I wish

I wished that someone wld know...

the extent of her giving
the depths of her love
the ups and downs that she's willing to go through with
her faithfulness and loyalty
her sincere heart
her patience
her unrelenting care
her gentle spirit

dats......

It has been a while since i pen down my thoughts. Life has begin to take on a smooth course for the past few mths now and i thank God for that though there are times where my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak...those days are the hardest to get by where it really challenges me mentally. Many ppl wld say that past is past...and i agree...there is no turning back...we can't continue to be held captive by it...but to really let go and move on...easier said than done...i see some nodding their heads with me..sometimes its just the continuous disappointment by that someone whom we just wished that he/she wld make it much less burdensome...they will never knw the pain that has been inflicted..worst still if they just carried on with life pretty well and we are left in a pit hole of self-pity and unfairness...promises and more new promises are made but has no value whatsoever..and the sad part of it is that i stupidly believed that those promises wld be fulfilled which leaves me tormented little by little..i really dun understand why does it still happen...i realized that my spirit is still not healed completely...maybe on the outer part it looks healed but its actually only a scab whereby a thick layer of dried skin covers the wet, bloody wound on the inside...scratching it again n again will leave me screaming in pain and there i am back to square one....the layer is just a covering which deceives ppl that its already recovered...the wound and the pain stole away the joy in my heart...i felt numb...tears will roll down just thinking about it once in a while..i forgot the taste of true happiness...until recently i attended a family church camp in camerons God begin to remind me about certain things...this camp didn't have sermons...it wasn't mainly about we christians being fed with HIS word but more of exercising our discipleship and our faith in sharing the gospel...before this camp, i focused too much on myself and the probs that hit me...i forgot all about the lost souls our there...what happened to that desire and urgency to bring JESUS to them i wondered...i didn't really bother...all i wanted was to be alone...concentrating on my needs..what i did was wrong..it was selfish of me...when i was away for camp...i felt the peace...God gave me and my family an opportunity to share God's goodness and love through our testimonies..it felt so great..i immediately thanked God for reminding me that sharing the gospel really can bring true joy in our hearts...its not about us...its all about HIM...i knw that i cannot change anything...it is not in my own hands...why not focus on God alone and let HIM handle the rest???....

THE POEM
I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.....
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord,
I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God! held a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said
'Your name I cannot find
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time'

Got this from a fren....very true...."Letting go of someone dear is hard, but holding on to someone who doesn't even feel the same is much harder. Giving up doesn't mean you are weak! It only means that you are strong enough to let go!""

JESUS HEALS!!!

You are the God, that healeth thee
You are the Lord, my healer
You sent your word and heal my disease
You are the Lord, my healer.

To obtain total healing, is through the powerful words of God..you can unlock it NOW!!...The BIBLE has it all...

Proverbs 3:8 Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones

Isaiah 6:10 and turn to me for healing

Malachi 4:2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings

Luke 6:19 Everyone tried to touch Him, because healing power went out from Him, and He healed everyone

Isaiah 38:16 Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live!

Jeremiah 30:17 I will give you back your health and heal your wounds; says the LORD

There I was again in Jaya Jusco (not like there are many decent shopping centers in Ipoh..hehe) but this time I wasn't in a shopping mode. I used to take my own sweet time strolling by myself while waiting for my mum to come pick me up after her tea time with church members..also known as "drop-in time" where anybody cld just drop by (hence the word drop-in)to have a short chat if they have some time to spare while waiting for their kids to finish tuition, ballet classes, etc..I decided to sit in a cafe and continue reading this little book by masao tsui which I borrowed from a beloved fren. Its called "Raging Hormones" - cupid's secrets untold..you shld get ur hands on one coz its like interestingly funny..hahaha.... the way the author wrote it was just plain cute..hehe...yeah at first i thought of having a cuppa at coffee bean but then since i'm still a 'penganggur' (i wonder when will they send the freaking posting letter alreadi...it has been sooo long) so decided to do a low budget coffee-book-time treat..I ended up at the foodcourt (u must be wondering how can i possibly read a book in a noisy place like that...oh and did i mention that it has a children's playpen in there too...can't imagine leh?)..haha...but it wasn't that bad actually...so i bought myself a donut from big apple..ohh i love the one with grated cheese on top (on the whole i just love cheese..yummy)...i also bought myself a cup of coffee..picked the right spot to sit and walaa!!!...altogether i spent only RM 4.40...instead of RM 15 or more at coffee bean(occasionally no prob le)..i mean the coffee can't be compared to coffee bean's or starbucks la...but its sufficient hehe...i was reading on this part where the author talks a bout spotting the right target and how to send signals of interest etc...then on my left i spotted a 'leng chai' haha..of course i didnt send signals la(though i did wonder how to..shhhhh..i think i should do this more often...no no not "kap chai" la...heehe...low budget coffee-book-time treat i mean...hahaa..chao!!!

Thank God It's FRIDAY!!!

Its once again friday...yeah...and everybody says HOORAY!! coz the weekends are just around the corner..If i was in k.l at this time we will be having cg and after that everybody will car pull and head off to the movies...come on students ma (shh..once a upon a time in december)..even if i'm already a grandma i think i will still enjoy a movie treat...with my grandchildren of course hehe..so what will i be doing on fri nite in ipoh??..attend cg le..its an adult cg (since when i ended up in that category..hehe)..almost everybody sudah kahwin and beranak 2,3 d..nway it was cool coz i'm like one of the youngest there...mwuahahaha..(can flaunt my wrinkle free skin hehe...no le...just kidding)..who said that adults not hip and happening??...pastor thought that everybody needed a wake up call so he played a game with the adults..he said it was to relieve the stress for a while..the funny part was, after explaining how the game worked, one of them thought it was even more stressful...hahaha..everybody ended laughing becoz of the confusion so i guess that was the whole point after all hehe...to release all the tension by laughing..After that, we watched an inspirational video clip by nick vujicic..we were all touched by his testimony...a man without any limbs can see himself as a person who is so blessed...he never saw himself as a handicapped because he saw himself with God's eyes..beautifully and wonderfully made for God's purpose. What i learned from nick was that when God called us to do something for HIM, we do it half heartedly, we limit ourselves and telling God that is all we can give or do..we haven't actually given our best yet but we quit halfway..where else a person like nick never complaint or never stopped until he gave his very best to God...so who are we with a complete set of anatomy to say that God, i think this is the furthest i can go..Another thing i learned is that no matter who we are or how we are created, we can accomplish His purpose with His strength..Greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world...Finally there is no doubt that all of us go through storms in our lives..we cannot always be complaining to God about our problems or trials but instead we have to tell ourselves that our God is bigger than any prob...we must speak to the mountains in our lives with the authority of JESUS CHRIST...and with faith, the mountains will be removed..

A new beginning....

After 4 years of sweat and tears..and by God's grace we finally graduated...YAHOO!!..a new chapter of our lives is about to unfold..I wonder what is in store for me??...well there is no point guessing coz God's thoughts and plans are higher than ours..only He knws what is coming my way...i better hold on tight..its gonna be an exciting and exhilarating ride..hehe...

Dear God, when will you reveal to me your ways and your plans for my life? How long more shall I wait Lord?. I've been cracking my head for so long trying to comprehend the purpose that He has for my life, the trials that come my way and the burdens that I carry today. Teach me Oh Lord how to lay it all down. The baggages have become utterly heavy for me to even move. Every step I take excruciating pain will follow on. How long, how much more time Lord?. When is it that the river will flow a different way for the present flow is eroding the riverbed. Show me Lord, show me plz. I hope to achieve true happiness and it only comes from you dear Lord, and not from things or man. I have been let down, disappointment crept into my mind, sorrow overwhelmed me. Lord plz free me and let me experience your joy. Whatever I did, has it all gone to waste? Did I do it to glorify you Lord? or was it inevitably due to my self-centeredness? Correct my ways dear Lord and match it with your ways. I can't go on without you. You are my only hope, the love of my life. I pray that your ppl will begin to experience you in a whole new level. When they give their lives to you, they will bask in your presence, ever so comforting for the soul and that they will rest in your holiness. Your loving arms will embrace them so close to your heart. Fear of the future will soon be gone but only peace remains.

SALE!...SALE!.... SALE!....

Funky Nails...

I had my pedicure done today with my galfrens at a place called "kuku spa"...creative name huh?..yeah and i'm quite happy with my funky shiny turquoise toe nails..yipee!!..yoyo...funky...mwuahaha!!

A gals nite out...

So there we were..in the middle of ipoh town deciding where to hang out on fri nite. We are toking about IPOH man...its suppose to be a nice and quiet little town where ppl retire after an exhausting day to relax and rejuvenate..Only when there are ppl like us always creating havoc wherever we went...haha...that's our job...rocking ipoh town haha. Thinking back during high school days where wld just create a scene and ppl will all look at us and think where on earth these hooligans (is that how u spell it?) came from..now unfortunately we don't really have that much energy to do so...what da ya expect..we grow old too ya knw haha...nowadays we rather sit down and ramble about skin care products and what to do with those wrinkle lines showing up on our once to be youthful looking face. Gosh time flies!!...one by one seeing all my good buddies graduating..one is now a pharmacist in sabah, another just graduated as a doc..that day she suddenly told us..."plz don't be obliged to call me Doc. Sumi"...we were like what??...so much for being humble haha...nway we are really proud of her..good for us also la...at least next time when we are ill "FREE" consultation...mwuahaha..another fren of mine was already asking my doc fren to give her loads of medical leave certs haha...We have another two docs yet to graduate in a yr or two..that won't be long...Soon i will be attending lavish weddings..haha...can't wait to be singing at their weddings...that is when my voice training comes in handy..so i'm not giving up on those weekly oooooo.....lessons...Yeah so after cracking our heads on where to have dinner...we finally decided to have some sushi for the nite..this particular japanese rest serves really good sushi.."KIZUNO" is the name..the cucumber maki (not the normal cucumber strips in the middle..its rather specially prepared), dragon maki and the tempura is a must try...bento sets are good too...yeah...after that we went to mamak...can u imagine?..this is what ipoh ppl do..makan, makan, and makan...we were supposed to go to the gym like 2 weeks back and guess what happened...it didn't work out...my fren came out with the idea that we must use reverse psychology that when we think we want to be fat, we will automatically be thin...i was like..aha??...what??..very funny..n not to mention she is the doc i was toking about earlier...so much of what they taught her during the medical training...hahaha...so we bought the latest hello magazine coz we were told that our fren's pic with her fiancee (malaysian cyclist..Josiah Ng) was in it..they featured her being proposed in the london eye...how romantic rite...they are such a sweet couple..awww..CONGRATS on your engagement!!..

Lalala...voice training...behind the scenes...

Today is my second week of voice training. Ppl asked me how was it..I repeatedly said it ain't easy hehe. Yeah, imagine 1 whole hr trying to get the oooo...rite...i think i can sing better than a crow already..haha..At first, i couldn't grasp what the trainer was trying to tell me..as though she was speaking in french or sumthing. Everytime she says sumthing I go aha?...!!??...Trainer: You have to produce sound and not make sound...aha?..!??...(I thought I got it even though the words producing and making sounds the same to me)....Trainer: Use ur prowerhse to produce sound...aha?....!???...powerhse??..she meant using the diaphragm, and ribcage...Trainer: Use ur mind to produce the sound...aha??....!!!??????....scratch head..cld u plz repeat that??..Yeah so there I was trying to fathom how to sing a tune "PROPERLY"...haha...told ya in ain't easy...all these years i was using the wrong technique...she cld easily tell coz she was like me too years back and it took her 9 months...i repeat "9 MONTHS"...to learn the correct way...at that moment my hope n dreams all seemed distant (exageratng le...getting too drama...hahahha...hopefully...fingers crossed that it would not take that long otherwise i will have to sing oooooo.....for the rest of my life...u dun hope that too rite..hahha...chao!!

A great book..get ur hands on it quick!!

I think its safe for me to say that blogging is fun and its kinda addictive haha. Maybe coz I have all the time in the world now...that is before I start working of course..Hopefully my new working hrs don't drain my energy all out coz that would be leaving just dry bones at the end of the day..well I don't know what to write about at this very moment...hmmm....let me see...give me a sec to let all my inspirational and philosophical brain juices blend in together..haha..here goes..why is it that some ppl are so unpredictable?..complicated human emotions i guess...see the word EMOTION simply means a broad repertoire of perceptions, expressions of feelings and bodily changes..up and down it goes..ever changing..never satisfying. It comes about at the very core of how we control our minds to think...emotions follows after every thought that crosses of minds. When we think that something its not going to work then we will automatically feel that way. If we think that through experiences that the situation is going to be the same then our so called "intuition" (feelings in simple words)will tell us so. We can't simply start proclaiming that situations will always be the same, relationships are never built to lasts, i can never trust anyone, there are no genuine ppl around, my life is always in a mess, i will never be able to give my heart out fully because i was hurt again and again, nobody is faithful, nobody understands, nobody really loves me, i'm a loner. Why tell yourself all these negative things??...We meet different ppl every time, our environment changes and the best and most important of all we have a GOD who is all mighty and powerful. If ppl could just stop managing their own lives but instead hand it over to the potter, all will work out fine. Why don't you trust God that He understands the pain which you went through previously and knows the desires of your heart. Which of you, if his sons asks for bread, will give him stone?or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though 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!(matt 7:9-11). Even if you don't ask He already knows how to give you the very best.

LOVE never fails

Yesterday, I asked God a question and here was how it went:


COG : Lord, how can you stand the hurt when people prosecuted you, betrayed you?

GOD : The answer is LOVE...

COG : LOVE?...How do you do it....soo hard...

GOD : People will eventually be drawn back because of LOVE just like how you found
your way back to me....because I 1st loved you and loved you ever since....

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
Love is patient, love is kind,
It does not envy, it does not boast,
It is not proud, it is not rude,
It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs,
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

Not even one of the lines above says that LOVE hurts because it is not supposed to but instead it surpasses and overcomes all others.

And now these 3 remains:

FAITH, HOPE and LOVE. But the greatest of these is LOVE..

What are HIS plans??

I try each time to discern God's plans for my life but until now I haven't gotten a clue to what He wants to teach me. Everything seems vague and I can't see the big picture of all that is happening. A month back HIS answer was WAIT..and then the word WAIT again..but WAIT for what GOD?..I don't understand..tell me more??..what exactly do you want me to WAIT?..I was listening to a sermon that day about GOD being in control of everything. The pastor told the congregation to not keep resisting the situations which we face. We may not like where we are rite now...we wonder why it happened...or why is it me...why my life is in a mess...why the pain..how long is it I'm going to suffer this way..God can ease all the pain immediately but we wouldn't learn from what HE wants to teach us would we?..HE will not remove us from the situation just yet until we are able to see through HIS eyes and learn. At times I do wanna quit and walk out through the easy exit..sometimes I'm tempted to say ya know what GOD..I'm done waiting, I don't think I can take it anymore. But i realize by doing that, we will never be able to fulfill HIS purposes for our lives and we may be going through the same situations over and over again. If we could have stayed and learn, HE would give us the key to unlock all that is too life filled with abundance of joy, love, peace, blessings...everything we could ever wish for in life..God wants what is best for us...sometimes we thought that what we have right now is the best that we can get but that might not be what God sees. He wants to give us the very best..so why do we want to settle for second best?

Total Self-EXPOSURE...(not recommended for the faint hearted)

I have anger (I don't think you wanna try me..hehe)
I do get jealous
I envy
I slander (unknowingly or knowingly)
I am selfish (especially when it comes to the food i like keke)
I am impatient at times
I get moody
I can't stand some ppl
I don't know how to say "NO"
I am soft
I am harsh
I pretend sometimes
I have bad habits
I get irritated
I love to sing (make sure u don't have exquisite glass pieces at home)
I love to eat (not as much as Christina though)
I find it hard to love sometimes
I say sorry too many times (I'm better now..hehe)
I break promises (minor ones but still a promise is a promise rite)
I complaint
I am emotional
I nag
I am clumsy
I am lazy (hols ma)
I am afraid to admit my faults (what on earth am I doing now man)
I want to get married someday
I am loving
I am quite siao
I have funny ways
I like carrot juice but hates carrots
I am loyal
I love bags (lavish them on me folks)
I am SABRINA @ BRINA @ SAB @ SAB-HA @ BRI-BRI @ BRINEY

You see I have many flaws too..I mean who doesn't..Exposing them doesn't make me vulnerable but it gives me an opportunity to be honest about myself. It is admitting to God that I too make mistakes and need to be moulded plus refined by His divine hands.
P/S: Thanx Christina for making me think about my own flaws..I'm inspired by ur courage to be honest about oneself.

Another side of me revealed...

If you asked me to describe myself I really don't know where to start. There is no prototype to explain a complex individual that man can really understand fully, hey even I at times don't really un my likings, attitudes, figure of speech etc. They change every now and then ya know..there is no like a labelled SABRINA where ppl think ya that's her...same old her kinda thought..ppl use to call me the "goody goody girl" the typical type of girl who doesn't want to dirty her shoes,only listens to her mum, have never broken rules, stays at home with her family 24/7, doesn't simply mix around,contented with where i am, have curfew hrs etc..I don't quite agree..I'm not saying ya know like I'm some kinda wacko who has a split personality...its just that the way ppl describe its not all me and fullstop at the end..well we are continuously moulded by our surroundings, ppl that we meet and talk to and of course our God..so we aren't pretty much the same person like we used to be 10 years back..I would say I've grown a lot through the years..and is still growing and changing...my taste, my wants and don'ts are different everytime...i want to explore places, see different things, meet different ppl(i want to be a ppl person-able to mingle with any grps), dine at various restaurants (local, fine dining), make enough money to buy the things i like, get a nice car and a hse(I guess my fren cld give me some tips coz she is into planning and design), do a complete make over(looking fabuloso...(i thought that was a brand name for a flr cleaner haha), bringing my voice to another level,not just doing the things i'm trained to do but more than that...i want an exciting life too..i wldn't want to settle for mediocrity...I wish to achieve more than what I am today...He wants us to live life to the full till it overflows (John 10:10)God wants us to have a good life, a life filled with love, joy, peace and fulfillment. God doesn't want us to drag through life, barely making it. He doesn't want us to have to scrape and scrimp, trying to cope up with enough money to pay for food, shelter, transportation, to pay bills. It is not His preference for us to live in perpetual pain. Start seeing urself as more than a conqueror, well able to succeed, strong in the Lord, the head and not the tail, the victor and not the victim, and u will see urself rising to a new level of fulfillment.

My fren's dog YoGI..sooo cute

My new look...(loose locks)

Last week my best fren's mum passed away coz of cancer. She has been suffering for quite a while d..now she is in peace. If only she knew Jesus, sigh...sometimes we can only do a part...the decisions and choices are not ours to make...I pray that God will strengthen her family members during this period of grieve and hopefully they will one day accept Jesus as their personal Lord and saviour..AMEN

Check it out galfrens!!!

For all the gals out there..I recommend a good blog for tips on hair, make-up, beauty etc..fruitybeauty.typepad.com

Where is God?

God is the Creator of the universe who yearns for us to know Him. That is why we are all here. It is His desire that we rely on and experience His strength, love, justice, holiness and compassion. So He says to all who are willing, "Come to Me."

Unlike us, God knows what will happen tomorrow, next week, next year, the next decade. He says, "I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning."1 He knows what will happen in the world. More importantly, He knows what will occur in your life and can be there for you, if you've chosen to include Him in your life. He tells us that He can be "our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble."2 But we must make a sincere effort to seek Him. He says, "you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."3

That doesn't mean that those who know God will escape difficult times. They won't. When a terrorist attack causes suffering and death, those who know God will be involved in that suffering also. But there is a peace and a strength that God's presence gives. One follower of Jesus Christ put it this way: "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."4 Reality tells us that we will experience problems in life. However, if we go through them while knowing God, we can react to them with a different perspective and with a strength that is not our own. No problem has the capacity to be insurmountable to God. He is bigger than all the problems that can hit us, and we are not left alone to deal with them.

God's Word tells us, "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him."5 And, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them."6

Jesus Christ told His followers these comforting words: "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows."7 If you truly turn to God, He will care for you as no one else does, and in a way that no one else can.

Why aren't my prayers answered?

Is all prayer answered? Scripture teaches that God does answer our prayers (John 16:24); but Scripture also says that there are some conditions for effective prayer. What are some reasons the Bible gives for God not answering our prayers?

1.
We don't really believe God can answer them.
Jesus said:

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:22)

James wrote:

“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does” (James 1:6-8).

Believing is perhaps the best known condition for prayer. But there are other reasons prayer is not answered.
2.

We ask with wrong motives.

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3).

3.

Unconfessed sin separates us from God, so that He cannot hear.

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities (sins) have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).

4.

We set up idols in our hearts that come between us and God.

“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?” (Ezekiel 14:3).

5.

We don't answer those who cry to us for help.

“If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered” (Proverbs 21:13).

6.

We don't remain in God/God's Word doesn't remain in us.

“If you remain in me and my word remains in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you” (John 15:7).

What does God always promise to give to those who believe?

1. Salvation

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
2. Forgiveness of Sins

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
3. Wisdom

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

Most importantly, we must belong to God before we can communicate with God. “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (John 8:47).
Sometimes we don't see or understand God's answers.

God is all-knowing and can see things that we can't. The Bible tells us to trust God, rather than our own understanding of what's best for us:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The Bible also says that God works in ways that we sometimes can't understand:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declared the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us that now we see things dimly, as in a mirror, but someday we will see clearly and understand how God answered our prayers.

God fills us....

I was reading a book "Message From God". There is a sentence that says we cannot depend on man (both males and females le) to make us happy or satisfy our needs because they will never be able to but only God can. It hit me because I admit that ya know I do tend to expect people to make me happy, encourage me etc..Its good to have friends around you to do that sometimes but the ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment we can get is from God. No doubt about that "Satifaction Guranteed". When we expect from others we tend to pressure them inevitably and when those expectations of ours are not met, be get awfully disappointed then you know what happens next la..misunderstanding happens, anger, resentment, frustration, stress just to name a few...yup so start expecting from God because He definitely wants us to as He has the key to all eternal blessings. And when we do that, our relationship with God can also deepen.

Yup I'm back on the tracks again..however managed to do a few rounds only le coz the sun its like burning the crap out of me hehe...no wonder the aunties were walking backwards le...hmmm..now I know the trick SMART AUNTIES!!..they also know UV is bad hehe..Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to do more rounds..adios!

Flowers...Flowers...and Flowers....my mum's pride and joy

These flowers were taken from our so called little eden..my mum grew them...pretty huh??

These pictures were taken on the way back from Melaka...

Cute doggies from EL Sanctuary..

Awww...just look at them..so adorable...especially the one in the flower pot..reminds me of my dog I once had..Lucy!!!..we miss you...

Betrayed by my shoes....

Day 2 - I was up once again determined to go for exercise..wow..how did my lazy butt actually got convinced by my little brain..haha..so I did manage to get to the jogging track...as usual I was planning to do about 7-8 rounds..then guess what happened?...my jogging shoes failed me...they started blooming (as in the soles actually came off la)...hehe...so my plans to exercise had to be called off..sob sob..no fret people I'll be back with brand new shoes..and nothing can stop me then..mwuahahahah!!!!

Butterflies....

I love them...they are so pretty..these creatures evolved from an ugly little caterpillar into a beautiful and graceful butterfly. I guess we can somewhat relate ourselves with them. We humans change every now and then whether or not beautiful or ugly depends on how we perceive things and the way we allow ourselves to be moulded. Some of us choose to stay the same but that is not the case because without changes there will be no improvement and we will opt for mediocrity means that we are satisfied with where we are and refuse to come out from our comfort zone. Dare to live out your dreams people...challenge yourselves to do the unexpected...do what makes you happy...

Living in God's favor...

I was reading a devotional called "Living Your Best Life Now"..It says that we must live a life with God's favor everyday. It means that we must believe that God is there to bless us in every way and He prepares people to help us unexpectedly, in ways we do not understand and in circumstances that will bring good in our lives. Today I got to experience God's favor. My mum and I were at the parking lot in jusco trying to get a carpark. It was full house as usual..hmmm must be those public uni students having hols..We went round a few times but unfortunately no empty space was to be seen anywhere. As soon as I prclaimed that God's favor is with us...guess what?...a car just right in front of us was about to go out...HALLELUJAH!!..Its very true indeed that the blessings of God are ready for us to feed on...His favor will always be upon us if we declare it by faith..AMEN!!

Bleeding love...

I realized that being in a relationship is never easy. Both parties must be willing to contribute, make some sacrifices here and there and put in effort in maintaining it through communication and etc etc. Without comm we will never be able to know what the other party is thinking. So hence a relationship without communication will have issues arising every now and then. I'm not saying that relationships are smooth sailing. That is why two parties need to sit down and talk..it means that there are problems which need to be settled...does it ring a bell?..hehe..There was this couple who had issues with the fact of communication and understanding between the both of them. As things seemed to be different with time, the gal began to wonder and feared of losing the other party but the fear only led to more problems. The other party thought that by continuing the relationship will only prolong the hurt. The fact is, the hurt came not because of the treatment of the other party but the fear of losing someone you truely love. The hurt didn't stop her from loving the other person but the hurt was there because of the love that grew in depth. I guess the other party will never ever realize and cannot accept the fact that there is someone who actually loved him genuinely. Let there be a great AWAKENING!!

NO MORE PROCRASTINATING!!!

Day 1 - Yup!..I finally did it..I actually dragged myself up..and banned myself from procrastinating once again..and there I was at the jogging track with the other pakcik and makcik exercising hehe..good to see that more and more people are actually health conscious..bravo!!..that means that we pharmacists no longer have to nag them to exercise blah...blah..its just the start..hopefully I will overcome my mind again to not be lazy hehe..Healthy mind and Body..here I come!

Where is the LOVE....??

We have already explored what love is, and what God’s Word has to say. But, what about the other influencers that may be rattling around in our heads? Does it measure up to Scripture, or is it a myth? Let us look at some of the common sayings, from American culture, portraying love:

· Love conquers all!

· Love is enough.

· All you need is love! (By the way, that did not work for the Beatles, did it?)

· If it is true love, you will know it right away!

· If you love me, you will _______.

· I want to know what love is!

· The perfect Mr. or Mrs. “Right” will fulfill you completely!

· Having a strong sexual attraction is a sign of true love!

· I'll do my half if you _______.

· If you really love someone, you will have sex with him/her within the first month of dating!

Music, TV, movies, friends, and fairy tales all teach us, in different and creative ways, how to love. But, have you considered that they teach us the wrong ideas of love and relationships?

A look at some “sayings”:

Does love conquer all? Well, this is just not so! If it were, we would have a very low divorce rate, because, I have never seen a marriage take place where the couple were not in love, or at least thought they were in love. Yet, over fifty percent of them are divorced within five years! If love were enough, those marriages would have worked out; obviously, love is not enough! Love, by itself, cannot hold you together. As we discovered in the last few chapters, most people do not know what love is, nor are they able or willing to apply the characteristics of love that we discussed in the last chapter. They forget that love will place the interest of the other first; but, they do not. The feelings and ideas of what they think love is takes the place of working on the relationship. So, communication, as well as understanding and the willingness to work together to solve problems, is left out of the relationship.

In reality, there is no happily-ever-after or, riding off into the sunset together. Relationships require effort to make them work; they just do not happen. So, our favorite movies, and the romance novels do not give us proper reality; in fact, they corrupt our perspectives and thinking so we make faulty decisions. When our reality is in line with God’s, and we are following His precepts, then, the adventure of the relationship becomes fun, and we can ride off into that sunset. We can enjoy life better. Just know that that sun will rise the next day, and you may still be in the maze, lost and confused—perhaps, even hurt. The effort you put in will help keep you on the right path of developing that good relationship, as well as finding, and keeping the love of your life.


Is it true that all you need is love? Well, again, no! This is a big myth! When the friendship-seeking and dating adventure is over, and you find yourself outside of the maze and on the right path, you still need to build your house of love. The house of love is built on the precepts of character and love that were already discussed, and further constructed with the materials we will be looking at in the coming chapters.

If all you have is love, and, let’s say that it is real, authentic, Biblical love, yes, you will be doing good; however, as I have already said, most people, even committed Christians, do not operate in all of those precepts, all of the time. You will get bored when your friends never develop that relationship any further, and, you will, perhaps, go on to many more, skipping from one to another, and so forth. After you marry, just about the time you move in together, you will discover that you have traded your loneliness and quest of finding a mate, which you thought was your biggest problem, for a whole, new set of problems—Bigger Problems—unless you see it as bigger opportunities.

How are you going to relate to each other all of the time—from the toothpaste and toilet seat, to sleeping together, sharing personal items, friends, relatives, in-laws, pets, cars, your future, career—and, in addition, handling money, and rearing children? You are no longer in the dating and friend scene, where you can go home to do whatever you want. You have gone from being strangers to each other to a committed relationship, with responsibility! Change can be very difficult for some, and, if you made the wrong decision to live together first, you entered into an entire, additional set of other problems, as well. Love is not all you need, especially if you do not know what love is!


Will the perfect mate fulfill me? NO! Nothing can fulfill you completely. As we are filled with imperfections caused by sin, so we cannot have a mindset that is perfect and understanding like that of God, who is without sin. When we accepted Christ’s gift of grace, we did become complete in Him. But, not as most people think. We become declared complete (Galatians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5). Thus, in God’s eyes, we are pure; but, in reality and practice, our sinful state is still in practice, and is active. We can strive to become more mature, which is an aspect of sanctification, but, nonetheless, we are still imperfect beings. Sin affects all we do, including our mate selection and our relational skills. So, all we do is corrupt, even while trying to fulfill His will to the best of the ability and gifts He has given us. We are not even made for this world, rather, for the life to come (Isaiah. 44:9-20; Colossians 3:5).


Will my expectations of, “if you love me you will…” or, if you are only willing to do “my” half, help me? No! Because, you will have no real love—only your expectations to keep you company! These will only develop into pride, and, then, loneliness. If you set conditions, such as saying “I'll do my half if you….” you will stiffen any love that may be there, and your will and pride will take over. You will not be able to develop any kind of godly relationships if you set up conditions and expectations. Love does not put others in a stable made of the fencing from personal desires and expectations. It just will not work; it is not Biblical. All those who try, end up hurt, jumping from relationship to relationship, distancing from friends. Trying this in marriage will land you in divorce court.

If you are only willing to go half way, doing what you think is your part and no further, then, you are refusing to change. Do not go from one friendship to another until you get yourself straight, because, you will cause too much hurt to others. Do not even think of getting married, messing up someone else’s life and the lives of generations to come. You will be on the maze road to disappointment, disillusionment, and divorce. Selfishness takes up all of the space of relationships, and has no room in a relationship. Stay alone, buy a cat, and stay single, because you will be far happier. Yes this is harsh, and, it is sad, but, it is true. In addition, you will be saved from a lot of hurt, and from hurting others. Relationships are far too valuable and important to fool with.

You have to be willing to bend; if not, you will break! And, it will not be just you, because, it affects so many others, too. In marriage, it affects the families of both of you, and any kids you might have. You have to be willing to take chances with confidence. If you are operating in God’s character, it is a chance worthy to take and make. Look up and see the wonder He has for you! But, you will not be able to, if your vision is skewed with anything except His precepts.

You have to be willing to give at least 95%. If you are not, you need to work on yourself. When you are willing to give that amount, it will not be long until you will be at a 50/50 partnership. But, the key is the effort and willingness to go far beyond what you think your part is! When they feel you are contributing, your friends and spouse will feel inspired to do so, too. You will be able to cut through the tall grasses of conflict, understanding the issues and problems that spring up. Be willing to be the mower of the weeds of fear and pride that cover up relationships.

This life is unpredictable..one minute you're breathing..the next second ur gone..its too short to waste..why not cherish the things around you now and start counting your blessings...but when you cherish sumthing soo much...before you know it suddenly slips out of your hand..n that's the end...then how can i possibly hold on to sumthing and never let go??..that is not up to us to decide..God knows whether that sumthing is for you or not...we just have to have faith..for He knows best..when you learn how to let go of sumthing so precious to you..you are exercising ur trust that if its God's will that sumthing will always be yours..if its not yours then He has sumthing else even better..i know its scary..it happened to me..n im still learning to trust HIM in total obedience...God, you are in control..AMEN..

P.S I love You

I recommend all of you to watch P.S I love you..It's a sweet romantic movie with a touch of humour...hehe..The couple was inseparable by this great bond they had..The way the man conveyed his love for her was so touching...I cried just hearing him say I love you..even though they were 3 short words..it surely said it all with full of sincerity in his eyes..wow!..I wished that would happen to me too..hmm..till the right one comes my way..hehe..not to mention the sceneries of ireland..just breathtaking..you know, i always had this desire to one day have a chance to spend time with the love of my life in a country side(not the malaysian type le of course hehe)..a placed filled with huge land covered with greens and bright flowers...then we will stroll together hand in hand along the brick roads with tall trees shading the path...leaves falling everywhere(that's during autumn only hehe)..then he will express his feelings to me as we gaze into each other's eyes..gosh!..just feel like being there now..

WOW!!..time flies really fast..the month of May dashed through like lightning. Despite all that has happened I guess its all for a good cause...no regrets...we stumble and fall but we are lifted up again..like in the story about the little girl..we will rise up even higher than before..I hope to have a new beginning...new hope, new goals and visions, new joy...not only for myself but for those around me...trust the LORD that HE has our lives at the palm of HIS hands.

The story of a girl who once stumbled but was lifted again....

There was this beautiful garden.. filled abundantly with flowers of all kinds..the sweet and fresh aroma lingered all around..it was a beautiful place indeed. A little girl was seen strolling along the garden with her Father hand in hand. She was a good child..just looking in amazement but did not dare touch even a petal without the father's consent. Her FATHER was delighted to see HIS daughter being so obedient that HE decided to plucked a rose for her to play. She was contented and happy..."Thank you daddy" the girl smiled. After strolling for sometime, she caught a glimpse of a little boy playing in the garden. She was excited and wanted to play along. Her FATHER allowed her to join him but warned them not to go far away from HIS sight. They had a wonderful time playing together in the garden...her FATHER enjoyed watching them running around and having a fun time. After a while the little girl's FATHER said that HE has to depart for a while but will be right back in no time and HE reminded them of HIS commands. The two little ones continued playing...later the boy caught sight of a lovely butterfly not very far away from where they were...he decided that they followed it...but the girl told the little boy that she promised her FATHER never to go anywhere away from where they are at...The little boy convinced the girl that they won't go too far and that they will be back before her FATHER returns. She trusted him and agreed to follow on. They began running after the butterfly...not even stopping to catch their breath and before they know it they were far far away from their initial spot...The little boy assured her that they will find their way back but the more they ran the more they got lost..they did not give up and continued running..suddenly the little girl fell hard unto the ground and her knees were bleeding...she started crying in pain..her FATHER heard HIS daughter's voice and immediately came running towards her..The boy saw her FATHER and he was afraid that he may get scolded for his disobedience so he quickly ran off leaving the little girl behind all alone and badly injured. In the nick of time, her FATHER found her and quickly lifted her of the ground into HIS arms and wiped away her tears saying..."It's going to be alright my child, DADDY's here...she was comforted by HIS gentle voice and hugged HIM..the girl's FATHER attended to her wounds...made sure it was cleaned and dressed. The little girl said that the wounds were painful..her DADDY replied saying "Yes, i know it is painful but it will all be alright soon my dear trust me alright?"...the little girl nodded her head and apologized for her disobedience and repented...Her DADDY said.."As long as you hold my hand and never let go, I will never ever let you get hurt nor forsake you and that is a promise"...The little girl replied...Thank you PAPA".....


This story tells us that our dearest FATHER in heaven has an ever forgiving heart because HIS love for us is everlasting. He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow, never to change. Every tear we cry is collected in a bottle and recorded into HIS book. As long as we renew our trust and faith in HIM everyday, He will lead us and guide us to the very end. He is our LORD, JESUS CHRIST.

Life...Oh life....

Sometimes I wish things didn't happen the way it should be. I can't understand why it happened or what lead to that situation. I wish God would tell me but HE is silent, very silent. There is a song He gives and takes away, me heart will choose to say Lord blessed be your name. I was always afraid to sing that song because there were some things in life that I couldn't let go. However things changed, and I thought the person's love for me would never change but unfortunately it did. The love was based on emotions therefore it was vulnerable to changes and it could not stand the winds and waves that shook it. When we love someone it should not only be based on emotions but to love someone with your mind, and soul. Even though I loved the person very much, it didn't change anything. I was going round and round in circles hoping for something which no longer exist. Its so hard but I have to stop and move on. I know that God has greater things for me ahead and I don't want to miss any of it.

Always There (God is)

When I'm less than I should be
When I just can't face the day
When darkness falls around me
And I just can't find my way
When my eyes don't clearly see
And I stumble through it all
You I lean upon, you keep me strong
And you raise me when I fall
(chorus)
You are there when I most need you
You are there so constantly
You come shining through, you always do
You are always there for me
When life brings me to my knees
When my back's against the wall
You are standing there right with me
Just to keep me standing tall
Though a burden I might be
You don't weary, you don't rest
You are reaching out to carry me
And I know I'm heaven-blessed
(Repeat chorus)

God's love

Can we all love like God does?..He poured unconditional, sacrificial love for each one of us. His love is the only kind of love that will never die. We humans have the tendency to love for a moment, pour out our hearts for someone or something we are fond of and then one day we find ourselves not very keen and need a change. How is this possible?. Somebody told me its just the complexity of the human emotions. So the next question which comes in, can we stay faithful to one thing and one thing only?. Humans yearn for new things, once they get bored with something/someone they leave. However our LORD Jesus will never change. He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. As faithful as can be he will never forsake us even when we turn away from Him, He will never stop loving us but instead He will wait patiently for us to run back to Him. Dearest Lord you are forever wonderful and I stand in awe of you everytime. Praise your HOLY NAME.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness:
The Visible Outpouring Of Unconditional Love

by: Rev. Vera I. Bourne

The journey toward our healing starts with unconditional love and forgiveness - unconditional love and forgiveness we offer first to ourselves. These two are so closely interwoven that it is impossible to conceive of unconditional love without forgiveness and vice versa. As God loves utterly and forgives utterly, so we are to offer love and forgiveness. Jesus in his reply to the Pharisees stated: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it; Love your neighbour as yourself." (Matthew 22: 37-39) In the prayer he gave to his friends, and in his subsequent explanation Jesus is quoted as saying: "Forgive us our debts as we forgive others ... if you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Parent will forgive you ... but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Parent forgive your transgressions." There is no doubt God desires that we are all healed and whole, yet self-forgiveness and self-love are either neglected or put in the "too hard" basket. Worse still, many of us have never heard this portion of the Gospel. Yet from our earliest days we have been subjected to moral and spiritual directions which have taught us what was "good" and what was "bad"; what was "expected of us" and what was "unacceptable or inexcusable conduct". In fact, we are bent over by layer upon subsequent layer of shame and guilt, imposed on us by family, society, various spiritual decrees and regulations, by those who employ us and those with whom we work. Our greatest need is to see ourselves with the eyes of God, as people who are loved and are forgiven totally. We may need to turn to those skilled in the ministry of healing of memories to help unlock all those doors behind which we have repressed pain, anxiety, bitterness and failures together with the memories of those kindnesses we neglected, and all those acts of conciliation we refused. As Jungian John Sanford notes, "We are all of us wounded people. The is no such thing as a person who is free from illness, incompleteness, and injury to his or her personality. Some of us can simply hide from our woundedness better than others. When we can no longer hide from our woundedness, we are ready for individuation." As those who have not yet forgiven nor loved themselves we remain unhealed people. What is our reaction when we are required by Jesus to love and forgive others as we love and forgive ourselves, if we have not yet made peace with ourselves? How can we express unconditional forgiveness and love to others when we have not yet experienced it in our own lives? Fear - the opposite of love - is manifested in many forms: hatred, jealousy, pride, resentment, anger, greed, prejudice, hostility, conceit and various "-ism" words. Each and every one of these manifestations of fear corrodes our personality, our spiritual walk, our attitudes and our physical bodies. Changes in blood pressure, indigestion, ulcerated stomachs, nervous breakdowns and coronary attacks can often be traced back to lack of unconditional love. Unconditional love frees us from all bonds and restrictions - we rejoice at the successes of others, and mourn over the plight of many. We are so filled with love that life bubbles over. Those who are yet to know this experience of unconditional love often close in on themselves, creating a universe of which they are the center. They are fearful and jealous of their reputation, they begrudge the successes of others, they become neurotic and sometimes paranoid that there is a conspiracy somewhere directed against them. Their fear, hatred and jealousy eat away at their peace of mind, at their relationship with the Creator, and at their physical bodies. They become consumed by fear, riddled by the worms of nightmares of their own making. Their lives are punctuated by explosions of anger, and as such are immature reminders of childhood. Whether these outbursts are used as a release of tension or frustration, or whether they are used as a weapon, they are still only tools of manipulation. James 4: 1-2 speaks of these outbursts. God continues to love all of creation, passionately, unconditionally. For God so loved the world that ... "If love is the soul of Christian existence, it must be at the heart of every other Christian virtue. Thus, for example, justice without love is legalism; faith without love is ideology; hope without love is self-centeredness; forgiveness without love is self-abasement; fortitude without love is recklessness; generosity without love is extravagance; care without love is mere duty; fidelity without love is servitude. Every virtue is an expression of love. No virtue is really a virtue unless it is permeated, or informed, by love (1Corinthians 13)." - Fr. Richard P. McBrien, Catholicism. Why shouldn't those who have wronged us be punished, made to bear the cost of their actions/words? We all have a deep-seated conviction that "someone ought to pay." Jesus spoke of this "eye for an eye" attitude - the letter of the law - as being superceded by the requirements of Love. How can things ever be made right? How can those words/actions be wiped from the memories and lives of the victims and of others? Revenge merely sets one on the same level as the one who has wronged you, forgiveness moves you both closer to God. From forgiveness it is a tiny step to accept others as beloved children of God, and to love them as such. Jesus demonstrated that God condemns no person; therefore why do we? Why do we refuse forgiveness when for our own healing, wholeness and peace of mind we need to be forgiven and to offer forgiveness? "Forgiveness means that we have asked for a miracle: the ability to see through the mistakes that someone has made to the truth that lies in all our hearts" - Marianne Williamson, Illuminata. Forgiveness is seeing others as loved as equally as we are by God, and as justified, forgiven and reconciled by the blood of Jesus as we are. Forgiveness removes our rights to avenge and to revenge. It prevents us from attacking others. Forgiveness costs - often it seems to produce more pain than the original wounding. It involves accepting voluntarily the harm or evil that has been inflicted on oneself, and letting the other person go free. In love, we bear the cost of those sins against us. Both human and divine forgiveness are substitutional. The cross was the price God paid to forgive us. We could never pay the debt of sin we owe to God, so God paid it for us. By our forgiveness of others we pay their debt to us. Forgiveness does not mean we suppress our anger - forgiveness means we give up our right to anger. Alone we cannot do this, it is far too hard. Every person is one for whom Christ died, and one whom God regards as a perfect, loving child. We need to recognize that each and every one of us is an immortal soul. Our actions and reactions will become part of the immortal record of our lives. We need to turn to God and ask for strength to tread this path, so that we may offer forgiveness, acceptance and love to others. Only God knows and understands others, so rather than trying to analyze their motives, we need only to be accepting and forgiving. In Col 3: 12-14 Paul speaks of this. God has never refused forgiveness to any person, nor turned away from any. There can be no peace without forgiveness. Forgiveness does not erase the past, nor can forgiveness change it. Instead forgiveness removes the power of the past to cause pain or anger; it provides permanent healing of those memories. Forgiveness empties the bitterness from our lives. Bitterness left to fester will erode our attitudes, our rationale and motives and our relationship with God. To be able to accept God's forgiveness we must be free in ourselves to offer forgiveness to others. We must be prepared to offer this forgiveness not only once, but should a memory of the offence be renewed we must offer forgiveness once again - continually. To offer forgiveness continually is to live forgiveness by accepting the rough and tumble of life, by turning disappointments into opportunities. While we still may not like the person(s), or may find a clash of lifestyle or philosophy to be a bit too much to say 'friend', we at least reach out to find the common ground and see if friendship, or at least the ability to work and live together, develops. C.S. Lewis in The Weight of Glory speaks of the unconditional love we are asked to demonstrate: "And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner--no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat -- the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden." It is by forgiveness that we dissolve the bonds that tie us to those we forgive, as well as to our old thought patterns and beliefs. Without the willingness to forgive we perpetuate the pain, the abuse and the memories of those past traumas continuing in our present time. We have no need to confront that person(s) to offer forgiveness. We can ask God to wrap them in our forgiveness and love, or we can choose to visualize sending a cloud or blanket of love and forgiveness to them and having it enfold them. Those who use a pipe in prayer will also know how to send such blessings. There is no barrier to prevent us extending our forgiveness, save our own willfulness. Perhaps we don't choose to forgive today, or let go of those painful memories just yet. We want to hug them a little longer to our breasts, to feel the thorns again pierce our flesh. Why? Why in the name of the Risen Christ do we Christians choose this option? Christ has borne the cost of forgiveness, why must we punish ourselves by refusing forgiveness? Why do we choose to continue to live as the victims of rape, of verbal or emotional abuse, and of rejection when in an instant we can set ourselves and the perpetrators free? Do we not believe we deserve the peace and joy such forgiveness will secure? What is the fear which will not permit us to live as healed, whole, radiant people? As a society, as a nation, as part of all creation we need communally to seek forgiveness from God. While a society cannot be ordered to don sackcloth en masse, we can gather publicly and commit to the change, and the Christians of our nations can (as individuals and as the Church) confess our sins before God and another (or many others) and seek God's forgiveness. Our society and our nations have practiced racism; we have been willing to destroy the mountains of food we have overproduced while millions in the world starve; we have not spoken out when we have seen the rights, the homes and the lives of others destroyed; we have created barriers of class, gender and sexuality. As members of our societies and our nations we must be prepared to seek forgiveness from those whom we wronged, and try to make restitution. Sometimes restitution is not possible, but our act of confession and sorrow allows the growth of roots of healing. And with this healing comes reconciliation. Reconciliation is not easily achieved on either side, for each of us has been damaged by our own acts and by the acts of others. We have built defensive walls to protect us from further damage. God will need our permission to start demolishing these walls. But by the gift of unconditional love and forgiveness Jesus has moved to restore our relationship with God and our relationship with each other. For this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. Sometimes I believe we forget the price God paid so that we could be forgiven, so that no trace of those sins would ever remain to convict us in God's sight. Jesus was physically put to death, his body broken, spilled out for us. When we read the Ten Commandments and Jesus' commission for each of us, we cannot but note that God's directs our concern outward to others. It is our neighbours, our families, our enemies, and the untapped fields waiting to be reaped for Christ which are the focus of God's attention. When we share the Eucharist it is not a solitary meal, for even if we are celebrating it by ourselves, we do so within the entire universal family of believers, past, present and future. God's love and forgiveness pour out, as Christ's blood was poured out, for all. And that includes all from whom we have withheld our forgiveness. We can never be sure of the hidden compulsions which cause people to strike out, so how can we judge their words and actions justly? God does know, and God forgives. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. We are called to be a peculiar people, to view life differently and to live it differently. In some ways our walk may seem topsy-turvy to others; our values have changed from self to service. In Matthew 5: 21 - 24 are recorded Jesus' words which challenged his hearers' previous thoughts about their relationship to each other and to God. Jesus not only overturned the tables at the Temple, but he overturned our responses to one another even to this day. When, after the war, Corrie ten Boom met a former guard who had been responsible for the torment of women in the concentration camp at Ravensbruck, try as she could, her hand would not extend to touch his ... until she put the matter in God's hands, and forgave. She could then clasp his hand and bless him. Topsy-turvy it could seem. The words whose echoes still resound in the ether, continuing to challenge us to repudiate the reasons we use to justify withholding unconditional love and forgiveness, are those which Jesus spoke at Calvary: Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.

To be in the likeness of Christ (written by sabrina with guidance from God's word)

As we move into a brand new year of 2008, most of us have already planned new year resolutions. There are so many targets and goals that we want to accomplish this year. Some of us hope to get a promotion or a pay rise, and there are some who intend to even find a life partner etc. Setting these goals are essential and vital. It helps to push us to strive harder or make an extra mile in order to achieve the end result. However we tend to get so caught up in achieving the best until we become so busy we start compromising on the Godly things and lifestyle we used to have. This will lead us astray from God and ultimately jeopardize our relationship with him. When we look back at our new year resolutions, most of them are of the world. What about Godly goals? Haven’t we forgotten to include that in? Why do we have so many goals for ourselves but forgot about setting goals to achieve for the LORD?

As children of God we must have Christ kingdom perspective in mind. The ultimate goal for our lives is to be like HIM more and more. We as His disciples must reflect God’s light.

We are called to be the salt and light of the world (Mark 9:50)

1. we should remember God’s faithfulness
2. we should make a difference in the flavour of the world. (like salt changes meat taste)
3. we should counteract with the moral decay in society. (salt preserves food from decay)

Whatever we do, our actions are always being observed by the people around us. Therefore before we decide to respond to a certain situation, we must evaluate and ask God to help us discern if it is appropriate to respond in a particular way and whether or not it is His will. For example, if a person makes us angry, are we going to go berserk and burst out back on the other person or are we going to settle it in a calm and pleasant way. The way we respond will ultimately affect the impression that people have on us. We are God’s ambassadors and royal priesthood therefore we must be watchful of how we bring ourselves, our daily conduct and attitudes because the way we portray ourselves must be glorifying to His name. We wouldn’t want to shame and dishonor His name but instead we want to show the world that JESUS is our LORD and He lives in us.

Some important characteristics of GOD that we are ought to follow.

A) Offer forgiveness and unconditional love.

Our God is ever loving and merciful. Even though how much we sin against Him, he still loved us. He wants us to follow thus very nature of HIM.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. (Luke 23:34)

If God himself forgave who are we to judge other people when we too are sinners. We must first examine our own attitudes and actions.

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you

shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37)

He wants us instead to learn to love our neighbors who include family member, friends, husband/wive, or enemies despite of what they have done in our lives. Why he wants us to forgive like He does? Because he wants to set us free and to experience the true joy and blessings of the LORD. He don’t want us to be burden by all those past that have hurt us. It is better to lift it all up to the Lord than to let these negative emotions as a result of unforgiveness to torment us. Our job is to pray for those who hate us. Love them in spite of what they have done to us. The journey towards healing starts with combining both unconditional love and forgiveness. If there is not love, there is no forgiveness or it will be hard to forgive. Both are closely entwined.

Easy as said than done (when it comes to loving your enemy), but you can do it when you strive to see people through the eyes of Jesus full of love and compassion. We also need to turn to God and ask for strength Real love requires all of our efforts and sacrifice. Everything we have to give like money, time, our pride, and personal involvement to help the other person. By putting the other person's needs ahead of our own we walk with a humble attitude. (we let go of our rights to put others first) When we do this, the person that hurt us will be aware that we are different. We are Christ ambassadors and ought to show a Christ like example to people for them to follow. Remember we do all things to glorify His mighty name.

B) Practice Servanthood

We all need to have a heart of a servant. Even our LORD JESUS, a man who is highly exalted served His people. In the bible it tells us that JESUS washed the feet of HIS disciples which show servanthood. His life on earth is more of serving the people He sees everyday (healing, teaching, feeding, blessing) and does not expect anything else for His own benefit in return but only hope that they will hear the gospel and receive salvation form our heavenly Father. It is the command of our Father to be faithful and sensible servants for Him and for His people.

Matt 24:45-47

How to have a heart of a servant?

- lay down our rights at the feet of the cross (rights to anger, certain advantage etc) Let’s say we waited for the waitress to sit us in a restaurant for a rather long time already and finally she gave another person the sit first. Are we going to scream at her and demand for a free meal because it was our rights to get our sits first.

- give rather than receive (offer help to shift house or clean the church or help a brother in a project without asking)

- serving means sacrificing (time-going out for a movie, shopping spree, girls night out, sleep over, pillow talk, energy-help to shift house, give tuition to help out in studies, possessions-treat friends once in a while)

Acts 20:35

It is more blessed to give than to receive

- humble

- obedient to the word of GOD

- doesn’t complain but be submissive (do as told e.g leaders)

- does not wait to be called to do something (clean the church, offer to help without asking)

C) Being and Influencer

1 Timothy 4: 12

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

We all influence people every stage of our lives, whether we recognize it or not. The question is how do we influence? In a good way or a bad way. The best model to follow is JESUS and how His life related to people. (basically how His ministry affected the people) The gospel tells us that Jesus poured His life into a few people, and in turn this small group impacted the world and all of history. We are often encouraged to influence other people with our Christian walk not out of obligation, but because it brings great meaning and joy to our lives (when we see other people get touched by what we say or do, we are delighted because we know that we are walking right with GOD and we are encouraged) and It is a high calling and a part of our pre-designed purpose that He has for our lives.

How and who do we influence?

- not limited to people with ongoing relationship (a person that you have been nurturing or sharing the gospel)

- it can be a one time encounter with a stranger u meet at a bus station or it may be a short message in a greeting card that includes the gospel of JESUS.(God’s calling and commission for us)

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15)

- not necessarily from a classroom setting where a speaker will talk about a particular topic (sermon, seminar) which influence or impact their lives.

- We can use everyday events and impacting moments as opportunities to teach or influence. (you see a blind man on the street, how u respond to that scenario, or how u have been praying for a payrise or good results when finally your prayers have been answered.

- Can happen in an informal setting e.g: during a shopping spree with your friends, in uni, workplace or church.

- By story telling (JESUS use parables)

- By showing the heart of compassion to those who are in need. (really moving out from the comfort zone and into the darkest streets, deserted places where beggars and prostitutes live.)

- Giving counsel and practical advice.

- Nurture the potential in others to fulfill their God given purpose. Influence them to have a heart that is passionate about serving by telling them what GOD can do with their lives like what GOD has done to you and how they can play an important role in building the kingdom of GOD. (encouragement) This can be done by looking out for gifts and talents which one can serve in church and affirming that what he/she does is right and in the will of GOD.

Matt 28:19,20

Pray that the LORD will reveal to you the people that He wants us to impact with biblical insights, and encouragement for the journey of life.

D) Steadfast in prayer

Having a prayerful life as a Christian is the utmost important. We all need to pour out our hearts desire and needs to God. Even Jesus prayed to His Father often. No matter how busy He was, Jesus still spent time alone with His Father, praying. After a full, tiring day of ministering to people and healing He still woke up early the next day to spend time with the LORD.

Mark 1:35

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.

Why Pray??

- to receive guidance from God to carry you through the whole day.

- Have faith that God answers

- We have hope in God

- We surrender our lives to God and know that He is in control

- Acknowledging our dependence on God

- Because prayer is powerful (our God is a God of possibilities)

- It is God’s will in our lives

1 Thessalonians 5: 17,18

Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

- Because He is glad when His children come to seek Him in prayer

Proverbs 15:8

He delights in the prayers of the upright.

- We acknowledge that He is God over our lives

- To have an intimate relationship with the LORD ( draw us closer – comm. with the Lord about the ups and downs of our lives)

What do we pray?

- For the nation (peace, good leaders, Christian ministers) - intercessory

- Defeat any hindrances and plans from the evil one

- For the people that we are nurturing

- To soften the hearts of our loved ones and uncover the veil for those who do not know the LORD

- To transform lives

- Blessings and protection

- For Him to reveal the purpose that He has for our lives.

How do we pray?

- with a humble attitude

- with expectancy that God will answer

- with a sincere and pure heart

1 Samuel 16:7

“For the Lord does not see as a man sees, for a man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”

- in spirit and in truth

Praying is more effective than actually confronting someone to help him/her as prayers are capable of moving mountains.

Mark 9:29

This kind can come out only through prayer

However there are times when our prayers seem to be not answered but don’t fret because in His due time it will be but maybe not in ways that we want it to be but in His will because He knows what is best for us. Therefore we must never give up praying but instead be steadfast and persevere in prayer.

Galatians 4:4

But when the time had fully come, God sent His son, born under law.

God sees the heart and how much faith that we have to know that God hears our prayers and that something has already been taking place in the spiritual realm.

It is never easy to be like Christ. We made a choice to follow Him which means walking the same path that He walked and using Him as a role model in our temporary lives here on earth. Ask God to mould you into His image everyday and pray that He will give you the strength to follow Him.