tea with scholars :)

chu hsien, me & janice @ shokudo, cityhall.

Jan got her ASEAN Scholarship in SG since Oct 2009 and finally I have made the effort to meet up with her in SG after 3 months+. Chu Hsien was also from Convent and was Jan's classmate :) She attended teenz camp and she was in my cg that time, God is so gracious to grant both of them the scholarship and now they have companion to go to church on every Sunday morning. There are many rules to comply under the contract, they are not allowed to leave the hostel and school to come back to JB for the weekends... I know it's unbearable sometimes, but press on ya, you know God has so much more in store for each of you and you will surely experience a greater adventure for the coming 4 yrs! Continue to place your trust in Him!

Will keep you girls in prayer, gambateh neh! ;D

here comes 2010!

Finally I am into 2010!
I got the above pic from the web and added some words on it.
And friends, it is my prayer for you for this new year! :)

The feeling is great when I shut the world out of my room and just spent time with God, commit all my plans unto Him. He just lifted me up once again! I grab hold of His promises and yea, I am so looking forward to what He is going to do for the coming 11+ mths!

Hmmn, this year my 2 biggest plans are:-
(1) to focus on building my youth cell group and to seriously spend time to disciple them...
(2) to start a part time bible courses : after searching, emailing the schools, consulting leader etc, i found none that suits my work schedule and the ones that are suitable, they are too far fr my workplace (can't reach on time at all!) thank God that my Aus friend knows my needs and he sent me some bible studies DVDs by John Bevere & Beth Moore which I am going to do it by myself!

Of coz i have other plans as well, like mastering photoshop and illustrator, picking up my guitar skill, spending more time with my family... etc... and.. to lose 4 kgs! lol... (but i just ate a chocolate banana crepe topped with ice cream. aiyo.)

oh yahhhh, not forgetting my BKK Trip!
Went to Bangkok for the new year long weekend with a few church friends, a very short yet fruitful trip... because we didnt waste a single minute there!
basically just sightseeing, shopping, shopping, more shopping... and eating, eating, non-stop eating... lol.

sunflower field @ Lopburi (FGC meteor garden - sunflower scene. lol.)

non-stop eating food trip started @ bangkok airport!

we are very blessed to get to know shujing's thai friends and they are way too hospitable and generous, this pic was taken after a sumptuous meal treated by Yun's parents (a table costs THB10,000!). It's alwaz great to know new friends. :)

Here comes 2010, are you ready for the great things God is going to do in you?

Behold, He will do a New Thing!

bye, 2009.

this is what i wrote after thinking what to post to end the year of 2009.

that is to thank god for everything that happened for the past 12 months.

CHURCH

thank God that He has sustained me for leading 2 cell groups and chairing the young adults camp... when i was juggling between the new job as well as the new faces in teenz, God really double up my time and energy. how He has blessed me with the strong friendships and how He taught me to realise my inadequacy in handling things etc...

FAMILY

thank God for the financial contraints that my family faced, that i see the love among our family and how much we can sacrifice for one another... and this reminds me to store my treasures in heaven. where my heart is, there my treasure is.

even though i was very disappointed that my dad rejected my invitation to church christmas rally (again)... and God has been silent for my parents salvation for the past 12 years... this make me wanting to pray harder in 2010 and see Him moving in my family.

FRIENDS

when i was feeling down n emo, i feel extremely lonely walking pass the field down my HDB in Sg... If I never experienced such loneliness, i will never know God has placed so many great friends around me :)

CAREER

without His leading and the wisdom He has given me, it is impossible for me to survive in this new industry by looking at all the service level agreements and I.T technical terms... He has given me opportunities to handle overseas projects in farrrr away countries like panama, qatar, trinidad & tobago, peru etc :P i never know i have such ability to do so.

it's my joy to join "Lighthouse" our company christian fellowship, esp the time we gather and pray for company business and CEO. we want to see God moves in the marketplace!

SPIRITUAL

i experienced a broken-heart this year. i never know it could be so painful and hurt. a heart that was broken into pieces. If i never experienced this, i never know God could heal the broken hearted and turn my sorrows into joy. He is my restorer and my comforter :)

this has brought me to a deeper level of relationship with God.

OTHERS

I never know I like Perth so much until i went there. great place, great friends... it reminds me how great our God is putting everyone from everywhere together and makes our paths crossed through the OCF 50th Convention. an amazing experience, vision restored; hope renewed!

i have no idea what God has in store for me for the coming year, i believe it is full of excitement and beyond my imagination. i am looking forward to this adventure of faith, i know i will have a great year ahead, growing in His wisdom and in knowing Him.

I am signing off...this end my last post of 2009... gtg to pack my stuff for my short holiday @ bangkok.

Have a blessed new year 2010 :)

*shut down mode*

aiyo. i m still in shut down mode after coming back from ocf convy. terrible! :(
my mind is super messy and very forgetful... (-_-O)
and my knee suddenly felt pain last nite...
arghhhhh... ageing... ageing...

it's year end...
time to evaluate 2009...
looking through my resolution this year, surprisingly i achieved so many of my goals!
it's time to sit down and prepare for my new year resolution...
things that i want to do for the coming year ;)

oh, next year i will have 16 days annual leave... hmmn... still not enough :(

carried forward from 2009 = 2 days
+ entitled annual leave for 2010 = 16 days
+ replacement of public holiday 2010 = 2 days
Total : 20 days

Minus (tentative plan) 22 days :-
(1) Bangkok Trip = 1 day
(2) Ken & Ketyng's wedding = 1 day
(3) Teenz Camp = 3 days
(4) TnT Camp = 2 days
(5) Overseas Mission Trip = 5 days
(6) Brisbane & Hobart Trip = 10 days

ahaha... its -2 days... not enough sia!!!

seems like i can only choose either Brisbane or Hobart next year...
feel like going Hobart for convention...
but i wish to visit su ann in bris as well... never been there...
oh no... tough decision... >_<

disturbed :(

after convention - vision restored; hope renewed. recharged n refreshed.

i dunno why i have this disturbing feeling within me...
something must be wrong. argh.

i ve prayed and i believe He will clear my doubts very soon.
... have Your Way O'Lord.

OCF Convy Night Talks Summary

Sharing by Ps Christopher Chia from ARPC, Sg:-

1. Restoring God! (2 Tim 3-4)
a. Be a God Fearer and not a men pleaser – I m reminded that preaching in front of 300 people with full preparation must be the same as I preach in front of 1 person (if I am a men-pleaser, I am a self-lover).
b. Be an evergreen preacher of the gospel – Don’t lose the patience towards the same group of people!
c. Be a Truth-Decay Specialist – So that the appetite for false teaching will stop!
d. Be a Level-headed Minister and not a Big headed Minister
e. Be a marathon runner and not a sprinter – because Christian walk is hard work, a fight to be fought! And we have to fight the right and good war for God :)

2. Restoring Love (1 Cor 13)
The most spiritual person is the one who loves.
a. Supremacy of Love – it is not what we do that matters, it is how we do that matters! Journey of Christianity = Journey of Love. Love is the currency of heaven!
b. The Character of Love (1 Cor 13) – Love perseveres = Love waits courageously (for God’s solutions!)
c. The Permanence of Love – to love in a loveless world.

3. Restoring Prayer (Matt 6:1-15)
The Lord’s Prayer. Don’t focus on impressing men but focus on glorifying God!
a. Real Danger to God’s Church – self-serving, self-centered, self-glory. Self-importance is the greatest killer and destroyer of true divine fellowship. 1st quality of a leader is Humility and NOT Ability.
b. A Radical Intimacy – we must know the name of God and knowing that we are in the circle of intimacy with Him.
c. A Radical Kingdom – His Name shall be our first concern and commitment, we are not allowed to run our lives anymore.
4. A Radical Dependence – Learn to rely on God daily – God is serious about us and He is serious in providing all our daily needs! (The thorough, personal care and precise for His love for us.)
5. A Radical Lifestyle – Christian lifestyle is not an option. Let’s practice exchanging forgiveness. We have to take the fresh dose of forgiveness in every day of our lives! We have to think forgiveness, act forgiveness :)

4. Restoring Thanksgiving (Luke 7:36-50)
Spiritual Forgetfulness = Spiritual Ungratefulness
Spiritual Remembrance leads to Gratefulness. Comparable Thanksgiving is not powerful. Don’t live with postponed thankfulness/happiness!
-Thankful for God, for Church, for Mission.

Therefore, be.. Christ-centered; Love-centered; Prayer-centered and Praise-centered!

Dr Calvin Ma's morning talks based on the whole book of Nehemiah... i jot down heaps of notes, i dont know how to summarize them, i will lend you the notes if you are interested :) Hope the sharing enlightens you in a special way!

OCF 50th Convention

OCF stands for Overseas Christian Fellowship, Australia - the cf that i used to attend when i was in hobart, tasmania during my uni time. i joined OCF in 1998 but because of the timing, i missed 3 of the conventions while i was in oz.

this is my 1st time joining convention and i am so touched by seeing many of the seniors (some of them are at their 70s, 60s, 50s) and they are still running on this race and wanting to finish this race well. Indeed, it is not how well we started the race, it is how well we finish the race that matters.

The Elliot Group. All groups names based on the last name of the great missionaries.

Front row: (left to right) max, alex, mrs chia, Dr lawrence chia, ken chin, mrs chin.

Back: grace, pauline, jezamine, weishern, wanying.

new friendship is built! :)

oh, also not forgetting the western australia dinos, i will feel very left out without them :)

This is Erwin. he is one of my Youth in my previous church! i was once his youth leader... can't believe i met him in the convention, it is a great joy seeing your member growing strong in the Lord serving God fervently! The feeling is great, like seeing my own son growing up... lol!:D

It is such a great pleasure to meet all who have the same vision and same passion for God in the convention. I teared during almost all the praise n worship sessions, even watching the video, sermon sharings and during one of the seminars. i was really moved by God... Even though i have let go the GAP mission trip this year, i have received so much more than i could imagine throughout the ocf convention. i believe God prompted me to attend the convention for many reasons :)

Will jot down what i ve learnt in the next post... stay tuned!

beautiful rottnest island

very beautiful island @ western australia!

the most beautiful beaches i have seen, much nicer than those in tasmania!

if you are thinking of a holiday and not too far away, this is a great destination :)

i love the beach, the sand, the water, the sea, the sun, the sky... everything on the island... ooooo... a wonderful place to relax!!!

me and ann want to go back to perth again... to rottnest!

but.... dunno when. lol.