Learning to blog, just blog it!
As I recalled my few attempts to start blogging and most of the time it will last just a month. It's so hard to keep the online journal regular compare to the journal that i keep in my PDA. It takes a habit to formulate my thoughts and write it for public viewing.
I started in 2005 and it stopped. Then I tried starting in 2006 and it like once a month entry. then it stopped after 4-5 entries. And now this year 2007, I tried it a 3rd time in August after I came back from Europe. I'm so glad that I can keep a habit of blogging twice a week for 3 months! What an achievement! ha! I know that this achievement is nothing to many people. :)
I know blog is a powerful communication tool but sometimes I lack the discipline to make it as a habit. Through this process, I learnt that keep trying to attempt something that I have failed. It may not be successful for the 1st or 2nd or even 3rd time. However, as long as you don't give up, the right habit will be picked up. So now, it's so natural for me to write my experiences, learnings, happenings and thoughts via blog.
So friends, do continue to stay tune to this little blog of mine and get to know me and my life via this online journal. Stay in touch and connected! :)
Self reliance or God reliance?
Last night was PolyDiNs region prayer meeting after taking a break for a long long time. Prior to this event, I knew I can't depend on my past experience in leading prayer meeting to copy and cut for this coming prayer meeting. God has different agenda but I do not know what.
I started to rely on God through fasting, personal solitude and also to pray with my DMM before the prayer meeting. The funny thing was the word given by Leanne in the leader's prayer meeting before the Region prayer meeting was to depend on God. It sound so simple yet it's the most forgotten application in my life at times. We prayed earnestly and Word of encouragement keep coming in this leaders prayer meeting.
In the 1 hour 15mins region prayer meeting, I could sensed God working through us (the leaders) and the whole region. We worship, prayed, listened, prophecied, seeing vision, praying for each other through scripture prayer, earnestly hearing from God, praying for healing, surrender ourselves, claiming our spiritual land in campus and camps, praying for lost souls. There is only main thing throughout this prayer meeting : People seeking God and God showed his agenda through the leaders.
I'm awed and the richness of the spirit of God touches all our souls to yearn for God himself. Lord, pls do this in our private life as we keep a seeking heart daily. We will be a bunch of believers having both the content of Christianity and the expression of Christianity living actively in our campus, camps, homes and work place.
We want more and will walk in victory! Always depending on You as we work hard so we can usher the supernatural!
KL Trip
I was away for 3 days with Yin San to have a short holiday in KL. It's purely just a trip for shopping eating, shopping and relaxing. In short, it's to have fun! We took a early morning coach at 745am and we reached KL at 2pm.
We ate and shop and ate and shop. I'm not a shopping person so after 1-2 hours of walking I'm pretty restless already. I bought 2 big Sponge Box toy for my niece and nephew! This is my greatest satisfaction for that day! I know they will surely love it! :)
At night, we tried the roadside food where you get to cook the food yourself - It's called Loklok.
Asam Fish Laksa
Prawn Curry Set
We had filling dinner and went back hotel and catch Criminal Mind (one of my favourite drama series) on TV program.
The next day, we travel further and move in other shopping area. In the evening, we went to visit Hope KL & PJ office where we met Ps Simon, other Pastors and other full time staff. I'm pretty excited of this visitation because this is my 1st time to our hope church office besides Hope Bangkok. It was a good venue where office and service venue are together. There are few levels and there are many rooms too.
Service venue
Hope Movement Mission
Statement. It's the same
every Hope churches
Bao Juan, Houyu, Yin San,
Ps Laurence (Hope Penang),
Ps Moses (Hope KLCC)
Ps Willie (Hope PJ)
Jas & Lai Eng (Ps Simon's Wife)
*my great grand shepherd*
Well, I didnt have a chance to take a photo with Ps Simon that night. I guessed we are all hungry and when he has finished his work, we went for a late dinner together. Ps Simon (our Movement elder) is a funny guy. He is like a father to me and he really cares for people. I know he is a very busy man but when he knew we are visiting KL office, he ensure he will make time for a meal with us. He treated us for a tasty dinner! I'm very blessed by such people oriented leader. He is indeed a pastor. :)
Lai Eng, his wife is a down to earth lady. She must have been a great support to Ps Simon to assist him to do all he needs to in Movement level and Malaysia level. She is a sincere lady. Hope Singapore reports to Ps Simon Eng. ha! That means Lai Eng is my Great Grand shepherd. I'm shepherded by Claudia, Claudia by dinah and dinah by Lai Eng! Cool!
On the 3rd day, I'm not soon keen in shopping. Thus, yin san went shopping and I went to Kinokuniya and bought a book on branding by David Taylor. I enjoyed the lighthearted style of writing on branding of a product or company. I learnt some lesson after reading some chapters. It's really enjoyable to read this book compare to many other branding books that are more theortical. :)
Overall, it's a fruitful and refreshing trip... On the coach, I'm praying for this sat region prayer meeting. I'm praying for ALL my sheep and leaders. I'm praying for more of God's spirit and kingdom to be manifest in PolyDiNs andTertiary service!
* My mail box is going to be flooded with at least 80-100 mails..*......ha!
A chapter review - Integrity
In the last few posts, I mentioned that I reading the books that i have bought. I have finished The Holy Discontentment by Bill Hybels and now I'm at the 2nd book. The current book I'm read is
titled When the game is over, it all goes back to the box by John Ortberg.
I find myself reading the Bible like a mirror as I'm reading the 2nd book One of a chapter created a deep moments of reflection of my own life - The issue of Integrity.
Integrity is not the same as knowing the rules. My problem is not that I don't know the rules, but that I don't live what I already know.
Integrity is not the same as reputation. Developing a reputation for integrity is not the same as having it. Jesus is the only person in New Teastament to use the word hypocrite to describe those who "do not practice what they preach."
"Sin-Avoidance" is not the same as integrity. Integrity is much bigger than simply avoiding breaking the rules. It's becoming the kind of person who does the right thing. Integrity does not mean I get really good at not doing things I really want to do. It means I become the kind of person who actually wants to what is right.
Thinking I'm okay doesn't guarantee Integrity. My problem is not just my lack of character it is that I can't even see how badly I lack it.
As I'm ending this chapter review, I'm glad there is a way out for myself and those who breaks the rules. The way back home for rules breakers is the way of grace through REPENTANCE. Take a time to do a heart check with God. We are back home again. :) Jesus loves me and wants the best of me. :)
thank you daddy....
Leadership Camp Photos - X2 & SP!
The next batch of photos of the radical night in X2/SP camp. Don't be afraid of some photos where it's just a costume dressing. Some may look horrifying though we are not embracing the values of the character. The objective of the costume dressings is to move people out their norm and shyness so our leaders can be more courageous and bold.
I'm impressed by many of them of they act of overcoming shyness and do something different.
Martin from Hope Germany and Leanne
Guess who is beside Leanne? Randall acted Phua Chu Kang
Jorris and Joealla (She won the top costume dressing)
A good time of reading and learning..... We want to build Word Centered Leaders who truly loves the bible and apply it!
Lord, raise many of them to reach more Poly and ITE students!
Leadership Camp Photos - TP/NP & NS!
Check out these photos.....
Ritchie, Jeremiah and Terence (All NS guys leaders!) I think they may clear up all the food!
Raymond and Kangyi (Another 2 NS leaders!) I think they need more food because they had alot in really camps too!
A time of lighting up candles and blowing off candles! Lamuel from TP blew up my candle!
TP/NP & NS without Colin and Nel in the group photo. hee! They went off with me for a dinner meeting..... :)
Lord, I pray you will raise many of them to be new servant leaders to reach and build more Poly students and NS Men! *shukaulalanmamaliama* *praying in tongues* hee!!
What a weekend! You guys rocks!
I had a very eventful and energetic weekend spent 2 days ago! I went to X2/SP leadership camp on Saturday and NP/TP/NS leadership camp on Sunday! I taught on courage on saturday noon and spent a good lunch after that. Thereafter, I left for Tertiary service and came back with the team for a mega night games with X2/SP team! On the next day, I have a chance to share my heart with the TP/NP/NS team! We set clear goals and commit to God for this coming week. We aim to score this week. Thereafter, we had a good fun playing candle games (suppose to be night games...:)
I was so blessed to share about my conviction in serving God and campus ministry. I was so blessed to spend time with uprising leaders in informal times of meal and games.
I saw good and committed leaders leading and charging the people! Like our NS ULs like Andrew, Leslie, Colin serve and teach despite having tight schedule! Kudos to Leanne and Nel who organised this leadership camp with their team. I saw sacrifical leaders giving and serving the people. This is what spiritual leadership is all about! I want to comment other ULs like Ace, Joel, Jen, Xueting who invested in raising leaders week in and week out. (Lennon is working for 12 hours in a hotel so he can't join the camp.....:( )
I heard that many are challenged to do more and dream more for campus ministry! I will say it again - People really matters to God. There is nothing beats to raise servanthood leader to serve more and more PolyDiNs people!
We will score this week! I will post the photos in the next entry when I receive from the leaders....:) Send me more photos pls....
What a great attitude, musicians!
Last night was a usual praise and worship rehearsal. The team were all punctual and some arrived much early. We prayed, Ben and Wanqi led us worship and then we prayed again. It was good start before our actual technical rehearsal starts.
We went through the praise and we fine tune the speed and tightness of the song. There we came to the song - The more I get to know you. It was an old song or most sung in CG. It was a short song and the arrangement is simple but can be a boring song if no new arrangment is done. This is the most interesting part where I suggested the keyboard to fill in and do variation when we repeat the chorus. Ben, the 1st keyboardist tried his best and to the variation but it was not easy. I continued to encouraged and highlighted what i wanted but it was not easy to deliver that.
Then there were a little tension between me and Ben. We read each other differently as we exchanged some comments how the music is arranged. Then suddenly everyone stopped playing and all gave their attention to both us as we talked. Ben expressed how he feel and what he thinks. I expressed how I feel and how I think too. Then both of us immediately put ourselves into each other shoes to understand and think the best of each other. Another key boardist, Qiaoping also helped me to see Ben's point of view - why he says and what he says it.
Both of us read each other better and we apologised to each other. Before we proceed on to arrange the song, I walked to Ben and ensured both of us are okay. We shared again and we understand each other better how we say certain things.
I admired Ben's attitude because after the whole music rehearsal, he went to explained to the rest of the musician what went wrong and what are the responsibility he is taking. He is humble, courageous and surely teachable. I'm really blessed to have him to contribute in worship team.
Ben, though you said that your skills are not there but your attitude and spirit is there. This is the kind of vessel God is going to used and lifted up to touch more lives for Him.
I wanna to thanks Wanqi, Joanne, Jolene, David Chan, Nehemiah, Jovin, Randall, Jiasheng, Qioaping and Ben to be in the team for this week and more weeks to come. Last night, all of you were there to support and help during the little tension and you play to your best! I'm totally blessed by such individuals! Of, last night supper was cool! I enjoyed it! Wanqi, cutie wanqi.....
We will be and build a holy worship team (open to correction and feedback, humble and being a team player) to touch many more Tertiary students in Singapore and all over the world. Slowly one step at a time but God can work that in our lives.
Leadership Camp
There is an important event over this weekend that is the Leadership Camps! X2 and Sp will be having their camp at Bukit Batok and Tp, NP and NS will be having their camp at BB HQ!
I will be joining some of the events for each camp. I'm looking forward for a deep life transformation in many uprising leaders hearts!
I heard there will be teaching of the Word, deep fellowship, prayer, prophetic time and of course food! :)
If you are invited to the camp and happen to read this blog, do start to prepare your hearts to recieve something personal from God! :)
As for the rest of my friends who read this blog, do keep our PolyDi Sub district camps in prayer! God is rising new generation to reach his people in campus and camps!
I fall in love with R.....
I fell in love with Readings.... Last Tuesday, it was my off day and it was a eventful day for me. I have wanted to get 2 books but it was out of stock when I visited TecMan. However, I managed to called up Life book shop at Forum and found out that they had this 2 books at their store.
After visiting Life Book Shop, I headed straight to Borders to look for another 1 book that I wanted to purchase. They have the book! Cool! I stayed in Borders for another 1 hour to browse through some new books. It was refreshing to just comb through the whole store and found out different news books on shelf.
I don't enjoy reading before I came to know Christ. My favourite book is chinese comics like "Lao Fu Zi" and "Xiao Tian Tian". (I wonder how many of you knows these comics? It belong to my generation. ha!) I don't read any novels or triller books. I think the only books I read is my school text books. However, I was totally changed when I came to hope church. My leader/s bought the bible for me to read. Then, they started to encourage me to read Christian literature. They will buy Christian books for mjy birthday and lend me helpful books so I can learn and grow. Well, it was hard for me in the beginning in 1993. But after 2 years, I picked up the habit of reading and buying good books. After these 10 years, I have so more books that I have 2 book shelf to store the books.
I have benefited from reading different kinds of books. So let me introduce you the 3 books that I have recently bought and I have completed one and started the 2nd book. :)
Friends, you have any good books to recommend me, do feel free to drop a comment at my blog. I will like to hear your book reviews. :)
