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Just wrote an article on BGR! Geezh.. never thought I would be touching on the issue at this time, but praise God, it was enlightening for myself just writing it, coz I realised how much I DIDN'T KNOW! Anyways, someone helped me put in some suggestions for a clearer article and hey, it came out looking quite decent in the end. Man... my first step to better writing... at least it's not so heavy and serious like how I used to write. It's a step,... a step..!
It's so exciting how so many ppl are watching this show and being touched, converted, and so forth. I'm often thrilled whenever anyone expresses interest in knowing God. What more God himself, don't you think?
Jerry Savelle:
"God sees you as a potential champion! Yes, you. You have a mandate from God. He has called you to spread this Gospel to the world.
You might say, "Well, I've done a lot of bad things in my life. What could Jesus possibly want with me?" You're exactly what Jesus died for. You're the reason He died. In fact, Jesus died while you were yet a sinner.....
.....Once you see people the way Jesus saw them, you'll never be able to look at another person the same way. You'll see them differently. You're not going to be able to stand in the streets of your city and watch the crowds go by and see what you saw before. You're going to see people who need direction. People who need Jesus.
It is vitally important that you catch the vision of what Jesus sees. Catch the vision of how Jesus responds to people and how He reacts to people. He was moved with compassion.
How do you obtain the same vision and spirit of compassion that Jesus had? You must become a person of prayer. When the spirit of intercession comes on you, it will cause you to be willing to stand in the gap for the multitudes, the people in your community, the people in your city, and the people in your nation.
You've got to become serious about winning your city for Jesus, and absolutely stand toe-to-toe with the devil, and tell him, "You're not taking my city. You're not taking my community. You're not taking my nation. I'll fight you with everything I have, and I have weapons that are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. And in case you haven't noticed, devil, God is on my side. You are helpless and hopeless. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. So, you are coming down in Jesus' Name!"
I can see God literally taking cities and nations. How can that happen? By you and me catching the vision and becoming intercessors and spiritual warriors. By us being willing to stand in the gap. By us letting Satan know that he's not in charge of our city. Catch the vision, become an intercessor, and then become passionate about winning your city! "
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Quote from an article: "We slip behind a self-made facade and pretend. Sociologists call it impression management; the rest of us call it pain.
If we wear our masks long enough, we may guard against rejection and we may even be admired, but we’ll never be whole. And that means we’ll never enjoy true intimacy. Here’s the situation. When what you do and what you say do not match the person you are inside - when your deepest identity is not revealed to others - you develop an incongruent or fragmented self. Your outside doesn’t match what’s going on inside. You’re consumed with the impression you’re making on others, constantly asking What should I be feeling? instead of What am I feeling? You’re always wondering what other people think of you. You walk into a relationship and ask yourself How am I doing? instead of How is this person doing? And that subtle shift from thinking of yourself to thinking of others will move you into authenticity, a defining quality of wholeness. Congruent people have the security to focus on how others are doing - not because they want to look good, but because they genuinely care.
Vulnerability begets vulnerability. Once you take off your mask and reveal the real you - your fears, your desires, your excitement - others are likely to do the same. It’s disarming to learn you’re not alone. Vulnerability, you could say, is what builds a bridge from one person to another.
So if you are ever to achieve personal wholeness, it will be because you have the courage to drop your guard, take off your mask, and be real. It will be because you risk rejection from another to be true to yourself."
I wanna be true to myself.. because if you call all our self-made facades and pretenses impression management, I'll disagree because of the PAIN it brings... So what about impression?... But then I'll admit that it's really the tough part to risk rejection and be vulnerable.. to reveal to people my fears, my sadness, my weaknesses..
Bouncing back from a generally energy-less past week, I feel great today. And the secret? Because after much reflection on why I felt so miserable last week, I realised that actually it’s not because I don’t have enough friends, love or possessions, it’s because I haven’t been giving. And because I haven’t been giving, I haven’t received. And I wasn’t doing anything that contributed to my self-worth, rather, by reacting to circumstances negatively, it resulted in accumulative negative thoughts that just made me feel downright lousy.
This week it’s different. I realize, I’ve got my life to live, I’ve got my life to give! I gotta start giving, not to expect to receive. Friendship, warmth, love, concern.. all these, I’ve been quite selfish with lately. As a result, I became cold and bitter. Dramatic eh?
But it’s a true account of what can happen even within a short span of one week!
Anyways,... read this morning that "If you try to find intimacy with another person before achieving a sense of identity on your own, all your relationships become an attempt to complete yourself." (Drs Les & Leslie) How true..
Well other misc updates are that I'm still doing Pauline's brochure.. interesting... though coz we're both so busy, it's taking quite long. Went shopping yesterday with Mum at Suntec. It was fantastic, coz I haven't shopped so much in so long! Then, well, chatted with KZ today.. after so long! Miss all my JC friends...
I still remember my violin performance at the NTU Hall 2 productions last weekend (13/14th March), where I played violin with Jiamin (flutist). It was so fun! A coincidence? Could say that, but IF there's no such thing as a coincidence, then I'll just say "WoAH! Praise God!" coz He makes opportunities that really do cheer us up too!
Sometimes we think evangelism is so difficult, yet when you come to think of it, why is it so difficult? Is it because we are ashamed?
Just look at HK actor Edison Chen, who was hurt in a street brawl 2 days ago. He said, "I read the Bible. The Bible tells us to forgive, and I have forgiven them."
That statement just blew me away. That's evangelism! SO simple!
Edison also appealed to Hong Kong-ers to help when they see someone being beaten up. "There's no reason for so many people to look but no one to care." [Source: The Straits Times Life! 'No One Helped' (print edition)]
Read another more detailed report on the incident here.
A few days ago, I received an invitation to join a team to write for the Catholic News from Clarence (YPM), and I just can't help but praise God! You know, He really knows my deepest desires! Call it coincidence, opportunity, luck --- No! It's Christ working in my life! As far as more than a year back, I had written an email to the Catholic News expressing my wish to contribute. Of course, I did not expect a reply coz they most probably would be thinking, "Who is this?"... So I didn't pursue the matter further. But this time? An invitation to write just plops onto my lap. I'm elated! God answered an old prayer made so many many months ago!
I'm so challenged by writing (not political or entertainment news, but inspirational, educational articles). I realise much of writing bares out the soul of the writer himself and I am further challenged thus - What do I want to convey to the Catholic masses? Indeed there is power in communication. And I wanna tell all the Catholics out there that the time is NOW! Get up on your feet and preach the Gospel to your friends, coz whoever hears and believes the news of Jesus Christ will be saved and promised eternal life with the Father!
"God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). "...Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36, NIV)
The education system is being revamped. I think it's REALLY good for those 'O'-level kids (so much more exposure to the arts!) but i'm also thinking, "geez.. then How do we excel? Everyone is being so WELL educated nowadays."
Then again, there's always loopholes in any society. For Singapore I think it's the declining level of depth of character. Everyone is so preoccupied with the superficial, attaining success, standards of beauty, popularity, etc. It's suffocating to live in this worldly mindset.
I would rather live to serve the lowly, to bring hope to the lost, to tell the world about Jesus my saviour, that there is a purpose for life, and a plan for each and everyone of us to get to meet God, to know Him and experience His love for us.
Why am I always going to work by ECP, yet never tried the Nicoll Highway?
Hey this blog thing is actually really fun.. looking around seeing all the other nice blogs.. makes me wanna do something more to mine.. add a bit of bkground pics,.. design.. wait till I've time.. which I NEVER!
I never have time! Why!!! I Wanna do so many things.. so so many things.. i think it'll take my whole life to do everything I wanna do... Yet sometimes I think i'm stressing myself up, and end up doing nothing. I guess I better learn how to be more of a mary than a martha... (it's a biblical story where mary sat to listen to jesus talk and be recharged, while martha was busy doing lotsa things for jesus and was frustrated coz she was so busy and mary wasn't doing anything).
Yeah. True I'd like to sit and listen to Jesus, but sometimes also, it's so tempting to DO MANY THiNGS.. even also things 'for God'... the achievement, the honour, the pride of having done up something good. It's just so human, we need it so much.. yet.. are we pleasing God by being 'good' n doing all these 'good' things?? (What I mean good is by being polite to ppl, to be 'christlike', to not sin.. to restrain, to be excellent.. to be perfect...etc...)
I admit it's not an easy thing to understand, that we do not gain God's favour by the things we do, but faith... Eg. Like why if I do so many Good things.. charity.. kind deeds, being nice to people, to seek excellence within my work, relationships, I still am not doing what God wants for me? [NB:of course loving others and seeking success are BASIC virtues, we should have them and not be a mean person or to have no drive for life.... but the focus shldn't be to make ourselves 'better' people, or gain credits for yourself... but rather because God loved and died for us, and so we love others, as well as ourselves.]
So perhaps, God wants me NOT to try to show I love him by doing a lot of things, or to show others that I am a good christian, but to be able to simply love Him FIRST? THEN only he will use me to DO things, and to fill me with overflowing love for others... It's the other way round. Get the drift? .....:)
On the other hand, it's also that bit of perfectionist in me.. overdriven to the extent of being underdriven.. so complex.. too difficult to relax.. I think I need to just go for a holiday and bask in the Love of God, who exists outside time. Sometimes I really dislike being in the world. I think too much. Need some freedom.
Bible verse Matthew 22:36-40
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " '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 neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
This blogger thing is givin me a headache.. tried to link it up to my geocities homepage, but it doesn't link up properly.. okay no use explaining here, only make people confused. So well, tried to go back to auburnskye.blogspot but it's not publishing. Okay if you finally see this post, it's only after many tries and much eye strain!!
"Do birds of a feather flock together, or do opposites attract? Does absence make the heart grow fonder, or is out of sight out of mind? No doubt about it, in spite of all our good intentions and sincere efforts, relationships are rarely simple. Aren't all of us, even with people all around, susceptible to loneliness?" - A Quote from somewhere...
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