point out first of all. This stereotype mindset that people seem to have has indeed left an impact on us all. To have the constant pressure of living up to people's expectations could really bring you down.

It is true that Christians have a role to play. We are children of God. And as it is always said, we should always try our best to bring the family name honour. It applies to our family with God in the very same way. He is the Father and we are the children. No child would want to bring shame nor any form of ill will to their parents. Thus, we try our best. We live life the best way that we can, in a way that would lift His Holy Name all the way up to the heavens.

How?

Do onto others what God has done unto you. Love like there was no tomorrow. Give as if you were the richest man that had ever set foot on this earth. Share everything you have while resting in the comfort of having a God who shares all that He has with you. Be an image of God to others and help spread His message. The message that He has been trying to send across to all of us. We as His children, His followers; it is our duty to help Him to reach out to those who shut their hearts from Him. And the reason why we try our hardest to be a good example is because we want to show the world that our God teaches us so well and gives us a love that empowers us on this journey of life.
How can we expect anyone to live by His Word if we, the children of the Lord, do not first apply His teachings to our lives?

And as for those who stereotype you into being the perfect Christian; one who does not know the meaning of failure or mistake, know always that no one defines you but yourself. If God can forgive you and if He holds no grudge, what does it matter that a mere man condemns you? Know always that no matter how many times we fall, it doesn't make you any less of a Christian, instead it makes you a stronger one if you truly repent and acknowledge your faults. We are imperfect. God alone holds the title of perfection. Never forget that He does not expect you to be perfect, only to be a person most true to him/herself. So forget what people say, when they tell you that you cannot be a good Christian or when they judge you for your faults. Trust that the Lord will relieve you of your sins if you open up your heart to Him. =)) He will understand.

- And they'll know we are Christians by our love. -

Grace Before and After Meals.

2007-06-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

Only recently has the word "grace before meals" been brought up so frequently amongst my peers and fellow family members. In relating to the fact that I take ages to say my grace before meals, a topic on what grace before meal is exactly, was struck.

So, I decided to look it up and this is what I found:-

The word grace, as applied to prayer over food, which always in pre-Elizabethan English took the plural form graces, means nothing but thanksgiving.

"Grace before and after meals" commonly found in the catechisms for children and used by the laity consists substantially of a translation of two items, the blessing spoken before the meal and the thanksgiving afterwards.

"Without Thy presence, nought, O Lord, is sweet,
No pleasure to our lips can aught supply.
Whether 'tis wine we drink or food we eat,
Till Grace divine and Faith shall sanctify."

Grace before meals often appears as something of no particular importance. Something we merely utter under our breath due to routine or what we have been taught to do in the church. But true understanding towards this Christian culture, I feel, must be emphasized upon.

As it is stated above, grace before and after meals is a form of blessing and thanksgiving. We pray before meals to ask God to bless the food that He has so graciously laid on the table for us. We pray after meals as a form of saying "Thank You" to God for the food that we have just consumed.

Now, many of us are aware of this but just don't know how to start. To be perfectly honest, I too, only after reading these particular articles on grace at meals, have just found out about grace after meals. I, personally, feel motivated to take on this new challenge in practicing age old culture and giving thanks to Our Lord every chance that we get. Food does not come easy for all. Cherish it and be thankful for it. =))

I encourage you all to take up saying grace before and after meals. Just a short one will do. And just in case you experience a little difficulty in finding the right words to say at grace or end up saying a half-hour long one as yours truly, here are some examples of grace before and after meals that might be able to help you all.

___________________________________________________________
We started one of our nieces out at a very young age with this short little table grace that would be easy to remember and allow her to participate.

Thank you Jesus for this food. Amen

This soon spread for use with all the children in the family. As they got older, more would be added. The standard has become

Thank you Jesus for this food and for this time together.
with more added as a person or situation dictated (child or adult)

Contributed by David and Jackie Parker <dandjparker@neo.rr.com>
___________________________________________________________
My little son made this prayer and prays it everyday at dinner, sometimes he extends it with things that happened that day.

Thank you Lord Jesus for this food,
and for Your love and mercy.
Thank You that you were with us today.
We love You very much and are happy because You are so close. Amen.

Contributed by Sam Mulock Houwer <sam@mulock.myweb.nl>
___________________________________________________________
A simple childrens prayer before all meals, even the youngest will get involved:

Now I fold my hands and say

Thank you God for my supper today

(Insert meal of choice in place of supper)

Contributed by zeb <jsm1@buffnet.net>
______________________________________________________________________

The Edmondson family has a search on for the shortest grace:

Good food,

Good meat,

Good Lord,

Let's eat. Amen.

Lord, Bless this bunch

As they munch

Their lunch.

Amen.

Contributed by Rick Edmondson <rick@hunter.co.uk>
__________________________________________________________

Simple, right? ^^

All the best.

* Words in green and prayers were adapted from http://home.pcisys.net/~tbc/mealpryr.htm#prayer10_1 and http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14554c.htm

Corpus Christi?

2007-06-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ) is a Christian feast in honour of the Holy Eucharist. It was originally assigned to the Thursday following Trinity Sunday, thereby mirroring Holy Thursday, the Thursday of Holy Week, the day on which Christians commemorate The Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his apostles, seen as the first Holy Eucharist.

The appearance of Corpus Christi as a feast in the Christian calendar was primarily due to the petitions of the thirteenth-century Augustinian nun Juliana of Liège. From her youth she claimed that God had been instructing her to establish a feast day for the Eucharist and later in life petitioned the learned Dominican Hugh of St-Cher, Jacques Pantaléon (Archdeacon of Liège and later Pope Urban IV) and Robert de Thorete, Bishop of Liège. At that time bishops could order feasts in their dioceses, so in 1246 Bishop Robert convened a synod and ordered a celebration of Corpus Christi to be held each year thereafter. The decree is preserved in Anton Joseph Binterim's Vorzüglichsten Denkwürdigkeiten der Christkatholischen Kirche, together with parts of the first liturgy written for the occasion.

Tonight's Corpus Christi mass was truly something. I'm not sure why but being a part of that grand celebration made me feel very much at home. I felt as if I had been invited so exclusively to that mass. An overwhelming feeling filled me up inside. And for once in my life, I felt very very much a part of that mass. Not physically, but deeply spiritually. He was there. I could feel it.

Corpus Christi is a celebration of the Holy Eucharist. A Eucharist that is a memorial of His death, a memorial of His love for us. The Eucharist is to remind us of the sacrifice that He has made for us through His death out of love. It is so that the memory of His death does not stay a mere memory, rather that it leaves an impact in our lives so great that we begin to radiate His love in our every action and in our every decision.

It's true that when people say life is short, you should live it to the fullest. So, take the opportunity to live the life that He is offering. Grab your chance at true joy, true life, true love. =))

I will post up the pictures of the Corpus Christi procession that was held tonight after the mass. I did not get a chance to be a part of it but I heard that it was magical. ;)

Lonely?

2007-06-01T03:02:00.000-07:00

That lonely feeling we get, every time no ones around.

Sometimes even when we're surrounded by people.

Things you just cannot tell your friends, things that you feel your family will never understand.

So, who's there to tell..?

We often go looking for that perfect individual who will listen to everything you have to say and all that your heart has to express. High and low we search for that one solitary person. Just one person is enough. Just to eliminate the loneliness inside of us.

But we search at all the wrong places, for all the wrong people.

So, what if I told you I knew someone? Someone who could remove all the emptiness, someone who could be there all the time like no one else could?

The thing about this certain someone is, well, he's perfect. You couldn't find another out there just like him. There will be impostors, people who claim to be like him, people who tell you they're the whole package and that you do not need this "someone" but the truth is, there is no one like him.

You can talk to him, when you're down, when you're alone or when you're happy and have something you need to share.

You can tell him, secrets you could never share, moments you just want to forget or feelings that you are forced to suppress.

You can cry with him, let go of the load that has weighed u down for far too long or let out the hurts that have so often been inflicted upon your heavy heart.

You can rejoice with him, let out your heart's innermost joy and content that you feel others would find petty and silly.

The thing about this certain someone is, he doesn't judge, doesn't misunderstand, doesn't get impatient, always forgiving and ever-ready to serve.
How ironic is it that this certain someone is our God and yet He serves us. And I don't mean the whole slavery kind of thing. I mean, really serve us. I mean, think about it. He goes all the way just to be there for one solitary human being whom most times defies his authority. We sin over and over again and yet He still keeps loving us. And the best part is, no less is His love for us, even after we make the mistakes that we have made before.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm gonna grasp this opportunity. As hard as we can, let us never forget, always remember and never take for-granted this amazing gift that has been bestowed upon us. The gift of an ever-loving friend who will never let you down.

Generation Revival!

2007-05-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

The GENREV community once again does not fail to deliver in abundance a message so powerful to many. Returning from Fan Into Flame II 2007, I am once again empowered and filled with a greater understanding of what it is I must do to progress one step further into my relationship with God.

To be perfectly honest, one of the reasons I have not been updating this particular blog is because I found myself slowly feeling more and more lost in my religion, feeling that maybe it was time for that next step, deeper into our relationship. The problem was, I didn't know what it was that I had to do to progress.

Tonight, the GENREV community has touched my life. They have proven that all prayers, if in His will, will be answered. And that if you truly want something enough, He will grant it if He feels you are ready. After a long time of praying and seeking, I got my answer through this concert. I wondered, initially, what it was that kept me away from Him. I asked that He keep me close always, that I may not stray too far in the process. He answered my prayers, showed me what it was that I had to do and renewed my faith so deeply that words alone could not begin to sum it up.

The words that Kiddo spoke through his sharing had really hit the nail on the head for me. We are one people. A community. Together, we walk in the same direction and stand together for always. We are one people. We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Everybody One. And He asked us to go out and baptize the world, to immerse others in His Word! Not separately, not alone but together. This, as Kiddo said, is my next step closer to Him. To live out the faith. To spread His word and to share His joy with others. To renew our relationship, we must continue to take these few steps, deeper into the relationship with Him. Do not be content with what you have now. Continue to seek. If you feel you love Him now, then seek Him even more and love Him more!

Our God is a God of endless possibilities and loves us unconditionally. Return the favour. Spread the salt, not alone but as one people. His people.

All the best, friends. =)) God bless.

-- "I'm gave my heart to Someone who will never leave"

Late Easter Post

2007-05-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

It is Easter. And so often we forget the true meaning of Easter and that is the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ. This post will be a short one for it is left for us to ponder upon. Jesus promised, when He left, that He would return. I'm not sure about the rest of you but that tells me that among the many qualities of Our Lord, one of them is that He is a man of His word. He fulfills His promises to us.

It is Easter, my friends. And He is alive, in all of us. Just as He said He would be. Let us take this opportunity to rediscover Him. Grow together with your fellow Christians. I, too, am on a journey to rediscover Him.

All the best and God bless. :)

Review of E.R. 07

2007-04-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

E.R. 07

GeT a LiFe!! (Fri)

LiVe iT oUt!~ (Sat)

Venue: Christian Ecumenical Centre, Stampin

Time: 7:30pm

I apologize for the late update on the event. As always it is due to some time constraint. So here I am, back to update those who did not attend the E.R. on how the two-night event played out.

First of all, would like to start off by extending a heartiest "congratulations" to the emPOWERed Youth Ministry for excellent efforts and preparations. The hall was set up wonderfully with a built-up stage right in the middle of the room complimented by some ravishing coloured lights and dried ice. The agenda of the night was very well-planned and the events that came up, one after the other, were pretty unpredictable. The agenda organized was truly creative and fresh.

E.R. 07 : GeT a LiFe!!

Concert session 1

First of all, would like to start off by extending a heartiest "congratulations" to the emPOWERed Youth Ministry for excellent efforts and preparations. The hall was set up wonderfully with a built-up stage right in the middle of the room complimented by some ravishing coloured lights and dried ice. The agenda of the night was very well-planned and the events that came up, one after the other, were pretty unpredictable. The agenda organized was truly creative and fresh.

Starting off with a short talk by Fr. Joseph Chai followed by an adrenaline pumping introduction by Benedict Lo, the crowd was brought to an uproar as the worship leaders made an impressionable entrance with religious rock songs which were accompanied by the emPOWERed dancers and special guest, Mark David. As it approached towards the middle of the event, there was a little sketch courtesy of the Drama Ministry followed by life testimonies by Edmund Lo, Emmanuel David and Errol Glenn. Also, there was a special message by our very own Archbishop John Ha.

My favourite and also the most expected segment was when Karen Chin sang, while playing the guitar, Kathryn Scott's "Ashes To Beauty" totally unplugged, accompanied by Cherlyn Joseph on the back-up vocals. More praise followed after in the night and the first night ended nicely.

E.R. 07 : LiVe iT OuT!!

Tonight's session was truly moving. With a more sentimental and soft choice of songs, I can personally say that the crowd was given a chance to truly reflect and worship Our Lord (based on the many opinions of a few other attendees). The night started off with a solo by Lewis Lo which lead into more upbeat songs followed by several softer ones. Karen Chin, Pius Kalang, Correine Loretta and Rainer all shared their respective testimonies boldly, all glorifying His name in the process. Loretta's life testimony was played out via a short sketch courtesy of the Drama Ministry. The rest of the night played out pretty much the same as the night before except with a different choice of songs, including Rainer and Loretta's self-written song which I found to be the most moving song of it all.

All and all the E.R.07 was a great success with the help of many supportive and generous sponsors, hardworking and dedicated ministers and helpers and above all, the goodness and grace of Our God.

May the emPOWERed Ministry continue to be showered with His blessings so that they will be able to continue to organize more unforgettable events in the future in their efforts to save our generation!

May God bless you all and keep on rocking for the Lord!

PostSecret

2007-04-13T04:01:00.000-07:00

"Every single person has at least one secret that would break your heart. If we could just remember this, I think there would be a lot more compassion and tolerance in the world"

Just recently I came across PostSecret, an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. Before I could not seem to grasp the point of doing all this; sending in your secrets to be posted up on a site. But then after coming across PostSecret I realized what it was all really for.

Everyone has their own personal secret. A secret that we hold deep inside of us that we could never bring ourselves to reveal. Hurts, experiences, embarrassing stories, stupid decisions, raging emotions. These secrets we carry sometimes weigh such a heavy load it burdens us so greatly. I realized that communities like PostSecret only aim to help those who are burdened by this heavy load realize that there are so many others out there just like them and that they do not have to bear it all alone. By sending in their deepest, most hidden secrets at least a little part of the burden that they have to carry on their shoulders will be lifted for they can finally let things out.

People often say that in times of need, seek God. But sometimes, we find that it is just not enough to have Him with us spiritually. Sure, His presence strengthens us but we need that little extra to relieve us completely. That is why He sends us aid in the form of the people around us. We are all interdependant, one way or the other. Take what PostSecret is doing for example. They are working based on the very grounds that we all need each other to go on with life. We help each other through these difficulties that bring us down. Sometimes all we need is to know that there are others out there who are going through the same things if not worse and that our life is not all that bad after all. It makes our problems seem so little when you compare them to such a big world.

God provides. Always.
: )

Sea of Faces

2007-03-31T06:52:00.000-07:00

Sea of Faces
I see the city lights all around me
Everyone's obscure
Ten million people each with their problems
Why should anyone care?

And in Your eyes I can see
I am not just a man, vastly lost in this world
Lost in a Sea of Faces
Your body's the bread, Your blood is the wine
Because you traded Your life for mine

Sometimes my life it feels so trivial
Immersed in the greatness of space
Yet somehow you still find the time for me
It's then You show me Your love

And In Your eyes I can see
And in Your arms I will be
I am not just a man, vastly lost in this world
Lost in a Sea of Faces
Your body's the bread, Your blood is the wine
Because you traded Your life for mine

If only my one heart
Was all you'd gain from all it cost
Well I know you would have still been a man
With a reason
To willingly offer your life

I am not just a man, vastly lost in this world
Lost in a Sea of Faces
Your body's the bread, Your blood is the wine
Because you traded Your life for mine

Just one in a million faces

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the midst of preparation for Good Friday, I have found this song to be quite suitable for the occassion. It speaks partly of how God willingly traded His life for all His people. And even if He was giving His whole life up for only a single soul, He would still do the same.

It was my first time in a long time, today, that I attended the children's liturgy again. My family and I had decided that Sunset Mass would be more practical for us so we decided to attend mass on Saturdays instead from now on. A good friend of mine extended her most sincerest invitation to me to join them in helping out at the Children's Liturgy.

Upon attending the liturgy, I was both amused and very shocked, and a little ashamed as well if I may add. When it comes to The Bible, I think I must shamefully confess that I know close to nothing about the Scriptures and how things played out back then in Jesus' time. Sitting amongst children at the ages of 8-12 today, I was absolutely astounded to see how much they knew about the Scriptures, who was who and what was what. Even more than I, sad to say. It was, on the other hand, quite refreshing seeing children know so much about His Word. A good example and a faithful motivator to push me to read up more on the scriptures.

The liturgy teacher spoke of how Jesus faced Jews and Pilate and how He was ridiculed and tortured before His prolonged death on the cross. She emphasized strongly on how he suffered and experienced great pain in the process. She, later, then instructed us to lift up our hands as high as we could and keep them up there for as long as we could afford to. Kids being the over-energetic little critters that they are of course managed to keep their hands up in the air for awhile. But later on another one of the liturgy teachers challenged us all to stretch out our arms, as Jesus did on the cross, for an hour during Good Friday next week just to understand a teensy tiny bit of the pain that Jesus had to go through when He died for us.

What He had gone through was much worse than simply lifting your hands up in the air fora few measly hours. No, it was much much more worse than that. The sharp pain in His hands from the nails, the stinging pain of thorns on His brow and the great weight that pulled Him downwards, ripping His ribs apart, made it all the more difficult for Him to endure the cruxifiction. And it was not a short and easy death either. He had to hang up there for hours before He finally died.

I'm not saying we should constantly mourn over His death, living life dismal and bleak. Just remember His noble deed. Thank Him always and never forget Him.

This song is not only for those who need a reminder of how He died for us. It is also for those out there who feel small and insignificant to the world. It is for those who have forgotten His love for us. It is for those who feel their problems overpower them and it is all too much to swallow. It is to remind us all that the world is a vast piece of land, that it will turn its back on you someday, that it cares so little for your needs and cannot attend to your every cry. But at the same time lives a God who is there and can attend to your every need. Who died for you just so you could enjoy all the good things in your life right now, so you could go through this great experience of which is life and through it hold onto some very important life lessons that you pick up along the way. Lessons that draw you closer to Him and bring to you a greater understanding of Him.

So grasp to your limit, all the lessons that you encounter in your life. Hold on so tightly to the one and only God who will set you free and sees you not only as just another man in a sea of faces but as a shining star in His heart. Forget not this God and the sacrifices that He has made for you. Give thanks to Him always and love Him to the ends of the earth.

I wish you all a blessed Holy Week in advance. May we all experience a little bit of Christ in all of us through this blessed week.

Review of Deeper '07

2007-03-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Last night, I attended the Deeper '07 youth rally which was held at the Good News building located at Green Heights (somewhere near the Kuching airport, behind the row of shoplots). The youth rally was organized by a group of passionate and God-loving youths. The turn-up was quite impressive with 300-400 youths at least and the rally started almost precisely on the time stated. The hall was surrounded by a slamming surround sound to match the staggering music that was played by the oh-so-talented young musicians. The youths were more than just pumped up for God and had been the most enthusiastic bunch that I had ever seen. The worship was lead well and the choice of songs seemed to have fit the environment of the night quite nicely. I'm not quite sure about the other participants there, but I definitely felt that the topic that was discussed by Pastor Chris Long had really related to me.

According to Pastor Chris Long:
There are only 4 essentials in our lives. If you have these, you may not have a million dollars but you will be a rich man. If you have these, you may not have a big house or big cars but you will have a BIG heart. And all this lies but in one bible verse and that is Mark 8:22-26.

What we really need:
1. We all need good friends. (v.22)
In the verse, the blind man was brought to Jesus by his friends. They did not
take advantage of the blind man's inability to see, instead they helped him
and took him to Jesus.

Verse 22: They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged
Jesus to touch him.

We all need friends to help us through tough times. In the beginning the blind man did not
believe that Jesus could heal him. He followed his friends to see Jesus reluctantly initially,
in the absence of belief. But his friends persisted and brought him to see Jesus anyway.

2. We all need Jesus to lead us by His hand. (v.23)
We all need Jesus to lead us by His hand. Trust that Jesus would never lead
you in the wrong direction. When you don't understand, trust Him. Do not
struggle, instead allow Him to guide you in the path that He wants you to
walk on.

Verse 23 (part I): He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.

We must learn to trust God, in order to walk with Him. Trust that He is your salvation and
that He will never steer you wrong. Give Him your hand to hold and let Him lead. Trust in
His plans and know that when you follow God, you will never go wrong for we are all blind
and lost and so we need direction. God is our direction. He is the one who will point you to
where you should go and where you have to be. He is our guide.

3. We all need to experience the supernatural. (v.23)
Jesus spat on the eyes of the blind man, He anointed cool drool on him. God is
supernatural. He spat in the blind man's eyes because He was trying to create
faith in the blind man.

Verse 23 (part II): When He had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus
asked, "Do you see anything?"

In the words of Pastor Chris Long, we all need to experience the supernatural. In my
opinion, what it meant by Jesus trying to create faith when he spat in the blind man's eyes
was that He wanted to prove that merely by spitting, He could heal the blind man. But I'm
not too sure. Sound logical to you? What do you guys think?

4. We all need God's second touch. (v.25)
Only after receiving God's second touch, will you see people as people.You will
learn to connect with people instead of just letting the people around you pass
you by while you convince yourself that you don't need anyone and that solitude can be your ideal.
Jesus says look at the fields they are ripe with harvest. Do not wait anymore.
After receiving His second touch, you will no longer see your workplace or
your school just merely as it is but you will see it as a mission's field.

Verse 25: Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his
sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

According to Pastor Chris Long, Jesus' first touch gives us the feeling we get after concerts
and rallies, the pumped up feeling. The first step closer to Him. The introduction to God. The
second touch on the other hand is to further grow closer with God, to take a deeper step into our relationship with God. There are different levels in our relationship with God. Our first encounter with God will bring us a step into the shallow part of the pool. As we continue to seek Him and ask of Him, His second touch will bring us deeper in and thus brings our relationship with God to a whole new different level.

Overall, it was a very good experience. It touched many people. Some got the chance to pour out their innermost feelings and hurts to God. Some received gifts. A girl in particular even received the gift of Holy Laughter. It was very enlightening to see so many miracles happen only in one night. The power of God is truly great.

Next year's rally, Deeper '08 should be even more of a blast. I encourage you all to join in as well. On the other hand, St. Joseph's Youth Parish Ministry has organized a youth rally as well, also known as E.R. 07. It is held yearly and the turn up is always amazing. Lead by a group of young and empowered working adults, worshipping God is brought to a whole new level and experiencing Him was never made more easy. So I urge you all to attend the upcoming event. Also, for all those of you who have attended Fan into Flame last year, there will be another one coming up in May which is Fan into Flame II. For those of you who did not attend, it is highly recommended that you join in on this one. Both Fan into Flame I and II are organized by GENREV Live, a Philippino worship team. With a wide range of strong vocals, these Philippino worship leaders never fail to bring the roof down at every event held as they bring youths into great anticipation and an undying passion to serve God. These events are a must go.

Further details on the location and time will be posted up here when confirmed, for your reference. So, keep April and May free fellow youths! You wouldn't want to miss it!

God bless.

Through their eyes..

2007-03-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

Children being young as they are, have very naive and innocent minds. Having not yet been exposed to the natures of the outside world, they live their lives based on what they pick up from their surroundings and judge things based on their own raw perspectives on things. Which is exactly why people often say that when looking for a painfully honest opinion, ask a kid because they have not yet learnt how to lie or pretend. Similiarly, they too have their own perspectives on God.

So, lets look at what they had to say.

- Jane -

- Neil -

- Ruth M. -

- Jennifer -

- Elliott -

- Robert -

- Joyce -

- Nan -

- Ginny -

- Mickey D. -

- Chris -

- Raphael -

- Donna -

- Jonathan -

- Peter -

- Larry -

I guess next time you feel like you're saying something stupid to God you'll think twice. There's never a stupid request or a silly word when it comes to God. So feel free to tell Him everything.

God bless all.

JESUS the Same!

2007-03-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

This past month for me has been like rough waves crashing hard into the shore, over and over again. It seemed more like a tsunami but you catch my drift. My first love experience had.. has and still is an insane roller-coaster ride. More like being thrown off the rails of the ride actually. A further, more detailed explanation would prove unnecessary and over-rated. My point is that this downfall of mine really took me by the reigns and drove my life into a brickwall. It seemed to have controlled my all and I eventually allowed it to step all over me.

God's love was never an issue for me. I never doubted His love for me, not for one second. But in the midst of all my confusion and mixed up emotions, I had permitted myself subconciously to take that step away from God which slowly led to bigger steps and a wider gap between us.

I wondered why it had come in the way of my spiritual life seeing as they appeared to have no connections to each other whatsoever. But the truth was, they bore much correlation to each other. More than I thought. I faced several pains, one after another and they all seemed to have pilled up inside like a hill of rice sacks(don't ask me where I get these insane analogies lol). And the more they compiled, the harder I found it to let anything out. I couldn't seem to phrase it all in proper words, so I couldn't describe or tell anyone much about what I felt. It could be said to be the most difficult experience of my life. I began to realize that all I could think, even when in prayer, was about the problem that I was facing. It seemed to have caused me to feel more distant from the Lord and I soon found myself straying little by a little.

A few weeks before my experience, I had attended a Bible study whereby we discussed what it meant by keeping your treasures up in Heaven instead of down here on Earth. We were split into groups of around 5 people each and were asked to discuss all the subjects printed on the sheet. My take on this particular bible verse, which I had just mentioned above, was that it meant that we should not have our priorities be put on an earthly materials but rather focus our priorities on Our Lord. After that, there was a question on the sheet which read "Do you serve two gods?". I saw it in a very square and earthly manner, seeing it meaning as serving for example both Buddha and God or something. But our dear youth group leader, quiet as he seemed, surprised us all with his take on it. He said that probably, reffering to the subject we discussed earlier which was not being able to focus during prayer or worship, the two gods that were referred to in the context represented both God and an earthly possesion. We as humans tend to fall into the trap of putting our most prized possesion first in our life, whether it be a boyfriend/girlfriend, state-of-the-art gizmos, our academics or even our problems.

I realized after pondering for so long that the only reason I had felt so distant from God was because I had been serving two gods. I had permitted my emotions to control me and had put it before everything else and perhaps, even before God. Even upon discovering that, I found it so difficult to lift things up to Him. I found that I did not know how to anymore, it seemed. I did, at least, feel more connected to Him again and that relieved me quite a great deal. I struggled and faced much difficulty attempting to surrender my troubles to Him but there was one difference with having feel connected to Him and not having feel so. After I had felt His presence by my side again, I felt safer. Like I was in my own safe haven. I felt that I, at least now, had a safety net to fall back on. The situation got better and through time, the load began to relieve itself a little by a little.

I cannot say that I am totally okay now, but I have made some amazingly drastic improvements. I have found great comfort in the Lord and no longer feel anymore difficulty in giving my all to Him. I am aware now, more than ever before, that when the world brings me down, no matter what or who it is that hurts me or turns their back on me, my Lord will never do the same.

The closest of your love ones may someday walk out on you. The most precious of your posessions may someday deteriorate. The one who promises to always love you if you ever fall short of love, may someday just stop loving you. On the other hand, JESUS will stay by your side forever. JESUS is eternal. JESUS will always love you. And JESUS is JESUS always and forever. Meaning His feelings for you are everlasting for JESUS is the same yesterday, today and forever.

God bless.

The Season of Lent

2007-02-21T04:34:00.000-08:00

It was only recently, around a few years ago, that I have joined the Catholic community. It became pretty clear to me as I grew older and began to truly venture into my relationship with God that the traditions practiced in the Catholic churches are somewhat different from what I had been used to practicing in my previous charismatic church.

As my walk with God continued on, I decided I wanted to practice these traditions with my whole heart and not just because I was taught to do so. I began to ask those around me questions on such traditions as 'Ash Wednesday', 'Lent', 'Holy Thursday' and so on. Initially, I did vaguely know the reasons for these traditions but I did not truly understand them.

This year I decided to carry out my resolution of attending the masses/services that are usually held for these Catholic traditions. As we all know Ash Wednesday had just passed. And if some of you are still unsure on what that really is, a further explanation of this Christian tradition is to come later on in this post. A few friends and I attended Ash Wednesday mass a few days ago. The church was packed with people so we sat outside on the pavement, still managing to catch most of the Archbishop's sermon. As we sat there, I turned over to a friend on my left and I asked him this, "What is Ash Wednesday?" He paused for a moment and then laughed. And he had every right to find my question odd. I suppose it is rather peculiar for a Christian to attend Ash Wednesday mass and not know what it really is. But I suppose most of us do not really understand the real meaning of these Christian traditions. Most of us just attend mass with our families, go up to receive whatever it is we have to receive and then we leave; some what like an obligation to God and our family. And proving my theory correct, a friend of mine did admit that she doesn't really know why we go to mass on Ash Wednesday other than to receive the ash on our foreheads. Ash Wednesday is celebrated to remind us that we are made of dirt. With God's hands alone, we were sculpted from dirt into such complex human life-forms, every one special in their own way. With such a deep love for us God made us all special and in every one of us, He left a little bit of himself behind. I've often had this thought cross my mind, and to be perfectly honest, I sometimes still do. I do feel less significant at times. I envied those who were sculpted so perfectly from head to toe. I envied those who got so much attention for their beauty. I was insecure. And I suppose I still am at times. But I remind myself of this every time I feel less than who I really am: God sculpted us with His own two hands. With a heart full of love, He put the extra effort into making us all look different in our own way. I mean, think about it. He could've made us all look to same. That would've made His job a lot easier. Heck, He could've even gotten someone else to do it for Him, one of His angels perhaps but, no. He didn't. He chose to give His all for you. He chose to leave a part of Himself and His love in you. Because He loves you. So much. Sure, not all of us were made perfect physically. Maybe we have all been a little too shallow? Maybe we have all been too busy judging from the outside, that we didn't give ourselves a chance to see true beauty radiate from the inside of us. God made us all beautiful. Believe it. The real issue here is whether or not we choose to stay beautiful, or to scar ourselves with sin. Beauty in the dictionary is defined as a physical significance. Beauty to God is defined as a significant heart. God is the definition of beauty itself. So, grow in Him. Live by Him. Be an image of Him, that His love may shine through you.. and touch the lives of others. Sow that beautiful heart that He has given you for every heart bears it's distinct significance. We are all beautiful in God’s eyes whether you be short, tall, round, thin or square for that matter. Every single one of us is special. And I mean physically. Believe it. ‘Cos God made you beautiful and there is only one person, one thing that keeps you from believing that. Guess who’s the one that whispers in your ear words that tell you you’re not beautiful, that you’re nothing special. You’ve got it, it’s the evil one himself. So don’t give in to thoughts that bring you down. Do not be anything less than the person that you know you are for no one can make you feel inferior if you do not grant them the permission to.

Besides that, Ash Wednesday also signifies the beginning of lent. When the subject of lent came about, I found myself stumped and went on a rampage, text messaging anyone I could find in my phonebook, to ask them all one simple question: "What is lent?" I came to find that no one could really answer me in a way that I could really understand and that all the others that I had asked could not answer me at all except for a friend of mine who had carefully explained everything to me. (this is exactly what I was talking about when I said that we do not truly understand what we practice as Catholics)

According to him, lent is a 40-day period when we observe penance and abstinence to remind ourselves of Jesus' suffering before His death on the cross. Lent is basically a preparation for Easter, when Jesus is raised from the dead to save us. During this season of lent which lasts for over a period of 4 weeks, we fast and abstain from the things that we desire most. i.e. meat, chocolate, junk food, internet ;p and so on.
I continued on to ask him about the reason for our fasting during lent. In general, we are sinners and to be forgiven of our sins, we need to reconcile with God. And to reconcile with God we must first be pure both in soul and physically, thus by fasting we achieve our aim towards self-purification. (Not to be a credit hog but these are all in his own words)

It seems that during lent, you hear of people abstaining from things such as meat as it is often used as a guideline, in church, as to what we should abstain from. Most people take it as an obligation or simply as a church practice which most times makes it easier to give into the temptation of making unnecessary exceptions during occasions whereby you do not feel the want to fast.

The way I see it, by fasting we test our limits; how far we are willing to go for the Lord. Ask yourself this, how far would you push your limits for God? Would you do just about anything for Him as He would for you?

By fasting we also test our strength, to keep strong and not give into temptation, rather choose the path of God. The willingness to give up your utmost desires for the sake of our Lord; THAT is true love. It's interesting how God reveals so much to us through the most ambiguous things. He teaches us many things but in a way He allows us to learn them for ourselves.

So don’t fast because you are told to do so. Don’t walk down that aisle and get that ash wiped across your forehead just because it’s what you’re supposed to do on Ash Wednesday. Do not do what you do for God out of an obligation or because that’s what everyone else is doing or just because that’s what you are told to do. No. Do it for Him and no one else! Go all out, fellow children of the Lord and don’t turn back. All the best, my faithful readers. May we continue to grow with God and in God, together.

God bless you all.

Whose Hands?

2007-02-18T07:24:00.000-08:00

WHOSE HANDS?

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19

A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about$33 million