18 in 5 days :)

Great time of fun! :D
I was trying to take photographs like a pro haha :P
But without any kind of prior knowledge at all :D

Best wishes to Felly! :)

Happy 18th Bday!! :D

Our Help In Time Of Need

Hebrews 4:16
'Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.'

If you are facing a challenge right now, I want you to know that you have a standing invitation from your heavenly Father to come boldly to the throne of grace to "obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need".

The phrase "help in time of need" means that you get healing when you are sick, provision when you are in lack, restoration when your relationship with a loved one breaks down, and favour when news of job cuts or bad prospects are rife.

"How can I come boldly when I have been a lousy Christian?"

You can come boldly because you come to God by the blood of Jesus Christ and not by how you have lived your life. So whenever you come into God's presence, you don't have to be afraid that your sins will be exposed because the blood of Jesus has removed every one of them. God does not see even one speck of sin in you because He sees only the blood of His Son, which has been shed for your total forgiveness and acceptance.

My friend, when you have failed and need mercy, God's Word assures you that you will find mercy when you come boldly to God. Mercy means that you don't get the bad things you deserve, such as condemnation, poverty, failure, loss and even death.

And mercy is not the only thing that you will obtain when you come boldly to God. You will also find grace. Grace means that you get the good things that you don't deserve, such as health, protection, anointing, favour, good success and life more abundant.

So come boldly to the One who loves you passionately, unconditionally and with an undying love. Come boldly to Him who knows everything about your situation and has the solution. He has wisdom far beyond that doctor you highly respect, that lawyer you greatly honour and the best experts you can consult. Beloved, come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace to help in your time of need!

Smell the breeze :)

Airport.
53.
Pasir Ris Interchange.
I called JH.
N realised she was walking towards me.
LOL!
JustAcia.
Gd food.
Gd company.
Nice time of sharing :)
Oh man I love to share Jesus, haha :D
He's everything I need!!!
The answer.
The solution.
To everything in life.
Touch Jesus, and you touch LIFE! :P

After tat went church.
Received from Jesus once again.
Gosh!
The Son of God who came not to be served but to serve us!
Can u believe it? :)

N then I went out with my grandma, aunt and cousins today.
Had dinner at some restaurant-like place then went ECP.
Discovered a new place near bedok jetty :D

Wisdom :)

Proverbs 4 : 7-9 (NKJV)

⁷ Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.

⁸ Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honour, when you embrace her.

⁹ She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.


The parable of the Sower:
'Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.'

4 types of ground (representing 4 kinds of heart):

Wayside: people who do not understand God's word; it doesnt make sense to them. Thus Satan comes and take it away.

Stony places: people who are initially excited over God's word. They are ever ready to do whatever God commands. However, when trials come, they become discouraged easily and start to wonder whether God's word is indeed true. With a lack of perseverance, they usually give up on the whole thing.

Thorns: people who are bogged down by the cares of this world. Busyness, deadlines, stress, maybe materialistic goals crowd out God's word in their lives.

Good ground: people who hear God's word, understand it, receive it and make it personal to them. These people have patience, and they will bear fruit, more fruit and finally much fruit. Thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and finally hundredfold :)

Dead Sea Scrolls

Take Time :)

Take time to be quiet
It is the opportunity to seek God

Take time to pray
It is the greatest power on Earth

Take time to play
It is the secret of staying young

Take time to laugh
It is the music of the soul

Take time to love and be loved
It is God's greatest gift

Talk abt chances

Just when I thought I was alone.
He shows up when you least expect it.
At the most unexpected places.
Let us go back in time abit.
Last night, Liru msged us regarding the Dead Sea Scroll tix.
They're going on Fri.
I was hesitant abt going at first.
Such things are almost too easy to justify.
Anyway, as u might guess, I was convinced soon after.
Which left me with one problem.
The deadline was today.
Pay Yen Mei by noon.
How do I pay for my tix?
There was devo today.
But I've got lessons.
During my break I went to Can A to do some work.
Tried Old Chang Kee's sesame chicken rice.
Quite nice; I like the sauce :)
Probability qns are tough.
45 of them.
Enough to paralyze if they dont kill.
By noon I was tired.
My ear piece saved the day.
Listened to "My Rest".
Something I reli needed then.
Before long I was semi-conscious.
U noe tat feeling.
So comfortable.
Immersed in the wonderful music.
I struggled.
Debated with myself.
I should skip the Probability Lecture.
I would be sitting alone anyway.
Hardly anyone goes for that lecture (this is reli true)
I thought back to my chance to go on Fri.
I thought of msg-ing someone and ask them to help me pay first.
Or maybe I shd juz gif it a miss.
Anyway, I was on my way to LT 23 when something amazing happened.
I saw Yen Mei with her fren!
Coincidence?
I dont think so.
God literally appeared in front of me.
I was mulling over how I shd pay for my tix, and if I cant pay maybe I shd just not go.
Then I 'bumped' into her.
At such a 'timely' moment.
What were the odds.
Talk about probability.
Maybe u think its juz an accidental meetup.
Considering what I went thru tat whole morning, I know better :D
Just when I felt so alone.
It feels comforting to know I'm never alone.
No matter how I feel :)

Faith

A highly debatable topic.
Wad's ur definition? :)
For me the word has many meanings.
But for now I need it to be linked to trust.
To me having faith in God means trusting that He has already gone b4 me and prepared the best!
Oh how easy it is to trust in personal resources.
My talents.
Abilities.
Gifts.
Experiences.
Self-sufficiency.
Its a natural human tendency.
We get fearful when we are not in control.
Like me.
I'm fearful because the future is unknown.
Its not enough to know that there is an omnipotent God.
U muz know that this God is for you.
So for you that John 3:16 comes alive.
Everyday.
Not juz the day when u took tat step and invited Christ into your life.
The sweet melody of the gospel is to be relished every day, every single moment.
To see our brokenness over and over again.
That's how we are able to bask in His love, grace and mercy :)

"Heavenly Father, I cast my cares unto you. The fear of the unknown I cast it all unto you. You are the only one who has gone before me. You see the path ahead and you will lead me on the path of righteousness. When I see my overwhelming helplessness, I see your unconditional love for me. You came down in human flesh, which literally means that you have gone thru wad I am going thru; you hav exp. wad I hav exp. And because you are for me and not against me there is therefore hope for me:) Help me to look to Jesus and live at the foot of the Cross everyday. Amen."

Dedication :)

2 special people.
Couldnt have been more different.
God truly blesses me :)
And loves me greatly :)

Fren no. 1 : Carefree, enthusiastic, popular, loves orange, double cheese burgers etc.
Thank you for all the mugging sessions, sharing sessions, catchup sessions :D
You know that u r crazily loved by Jesus; that's something close to your heart and I pray tat you'll rmbr it for the rest of your life :)
I realised we havent shared wad we learn yet haha, mus find a time to share yea?
Continue to sing for the Lord with the beautiful voice tat He's given you, and touch many people's hearts in the process.
I am honoured and privileged to be part of your life :D

Fren no. 2 : Random, Shrieky, Blur, loves pool-ing, giggling etc.
We should play pool again sometime soon, after u erm... improve? :P
Hold fast to the conviction of Jesus' love for you, His eternal redemption and total forgiveness :)
More impromtu piano lessons in the future maybe? (It'll be cool to sing and play :D)
Learn your identity in Christ, know your inheritance in Him and rule the world!
Note: you gotta slp at nite, dont wake up at ungodly hours and reply msges :P
Thanks for being such a cool friend! :)

Our Next Door Saviour

The words hang in the air like a just-rung bell. "Who do you say that I am?" Silence settles on the horseshoes of followers. Nathanael clears his throat. Andrew ducks his eyes. John chews on a fingernail. Judas splits a blade of grass. He won't speak up. Never does. Peter will. Always does.

But he pauses first. Jesus' question is not new to him.
The previous thousand times, however, Peter had kept the question to himself.

That day in Nain? He'd asked it. Most people stand quietly as funeral processions pass. Mouths closed. Hands folded. Reverently silent. Not Jesus. He approached the mother of the dead boy and whispered something in her ear that made her turn and look at her son. She started to object but didn't. Signaling to the pallbearers, she instructed,"Wait."

Jesus walked toward the boy. Eye level with the corpse, he spoke. Not over it, as a prayer, but to it, as a command. "Young man, I say to you, arise!" (Luke 7:14)

With the tone of a teacher telling students to sit or the authority of a mom telling kids to get out of the rain, Jesus commanded the dead boy not to be dead. And the boy obeyed. Cold skin warmed. Stiff limbs moved. White cheeks flushed. The men lowered the coffin, and the boy jumped up and into his mother's arms. Jesus "gave him back to his mother" (Luke 7:15)

An hour later Jesus and the guys were eating the evening meal. He laughed at a joke and asked for seconds on bread, and the irony of it all jolted Peter. Who are you? he wondered so softly that no one but God could hear. You just awakened the dead! Should you not be encased in light or encircled by angels or enthroned higher than a thousand Caesars? Yet, look at you - wearing clothes I would wear and laughing at jokes I tell and eating the food we all eat. Is this what death defeaters do? Just who are you?

And then there was the storm. The tie-yourself-to-the-mast-and-kiss-your-boat-good-bye storm. Ten-foot waves yanked the disciples first forward and then backward, leaving the boat ankle-deep in water. Matthew's face blanched to the shade of spaetzle. Thomas death-gripped the stern. Peter suggested that they pray the Lord's Prayer. Better still, that the Lord lead them in the Lord's Prayer. That's when he heard the Lord.

Snoring.

Jesus was asleep. Back against the bow. Head drooped forward. Chin flopping on sternum as the hull bounced on waves. "Jesus!" Peter shouted.

The carpenter woke up, looked up. He wiped the rain from his eyes, puffed both cheeks with a sigh, and stood. He raised first his hand, then his voice, and as fast as you could say "glassy," the water became just that. Jesus smiled and sat, and Peter stared and wondered, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (Mark 4:41 NCV).

This time Jesus is the one posing the question: "Who do you say that I am?" (Matt. 16:15)

Perhaps Peter's reply had the tone of an anchorman on the six o'clock news. Arched eyebrow. Half smile. James Bondish baritone voice. "I believe that you are the Son of God." But I doubt it.

I'm seeing Peter kick the dirt a bit. Clear his throat. Less swagger, more swallow. Gulp. More like a first-time parachutist about to jump out of the plane. "Are you ready to jump?" he's asked. "I, uh, I, uh, I, uh . . ."

"Who do you say that I am?"

"I, uh, I, uh . . . I believe . . . that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (see Matt. 16:16)

If Peter was hesitant, you can hardly fault him. How many times do you call a callous-handed nail bender from a one-camel town the Son of God?

There was something wrong with the picture.

We used to look at such scenes in elementary school. To keep us occupied, the teacher would pass out drawings with the question at the bottom "What's wrong with this picture?" Remember them? We'd look closely for something that didn't fit. A framyard scene with a piano near the water trough. A classroom with a pirate seated on the back row. An astronaut on the moon with a pay phone in the background. We'd ponder the picture and point to the piano or pirate or pay phone and say, "This doesn't fit." Something is out of place. Something is absurd. Pianos don't belong in farmyards. Pirates don't sit in classrooms. Pay phones aren't found on the moon, and God doesn't chum with the common folk or snooze in fishing boats.

But according to the Bible he did. "For in Christ there is all of God in a human body" (Col. 2:9 TLB). Jesus was not a godlike man, nor a manlike God. He was God-man.

Midwifed by a carpenter.
Bathed by a peasant girl.
The maker of the world with a bellybutton.
The author of the Torah being taught the Torah.
Heaven's human. And because he was, we are left with scratch-your-head, double-blink, what's-wrong-with-this-picture? moments like these:
Bordeaux instead of H₂O.
A cripple sponsoring the town dance.
A sack lunch satisfying five thousand tummies.
And most of all, a grave: guarded by soldiers, sealed by a rock, yet vacated by a three-days-dead man.
What do we do with such moments?
What do we do with such a person? We applaud men for doing good things. We enshrine God for doing great things. But when a man does God things?
One thing is certain, we can't ignore him.
Why would we want to? If these moments are factual, if the claim of Christ is actual, then he was, at once, man and God.
There he was, the single most significant person who ever lived. Forget MVP; he is the entire league. The head of the parade? Hardly. No one else shares the street. Who comes close? Humanity's best and brightest fade like dime-store rubies next to him.
Dismiss him? We can't.
Resist him? Equally difficult. Don't we need a God-man Saviour? A just-God Jesus could make us but not understand us. A just-man Jesus could love us but never save us. But a God-man Jesus? Near enough to touch. Strong enough to trust. A next door Saviour.

A Saviour found by millions to be irresistible. Nothing compares to "the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Phil. 3:8 RSV). The reward of Christianity is Christ.

Do you journey to the Grand Canyon for the souvenir T-shirt or the snow globe with the snowflakes that fall when you shake it? No. The reward of the Grand Canyon is the Grand Canyon. The wide-eyed realization that you are part of something ancient, splendid, powerful, and greater than you.

The cache of Christianity is Christ. Not money in the bank or a car in the garage or a healthy body or a better self-image. Secondary and tertiary fruits perhaps. But the Fort Knox of faith is Christ. Fellowship with him. Walking with him. Pondering him. Exploring him. The heart-stopping realization that in him you are part of something ancient, endless, unstoppable, and unfathomable. And that he, who can dig the Grand Canyon with his pinkie, thinks you're worth his death on Roman timber. Christ is the reward of Christianity. Why else would Paul make him his supreme desire? "I want to know Christ" (Phil. 3:10 NCV).

Do you desire the same? My idea is simple. Let's look at some places he went and people he touched. Join me on a quest for his "God-manness." You may be amazed.

More important, you may be changed. "We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18 RSV).

As we behold him, we become like him.

I experienced this principle firsthand when an opera singer visited our church. We didn't know his voice was trained. You couldn't have known by his corduroy coat and loafers. No tuxedo, cummerbund, or silk tie. His appearance raised no eyebrow, but his voice certainly did. I shoud know. He was in the pew behind mine.

His vibrato made dentures rattle and rafters shake. He tried to contain himself. But how can a tuba hide in a room of piccolos?

For a moment I was startled. But within a verse, I was inspired. Emboldened by his volume, I lifted mine. Did I sing better? Not even I could hear me. My warbles were lost in his talent. But did I try harder? No doubt. His power brought out the best in me.

Could your world use a little music? If so, invite heaven's baritone to cut loose. He may look as common as the guy next door, but just wait till you see what he can do. Who knows? A few songs with him might change the way you sing.

Forever.

© Next Door Saviour by Max Lucado

How to lose weight supernaturally :)

Darlene Zschech live!!!
That was the treat of the day! :D
First time I attended a live worship led by her!
And the Hillsong Australia team!!
'Totally Awesome' would be a severe understatement :P

Take It All
No Reason To Hide
His Glory Appears
Mighty To Save

That last worship song was super remixed!
The whole exp was heavenly!!
Oh can u juz imagine!
The day when we put on new heavenly bodies.
Jumping forever without getting tired.
Shouting and praising without losing ur voice.
Giving all you've got.
Knowing tat it nv ends.
Forever and ever :)

The msg today was super fantastic too.
Losing weight supernaturally.
No dieting.
No exercising.
Eat all you want.
The result: lose weight :)

2 Cor 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Unveiled face : the Law is removed
Glory of the Lord : His good opinion of me :)
Transformed : transformation from the inside out; not change nor behaviour modification

What I received: All of us, with Jesus already fulfilling the law on our behalf, are able to see the Lord's good opinion of us, to see Him smiling down at us, infinitely delighted in us. And when we realise that and believe in that, we will be utterly and hopelessly transformed from the inside out, with the Holy Spirit working in and through us, resulting in us becoming more and more like Him each and every single day :)

This is damn cool! :P

Let's get back to losing weight.
The answer is surprisngly simple.
You may not believe it.
But anyway here goes :)
We lose weight by changing trees.
Wad do I mean?
We have the tendency to partake from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Exercise more.
Step up the regime.
Dont eat supper.
No-no to sugary stuff, fried stuff, oily stuff.
We form our own rules and regulations.
No doubt all the above are good ways.
But we dont trust in all those to make us healthy.
We need to turn to the Tree of Life! :)
We need to touch Jesus!!
Follow the desires that He has given you.
Eat what u feel like eating.
When u dont feel like eating dont eat.
Dont juz eat because its lunchtime.
Or if there are snacks in front of u.
The Holy Spirit will lead you in ur eating habits.
And God knows what's best for your body.
It's simply amazing!
Dont believe?
Go try it.
Give Jesus the glory when it happens!! :D

Hebrews 4:14-16
¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Ending songs were fantastic too! :D

King of Majesty
Run
No Reason To Hide

Foretaste of heaven :)

***The Word Becomes Flesh***
'And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.' John 1:14

Its amazing!
In the original Greek grace and truth are synonymous.
What a wonderful revelation.
Grace = Truth and Truth = Grace
Let it sink in.
When you truly realise it its liberating :)

Entering my 5th week.
More Grace.
More favour.
More blessings.
Bigger capacity to receive.
Thank you Jesus.
Amen :)

Amazing Love!!

The song appeared in my head ytd night while I was on the way home.
Up till now I couldnt get it out of my head.
Indeed, this love is so amazing it continually amazes me every single day of my life.
The lyrics seem too good to be true but I cannot deny its absolute truth.
When seemingly impossible lyrics become true without a shadow of a doubt, I realise that this is the sweet melody of the gospel.
It is the Good News :)

Lost Wallet

Today i got psycho-ed to skip Probability Lecture.
Guess I've learnt the art of justification.
Everything seemed so logical, haha :)
Before long I was headed for Boon Lay.
We ended up at the fd court and decided on Pepper Lunch.
$5.90 Student Set with a drink included.
When it was my turn to order I realised to my horror that my wallet was not in my bag!!
Within seconds I knew what happened - I had left my wallet at the toilet in sch ><
A rush of panic flooded me and instinct told me to chiong back to sch.
I hurriedly said my goodbyes amidst shocked faces and left.
Walking towards the bus interchange my mathematical mind started to work furiously.
I calculated at least 5 different possibilities on the location and state of my wallet.
Somehow I 'cried' out to God, willing him to return me my wallet.
Obviously my wallet didnt drop from the sky.
As I boarded 179, I juz took out my ear piece and plugged it into my hp.
Played 'I See Grace', cos I thought tat's exactly wad I needed.
I needed grace to get back wad I prob dont deserve to get back.
Thankfully, after a few mins I began to calm down.
I thought thru the various items in my wallet.
Prob. the most impt would be my I/C and Matric Card.
Both are essential indications of my identity.
Then a random thought entered my mind.
And I thanked God that I didnt lose my identity in Him :)
I could never actually, but for tat split second it was a comforting revelation.
It was then tat the peace came.
Exactly like Jesus said.
'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid' John 14:27 (NKJV)
I alighted and made my way to the 'lost' scene.
Somehow I knew the wallet wouldnt be there, and it wasnt.
But surprisingly it didnt matter that much anymore.
I was still believing that it would be found.
But even if it wasnt it didnt seem such a big deal anymore.
Now dont misunderstand.
That wallet had sentimental value.
And it contained Psalm 91 :)
But I suppose Jesus' peace transcends all worry :)
I msged Jade to ask if there was a lost and found in sch.
She referred me to Rui Xiong.
Who told me abt the Student Affairs Office (SAO).
What I did next may seem completely irrelevant.
By that time I was hungry, so I reviewed what little coins I had left.
It was enough to grant me lunch :)
Somehow I thought if someone found my wallet it would still take time for it to reach SAO.
Besides it was pouring out there, and I didnt want to deprive my stomach.
Old Chang Kee's curry chicken.
It was a satisfying meal :D
Then I went to the library to read.
Philip Yancey captivated me.
Grace IS divine.
And unique to Christianity.
Finished up a few chapters and headed down to SAO Level 6.
'Nope' I was told.
No reporting of a lost wallet.
I made a report anyway, thanked the lady and left.
Amazingly, at this juncture I was still believing that God will restore my wallet back to me.
Even as I got onto the shuttle bus which took me out to Pioneer.
***Fast Forward***
I reached home ard 6 plus and was soon in bed.
Had abit of time to catch some sleep b4 tuition.
Mum was gracious enough to let me drive to Joel's hse for tuition.
Minutes b4 reaching my phone rang.
Some odd number.
Then it striked me.
Had my wallet returned?
Couldnt pick up cos I was driving.
After I parked the same number appeared on the screen.
A sweet voice asked me if I was 'my name here'
My first thought was, 'How can a lady find my wallet in the Gents?'
What she said next made more sense.
She said something to this effect,'My grandma found your wallet; she works in that NTU toilet.'
When I heard tat the pure joy tat I felt simply could not be expressed in words.
Any attempt would be an understatement.
I was beyond euphoria!! :D
Jade was elated when I told her.
And I realised that the whole grp had been praying for my lost wallet during Devo :)
God is so good! :D
All the time! :D
I got back my wallet in a way that I could nv hav imagined up till the point in time when I realised I was indeed going to get it back :)
Thanks to all who 'worried' with me for a few hours.
Glad tat all's well that ends well :)
Gonna slp le.
Few more hours.
Wallet here I come!!! :)