3 more days to 'Fire Up' Revival Conference

Date: 6 & 7 July 2007

Time: 6 July, 8pm & 7 July, 7pm

Venue: Glad Tidings, PJ

Speaker: Pastor Michael Rowan from USA

I've come to know about this conference from a friend of mine who is currently serving actively in one of the ministries in FGAKL. It is a combine effort organised by FGAKL, Youth Alive and Glad Tidings. It is one of the major youth events of the year but unfortunately, I have to give it a miss. Let's pray there is a vcd on sale after this event.

My First Photoshoot Pics

The Well-Dressed Christian Woman

by Joyce Averils

"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it" (Colossians 3:12-14, The Message).

For the past couple of weeks I've received several spring fashion catalogues in the mail. I'm pretty sure you may have received some too. The women are "decked out" from head to toe with color-coordinated accessories. The goal of these catalogues is to encourage you think about how you might look in the advertised fashions so that you will go out and buy them.

I like to shop just as much as the next woman. However, I'm careful to remind myself that while looking my best, I must not forget to make sure that I'm well-dressed spiritually too. Clothes may wear out, go out of style or no longer fit, but a beautiful spirit will last for eternity.

Some women have personal shoppers and stylists to assist them with looking their best. As a Christian, you have access to the ultimate stylist. Colossians 3:12 says that God has already picked out a wardrobe for you. You should dress in:

Compassion
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).

Kindness
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

Humility
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom" (Proverbs 11:2)

Quiet Strength/Gentleness
" Let your gentleness be evident to all" (Philippians 4:5)

Discipline/Patience/Long Suffering
"A man\'s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11).

Your Heavenly Father is so awesome that He even provides you with an all-purpose garment even better than your "little black dress." The Christian woman's basic, all-purpose garment is love. No matter what else you put on, Colossians 3:1 says to wear love and you will always be one of the best dressed women in the room.

Love
"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" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a).

My Challenge to You: As you pack away your winter clothing and replace them with your spring and summer outfits, take a look at your spiritual wardrobe. Are you wearing the wardrobe God picked out for you? Is there anything that needs to be replaced? Does your all purpose garment need a little spring cleaning? Remind yourself daily that you can be a well-dressed Christian woman.

Questions: How can we keep our focus on cultivating inner beauty? Which virtue will you go out of your way to clothe yourself with this weekend?

The Bible Helps Us To Control Our Anger

A person having difficulty controlling his anger is not a bad person. Anger against ‘wrong’ is not sin! It is no disgrace to admit we have a problem and seek outside help. Peace, and the solution to life's problems, can only be found by turning to God. There are many Bible verses that deal specifically with anger and its implications. You need to pray for strength and self control to enjoy a life of contentment and joy. You also need to pray to God to remove the darkness of anger controlling you. Choose it! "You (God) will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!" (Isaiah 26:3-4).

James 1 :

19 My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
20 Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.
21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.

Corinthians:

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful
5 or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
6 It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
13 There are three things that will endure--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love.

Proverb:

15 - 1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.
25 - 28 A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls.


Ephesians 4 :

26 And "don't sin by letting anger gain control over you."* Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry
27 for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.
32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Galatians 5:

22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and
desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
25 If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
26 Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.

Lunch at the School of Hospitality @ Sun U

Lunch with lovely colleagues: Winnie, Meeza and Joanne

First time, good food, affordable price and warm fellowship. We will definitely return again!!

Mothers' Day Celebration 2007 @ FGAUSJ

.........organised by Young Adults' Fellowship

Mothers' Day gift

750 towels arrived from FGAKL and red lovely ribbons were tied on each one of them

YA Masterpiece

Myself preparing the decoration in church the night before

Crazy young adults' with their funny poses!!

Remember To Pray

REMEMBER to pray. That's all you have to do. There is nothing attached. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of reward. Pray believing that God will answer.

May today be all that you need it to be for today.
May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight and conquer all your fears.
May God be manifest today in ways that you have never experienced.
May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer.
May you recognize the ways in which your prayers be answered.

May faith enter a new height for you.
May the scope of your prayers ever widen.
May you step into your place within ministry for God.
May you be blessed with peace, health, happiness, and true undying love for God.

"Do not worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God" (Phillipians 4:6)

Hwok Lok's Birthday 07 @ Ms Read, 1U

(The birthday boy is the guy who is pointing at the camera)

Yew Kong's Birthday @ 30 April 07

Group picture

Girls with Yew Kong (guy in red tshirt)

My Passion For Singing

A friend once asked me what is my passion in life. I paused for a moment and thought carefully before answering because it was the first time ever a question like this was posted to me. Then, I replied that 'singing is my passion in life.'

I love to sing. I will never get bored or tired of singing. Infact, I started singing since I was a kid when I was around 6 to 7 years old. I could remember those days when my dad used to play the piano and I would sing. My parents were infact surprised that as a child of that age, I was able to pitch the correct key and sang with the right timing. Since then, my dad knew that I've inherited the musical talent from him and most importantly, he never discouraged me from singing but instead he realised that it was a gift from God. His advice was not to take up singing as a career but as a hobby and a service to God.

As I grew older, my passion for singing never ceased. I realised that God has given me this talent and I am to make full use of it to serve Him. Back in those days while I was in Melaka and in my previous church in Subang, I served as a backup singer in church. My favourite time in church is during the worship session. Eventhough God has given me this talent of singing, I am always reminded by the purpose of being on stage. I've seen many people who are very talented being chosen to serve in the worship team in church just because they are skillful and experienced musicians or favor being seen on stage to gain popularity in church. Therefore, the urgency to check ourselves in our motives, our thoughts, our hearts and to question ourselves whether we are doing it to be recognised or being on stage or really to give thanks and glory to the Lord. There is a difference when we sing to be recognised or gain popularity and sing with our hearts in tune to God. When we sing for God, we take pride in the lyrics of the songs because they are our heartfelt prayers to God. Then we are able to worship God with a meaningful and worshipful heart. As a part of the worship team, I am reminded that I carry a big responsibility and represent the church to lead the congregation in worship. Remember....we are accountable to God in everything that we do!!

Singing and music is my passion. I will sing while driving or being held up in traffic jam on the road, I will sing in the shower, I will sing when I have nothing to do.....as you can see, my life is all about singing. Sometimes, after a stressful and tiring day at work, I would turn on the music and sing, sing, sing. Believe me.....music does heal the soul and calms us down. I once told a friend that we can even worship God by just listening and singing worship songs while driving on the road. No matter where we are, God does hear us.

I am definitely not a professional singer but I still and will always have the burning desire and passion to sing for Him. I would like to thank God for giving me this talent and I will continue to be passionate in singing to serve Him.

Masterpieces designed by Winnie

Listen To Your Words

By Gail Rodgers

Have you listened lately to the words you use when you speak to those nearest and dearest to you?

Sometimes in the hurried flurry of our day we simply overlook the way we are communicating. We excuse our hasty words and harsh tones because we are tired or stressed.

God's Word reminds us that our words are very important. We need to take responsibility for what comes out of our mouths. Listen to these wise words...

"Reckless words pierce like a sword but the tongue of the wise brings healing" (Proverbs 12:18).

Our sharp words have the ability to cut the people around us. A wise woman will consider what her words are doing and will seek to communicate in a way that brings healing rather than hurt.

We know that our communication is made up of words, tone and body language.* Our words only make up about 7% of our communication.* Our tones make up 38%.* Our body language makes up the remaining 55%.

Take note today of what your communication sounds and looks like. It may surprise you. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you to be wise in your speech and gentle in your tones and body language.

The world out there is filled with sharp words of sarcasm, criticism, negativity and worry. Go against the flow and ask God to help you bring a calm and gentle spirit to your home and workplace today through the way you communicate.

Hearts all around us are hurting. You have a unique opportunity today to be a woman of wisdom in the way you communicate. With God's help bring encouragement and healing through your words, tones and body language.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the many times words spring from my mouth that are unnecessary comments of gossip, hurt or criticism. Today I ask that Your Holy Spirit will be my guide in my communication. Nudge me when I am ready to speak piercing words. Fill me with Your gentleness and compassion and remind me that my tones and body language are communicating too. Help me to take responsibility for what comes out of my mouth. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Uphold Each Other In Prayer

Today, my dear sister and colleague, Winnie reminded me of the following:

wyinyin: pls do remind me of anything if u feel it is not right
Alice Cheong: about?
wyinyin: i want transparency between us cos we are suppose to rely on each other for prayers and all
wyinyin: cos i dunno when i'm doing right or wrong...but i need a reminder if things are not going according to God's will...anytime a sis or a bro in christ can uphold each other la
wyinyin: hope u know wht i mean la
wyinyin: cos i will b strict to u also ma. some ppl they dun like it...but if i know i am tht type who cant discipline myself most of the time , then i need ppl to remind me. even if i can...i may hv overlooked certain thing and befriend the World too much until I slowly move away from God
wyinyin: so prayer is so important for us...

Every moment....

Every moment is full of wonder, and God is always present.

Income Tax

I submitted my income tax online today and found out that I was not taxable. Why? Because I was jobless for a few months last year. Phew! It was such a relief for me because that I do not have to fork out a single cent.

Having someone who understands........

Having someone who understands is a great blessing for ourselves. Being someone who understands is a great blessing to others.

Wisdom

Wisdom is skill in living

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge

Wisdom is knowing what to do

Wisdom is the ability to see with discernment

Wisdom is the ability to view life as God perceives it

Wisdom is the God-given ability to see life with rare objectivity and to handle life with rare stability

Make sure we treat each day as being important-"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12)

Admit out need for wisdom and ask for it-"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5)

Work at developing a deep respect for God-"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10)

Be sure that we have a vital relationship with Jesus Christ-"I...do not cease to...mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him" (Ephesians 1:15-17)

Be willing to pay any price for the truth-"Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding" (Proverbs 23:23)

Every challenge or responsibility that lies ahead of us can be handled in a better way when we handle it with God's wisdom. So, we must desire for wisdom above all else, pray for wisdom, seek wisdom and grow in wisdom.

SMS Encouragement Message Part 3

Mothers' Day is around the corner and the YA in church are the organizers of the event. The person in charge is no other than my dear sister, Stephanie. With a humble heart, I approached her to offer my help in any way I can. After church, her sms came in by surprise:

" Alice, thank you so much for the willingness to help out for Mothers' Day. Indeed, God is good. He truly knows our need by sending us You. Thank you."

I was overwhealmed by her message and really appreciated her kind words of appreciation. Again, I felt truly blessed. I want to thank the Lord for giving me this oppurtunity and opening the doors for me to bless the YA in every way I can.

Bible Verse~Philippians 4:8

Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right.
Think about things that are pure and lovely,
And dwell on the fine good things in others.

Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about it.

SMS Encouragement Message Part 2

Today I received the following sms message from my dear sister, Stephanie. I am truly blessed and encouraged by her message.

" Since God chose you to be the holy people whom He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12).
Appreciating you always in Christ."

Emotions

By Gail Rodgers

"Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:14).

Sometimes, as believers, we can find ourselves being dragged around by our emotions rather than allowing the Spirit of God to lead us through our days.

How does one practically apply steps so as not to be caught on an emotional rollercoaster today?

* Pay attention to what is going on in your heart and mind.
* Acknowledge your emotions.
* Look at the circumstances or the reasons causing your emotion.

If there is something you can physically do to help your situation, then ask for God's help and do it. If there is nothing you can actually do about your situation, tell God you will trust Him to be your strength and your supplier. Ask Him to give you peace in your heart and direction in your steps. Every weakness you have is an opportunity for God to show His strength in your life.

Today let your emotions be a guide, or a tool, to push you back to your God and His strength in your times of weakness. Catch the downward spiral before you get caught in it. Ask His Spirit to guide you to solutions, wisdom, insight, help and strength.

If you are at the bottom of the spiral, tell God you need His help to get up. Ask for His strength to fill your weakness. If you need to talk to a trusted friend to find help and counsel in the journey, then make that call for help. God wants His children to be led by His Spirit, not dragged by their emotions.

Prayer: Father God, I thank You that You are there to help me in every step I take throughout this day. I offer my emotions to You and I ask for Your help in managing them and in seeing them as a tool to help me understand what is going on in my heart. I declare that I want to be led by Your Holy Spirit and not tossed about by emotion. Give me understanding and Your help as I keep my heart and mind guarded today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Bible Verse~Isaiah 40:31

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

Power Comes From Above

By Suzanne Benner

"You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above" (John 19:11).

Fear often results from a sense of being powerless or when circumstances are beyond our ability to control. Thus, we can combat fear by understanding who is in control and who has the power.

Every power and authority on earth is subject to God.

Therefore, nothing that occurred on the night Jesus was betrayed was beyond God's ability to act or without His foreknowledge.Because God was in control, Jesus didn't tremble before Pilate or feel the need to defend himself. Instead, Jesus stood in silence while the Jews accused Him of many things and the chief priests shouted, "Crucify him!"

During the night of Jesus' arrest and trial, an earthly power struggle raged. The Jews insisted that Jesus must die, but they didn't have the authority to carry out their desire. Pilate, on the other hand, had the power to invoke the death sentence, but he didn't find any basis for the charge against Jesus (John 18:38, 19:6).

Thus, Pilate falsely believed that he was in charge of the situation. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" (John 19:10)

Pilate thought that he had the power to free Jesus or have him crucified, but Jesus knew the truth. In reality, Pilate had no power over Jesus except what God had allowed Pilate in order to accomplish His purpose.

We can trust God to accomplish His purpose in us and not be afraid, because ultimately power comes from above.

Prayer: God help me to believe that You are in control and therefore I don't need to be afraid.

Remembering 21 years in Malacca....

Back view

When I look at these pictures, I am reminded of all the childhood and youth days I had while I was living in Malacca. Eventhough I did not live in this house (bungalow facing the sea but unfortunately I was not able to take a picture of the sea) since I was an infant but I guess I lived here long enough to treasure the wonderful memories I had with my family.

Front view

10 fingers

I learned something new in church last Sunday. How do we memorise or remember Phillipians 4:13 in a simplier way?

1st finger-I
2nd finger-can
3rd finger-do
4th finger-everything
5th finger-through
6th finger-Him
7th finger-who
8th finger-gives
9th finger-me
10th finger-strength

Ibridge Pot Bless on April Fool's Day

Another successful event of Ibridge. Thanks to Daniel for opening up his house so willingly to hold this event. It was my first time experience organizing a pot bless or should I say my very first time organizing an event. It was not an easy task especially getting everyone to cooperate and respond on the food, buying things, washing up etc. This pot bless would not be a success without the cooperation and support from everyone who attended that night. Thanks for making this event an enjoyable and merry occasion. Without them, there would be no fun, laughter, 'yummy' and delicious food to taste and most important of all, fellowship!!

10 stunning beauties

Left to right: Melanie, Florence, May Li, Carmen, myself, Cheryl, Sue Ann, Sandra, Joanne and Deborah

Left to right:

(on the floor): Hwok Lok, Leo, Aaron, Justin, Luke and John ST

(on chairs): Jimmy, Florence, myself, Daniel, Edward and Yee Weng

(standing): Joanne, Melanie Sue Ann, Cheryl, May Li, Carmen, Chern Ern, Davin, Yew Kong, Vince, Deborah, Chi Hui and Sandra

'So-called future potential AJKs'

Senarai AJK:
CEO (Chief Event Organiser): Alice "The Boss" Cheong
Gracious Host: Daniel "Jelutong Mali" Yeoh
Chefs Extraordinaire: Everyone
Worship Leader: Florence "Darlene Zschech" Toh
Talk Show Host: Davin "Letterman" Wong
Games Coordinator: Jimmy "Ice Breaker" Lee

With All I Am

It never cease to amaze me that my tears starts to flow everytime I listen to the song, With All I Am by Hillsongs, Australia. The lyrics may be simple, but it's so powerful. It's such a great reminder to many of us that nothing is impossible for Him. He holds our world, including all of our struggles, pains, hurts, joy in the palm of His hands. All we need to do is to trust that He is in control of our life and will in return provide us what He has promised. This is a song that has touched and changed my life.....


Verse 1:
Into Your hands I commit again
All I am for You Lord
You hold my world in the palm of Your hands
And I am Yours Forever

Chorus:
Jesus, I believe in You
Jesus, I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing
With all I am

Verse 2:
I walk with You wherever You will go
Through tears and joy I'll trust in You
And I will live in all of Your ways
And Your promises forever

Bridge:
I will worship
I will worship, You

The Best Relationship

By Gail Rodgers

The relationships that mean the most to us are often the ones we are hardest on.While we maintain a polite and pleasant demeanor away from home, the frustrations often come out at home where we feel safe to let off the day's steam.

Life's pressures can drive a wedge into the relationships we treasure most. It's important to be intentional about building into the people we love and care about. In order to keep the relationships you treasure at their BEST, remember these four steps.

Bless those you care about by speaking life words into their character. Pay attention and point out the character qualities that bless others. Use them to speak back blessing. By focusing on building words you will find the "warmth" factor in your relationship will grow as well. When there are things that need addressing, ask God to guide you in speaking words that will not destroy.

Encourage those you care about in their daily circumstances. Listen well to the things they have to say. Communication dries up when we don't really pay attention to what the other person is saying. We each get lost in our own cares. Listen for the feelings behind the words and seek to bring hope. Let your support be known even when the solutions are not.

Share thoughts, ideas, time and experiences. When we become too busy to share ourselves with those we love, erosion and indifference can slip in. Be intentional about sharing life together. Take time to talk and share ideas or concerns. Time to pray together and dream together won't be there unless you make it. Let those you care about know this is important to you and prioritize it.

Touch those you love in appropriate and loving ways. Touch is one of our most basic needs. Taking a hand, giving a hug, putting your hand on the arm or back can do much to convey care and warmth. In a marriage include lots of non-sexual touching as well. Often a simple touch can melt away a barrier and re-connect two people.

Strong relationships don't just happen...they are intentionally built into.

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:4).

Walking With One Another

"Greet one another." Romans 16:16
"Be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:2
"Be kind and compassionate to one another." Ephesians 4:32
"Accept one another." Romans 15:7
"Serve one another in love." Galatians 5:13
"Encourage one another." 1 Thessalonians 4:18
"Build each other up." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Don't slander one another." James 4:11
"Don't grumble against each other." James 5:9
"Forgive each other." Ephesians 4:32
"Confess your sins to each other." James 5:16
"Stop passing judgment on one another." Romans 14:13
"Be at peace with each other." Mark 9:50
"Be devoted to one another." Romans 12:10
"Carry each other's burdens." Galatians 6:2
"Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom." Colossians 3:16
"Pray for each other." James 5:16
"Spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Hebrews 10:24
"Love one another." John 13:34

A Time For Everything

"He has made everything beautiful in its time" (Ecclesiates 3:11)

Today, I receive the following encouragement sms from Ricky, a Christian brother:

"There is a time to serve Him. There is a time to rest and wait. God will lift you up for Him when the right time comes"

Human nature tends to want everything right now. Most of us get impatient and we're always in a hurry. When we pray for our dreams to come to pass, we want them to be fulfilled immediately. But we have to understand, God has an ap­pointed time to answer our prayers and to bring our dreams to pass. And the truth is, no matter how badly we want it sooner, no matter how much we pray and plead with God, it’s not going to change His appointed time. It’s still going to happen on God’s timetable.

When we understand God’s timing, however, we won’t live all stressed out. We can relax knowing that God is in control, and at the perfect time He is going to make it happen. It may be next week, six months time, next year, or ten years from now. But whenever it is, we can rest assured that it will be in God’s perfect timing.

When we are trusting God, we can be at peace knowing that at the right time, God will keep His promise.

"I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him" (Ecclesiates 3:14)

Club Med Ria Bintan

Getting To The Heart Of The Matter

God tells us to guard our hearts above all else-above our lives, our faith, our relationships, our dreams or whatever else we hold dear. As the scripture states: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23)

Why is this important to God? The answer is in the word wellspring, which can also be interpreted as "source". The heart is the source of life. When God created us, He made our hearts central to our being-physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Physically, the heart is at the center of the circulatory system. It pumps oxygenated blood throughout the body. If the heart has trouble, the entire body is in danger of losing its life-giving flow of blood.

Spiritually, the heart is the place that the Holy Spirit dwells when we invite Him into our life. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with the power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Ephesians 3:16-17)

Emotionally, the heart leaps for joy when we delight in something or someone. It also aches when we experience disappointment or loss.

The heart is the core of all we are and experience in life, so when God says to guard it above all else, He is saying, "Protect the source of your life-the physical, spiritual and emotional source of your well-being." If your heart is not pure, neither will your thoughts, words and actions be pure. We need to be wise about the direction we allow our heart to go.

God didn't design our hearts to be completely satisfied in human relationships but only in relationship with Him. Once we get filled up with His love, we will be able to love others with integrity. When our relationships are healthy and appropriate, we can respect other people and protect their hearts as well. When God sees we are guarding our hearts, He will reward us with an even greater revelation of Himself and His extravagant love for us.

All The Earth

Father
Into Your courts I will enter
Maker of heaven and earth
I tremble
In Your holy presence

Glory
Glory in Your sanctuary
Splendor and majesty Lord
Before You
All life adores You

All the earth
Will declare
That your love is everywhere
The fields will exalt
Seas resound

Hear the trees
Joyful cry
Praising You and so will I
A new song I'll sing
Lord I will glorify and bless Your holy name

Jeses Lord of all life and salvation
Into Your presence we come
We worship
You our precious Savior

Fill us
Fill us with Your holy power
Set us aflame with Your love
Till nations all know Your glory

Lord I will glorify and bless Your name
Glorify and bless Your name
Glorify and bless Your name
Glorify and bless Your name
Glorify and bless Your holy name

Bible Verse~Philippians 4:13

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

Actually Thai @ Sunway Pyramid

6 of us were gathered. Originally there were supposed to be 8 of us altogether but 2 of them couldn't make it for dinner. No specific occasion. Just dinner and warm fellowship. I can't deny the fact that we were the loudest and noisiest table in the restaurant especially with the presence of Jimmy and Justin. Overall.....we enjoyed ourselves with the surrounding of good food, nice environment and warm fellowship!!

Left to right: Myself, Justin, Luke, Jimmy, Yee Weng and Sian Lin

Inner Beauty

I would like to thank one of my Christian friends for bringing up the issue pertaining to girls and beauty. He asked, "Is beauty really important to girls?"; "Do girls go for facial to take care of their skin or to impress other people especially guys?" His questions got me thinking for a while and because of that, I felt that it was important to share the significance of inner beauty especially to all my girl friends so that they will be blessed.

If a young woman is full of sexual and emotionally integrity, her thoughts, words, emotions and actions reflect an inner beauty and a sincere love for God, others and herself.

She does not need to dress sexily to seek male attention, but she'll dress fashionably and look sharp and maybe even appear sexy to a guy (like beauty, 'sexy' is in the eye of the beholder and some guys will think she looks sexy even when she dress modestly), but her motivation won't be self seeking or seductive. She will be able to present herself as an attractive young woman because she knows she represent God to others.

Jesus was saying that the law isn't what is important-love is. If she loves God, loves her neighbour and loves herself, then she can live far above any set of rules and regulations. When she lives by the spirit of love, her beauty will shine from the inside out.

God holds each of us accountable to do what we know to do. If she wants to be a young woman of sexual integrity, she may need to let go of some of her freedom in dressing, thoughts, speech and behaviour in order to serve the best interest of others out of love. Not only will God provide this knowledge of how to act with integrity, He will also honor her if she applies this knowledge and act with responsibility.

A young woman needs to look to God to satisfy her physical, mental, emotional or spiritual longings for the opposite sex according to God's plan and until they can be fulfilled in a marriage relationship. It simply means that she tries her best to guard her heart, mind and body against any compromise that threatens her sexual integrity. If she wants to be a young woman of sexual and emotional integrity, she must match her words, thoughts, actions and convictions with God's Word. When all four of these things agree with one another and align with the Word of God, she is acting with sexual and emotional integrity. But if one area is out of alignment with God's Word, she has compromised her sexual integrity, regardless of how far she has gone physically.

Physical beauty isn't going to last forever and that our primary focus shouldn't be on outward beauty. However, beauty comes from loving and serving God with a happy heart is a beauty that endures forever even when her figure has fallen south and wrinkles adorn her face. True beauty doesnt come from fresh makeup, the latest hairstyle or how she looks in a beautiful dress. Rather it radiates from the inside out, from a heart that delights in the Lord.

Promise from God:

1) Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised-Proverbs 31:30

2) Your beauty should not come from outward adournment, such as braided hair and wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.-1 Peter 3:3-5

3) 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. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. -Matthew 22:37-40

Ibridge Chap Goh Mei Dinner @ Wai Sei Kai, SS2

Myself, Florence and Sian Lin

Ibridgers

Back for shopping spree

It's been almost 2 months I've never gone for a real shopping spree. Feels like I have lost the momentum and I guess today it's time for me to get back into something I enjoy doing very much. Shopping! Shopping! Shopping! This time I will be shopping alone to get some time off from everything that has happened and is currently happening in my life. My favourite shopping place is the Flea Market at The Curve. I am able to get cheap, nice and affordable girls' stuff there. I will be heading there in a few hours time. After that, I will be meeting my sister Jess for dinner. May God bless my shopping and fellowship!

Does God Answers Our Prayer?

A few issues in my life happened recently and it has brought me closer to God through prayer, doing my quiet time and most importantly, by placing God first in my everyday routine.

Whenever we face problems or struggles in life, first we need to confess our sins, then give it all to God and He will lift up your burdens if you continue to trust in Him and obey His commands. God does not answer prayers immediately after we pray. When we pratice patience, exercise faith and wait upon Him, He hears our prayers if our hearts are right with Him and the willingness to obey with our actions. As the scripture says, " We can be confident that he wil listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will." (1 John 5:14). God answered my prayer after 2 months of consistent and persistent prayer.

Hannah prayed for a child and the Lord granted her what she asked. (1 Samuel 1:17) God answers every prayer in His way and in His time. Do not give up! Continue to pray and have faith in Him!!!

Sometimes, we find that God answers prayer by giving us not what we ask for but something better. "Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, my power works best in your weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

Promise from God: 1 Peter 3:12-The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right and his ears are open to their prayers.

Prayer Before Starting Work

My Heavenly Father, as I enter this work place,
I bring Your presence with me.
I speak Your peace, Your grace, Your mercy,
and Your perfect order into this office.
I acknowledge Your power over all that
will be spoken, thought, decided, and done within these walls.
Lord, I thank You for the gifts You have blessed me with.
I commit to using them responsibly in Your honor.
Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job.
Anoint my projects, ideas, and energy,
so that even my smallest accomplishment
may bring You glory.
Lord, when I am confused, guide me.
When I am weary, energize me. When I am
burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit.
May the work that I do and the way I do it bring
faith, joy, and a smile to all that I come in
contact with today.

And oh Lord, when I leave this place, give me traveling mercy.
Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it.
Lord, I thank you for everything You've done,
everything You're doing, and everything You're going to do.
In the Name of Jesus I pray, with much love and Thanksgiving..... Amen

FGA Sports Carnival

Venue: Matsushita Sports Complex, Shah Alam
Date: 1 May 2007
Objective: Promote unity and forge closer ties among the members of FGA

IBridge CNY Reunion Dinner @ New Paris Restaurant, SS2

Leo, Mei Li, myself and Joanne

Myself, Sian Lin and Carmen

SMS Encouragement Message Part 1

I just receive an encouragement sms message from my dear sister Joanne after I shared with her my experiences with God:

" Don't worry. Continue to be strong in the Lord. The enemy will try to rise up against you but as you live and read in His word He will make you flourish. Protect and guard from the enemy. God is near."

I am glad that I can bless her with my sharing and be blessed in return.

Bible Verse~1 Corinthians 13:13

"And all these three remains: faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love."

Faith

Hebrews 11:6-And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

An unexpected incident happened in church recently. I believe God has a purpose for what that has happened. We always learn but seldom practise.Through this incident, God gave me a situation to exercise my faith. How we respond to situation indicates our maturity.

We must understand one's struggle and choose to forgive. After all, we all make mistakes from time to time. God is teaching me a lesson in forgiveness, love and conquering emotions. With this, I learned to guard my heart and emotion.

Faith is not just believing in the existence of God but also believing that God's ways are better than our own ways. I believe everything will work out well in our lives if we continue to have faith in God and obey Him.

Hebrews 11:39-40 - These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Bible Verse~James 4:8

"When you seek me and find me, you will seek me with all your heart."

CNY lunch with cg members @ SS15, Subang Jaya

Bible Verse~John 14:15

"If you love me, you will obey what I command."

The Heart of Worship

" Surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes" (Romans 6:13)

The heart of worship is surrender. True worship-bringing God pleasure happens when you give yourself completely to God. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1).

Trusting God is an essential ingredient to surrender. You won't surrender to God unless you trust Him, but you can't trust Him until you know Him better. Fear keeps us from surrendering, but love casts out all fear. The more you realize how much God loves you, the easier surrender becomes. When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant, but a savior; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend.

You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God completely to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda and control the situation. You let go and let God work. The Bible says, "Surrender yourself to the Lord and wait patiently for Him" (Psalm 37:7)

The blessing of surrender:
1) We experience peace (Job 22:21)
2) We experience freedom (Romans 6:17)
3) We experience God's power in our lives

Surrender doesn't weaken you; it strengthens you. Surrender is not the best way to live; it is the only way to live. Nothing else works. All other approaches lead to frustration, disappointment and self-destruction. You cannot fulfill God's purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans. If God is going to do His deepest work in you, it will begin with this. So give it all to God: your past regrets, present problems, future ambitions, fears, dreams, hurts etc.

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). We must make it a daily habit to surrender and resurrender our lives.

Now is the time to surrender-to God's grace, love and wisdom.

Desires of Our Heart

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4)

When we place God first in our lives, He will give us the desires of our hearts

When we walk closely and our hearts are right with Him, we feel peace and know that the decisions in life we make are the right ones.

God knows our deepest needs, worries, present problems, hurts, desires and questions of our hearts. When we fully surrender all these to Him, we experience peace, freedom and God's power in our lives. He will in return bless us and give us what we ask for.

What I did during CNY....

1) Visited family members and relatives
2) Spring clean my room and wardrobe
3) Gave away old clothes to my cousin sister
4) Collected ang pows
5) Spend quality time with my parents
6) Ate mom's delicious cooking
7) Eat and eat good food
8) Send my parents to airport to catch their flight back to Singapore
9) Cook pizza together with a few others and made ice cream and fruit dessert at Daniel's (IBridge) open house
10)Visited my Christian colleague in hospital
11) Reunion dinner with family members and relatives
12) Fellowship with new Christian friends and had the privelage to visit an elder and his family of a church who worked together with my dad in FGB many years back
13) Met up with my dear sister Jess for lunch
14) Went back to work on 4th day of CNY (the worst and most boring time to work but I did not have a choice as I need to save my leave for UK in July)
15) Went to the bank to do my banking and paying off credit card bills (CNY is the best time to go to the bank....no traffic and no queues)
16) Did my daily devotion and prayer (surprisingly I had time to do it during CNY....praise God!)

17) Most amazingly....I am glad I was able to memorize so many bible verses for the very first time in such a short time period

Love

Life is all about love. Often we act as if relationships are something to be squeezed into our schedule. We talk about making time for people in our lives. That gives the impression that relationships are just a part of our lives along with many other tasks. But God says relationships are what life is all about.

Jesus summarized what matters most to God in 2 statements: love God and love people. He said, " 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. Amd the second is like it: "Love your neighbour as yourself." (Matthew 22: 37-39)

Love should be our top priority, primary objective and greatest ambition. Love is not a good part of our life; it's the most important part. The Bible says, "Let love be your greatest aim." (1` Corinthians 14:1)

Love will last forever. Another reason God tells us to make love our top priority is that is is eternal: "These three things continue forever: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Love leaves a legacy. How we treat other people, not our wealth or accomplishments, is the most enduring impact we can leave on earth. It's not what you do but how much love you put into it that matters most.

The best expression of love is time. When we give someone our time, we are giving them a portion of our life that we will never get back. Our time is our life. It is not enough just to say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them. Words alone are worthless. "My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action." (1 John 3:18) Relationships takes time and effort and the best way to spell love is "T-I-M-E."

The essence of love is not what we think or do or provide for others, but how much we give of ourselves. Whenever you give your time, you are making a sacrifice, and sacrifice is the essence of love. Jesus modeled this: " Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave Himself to God as a sacrifice tot ake away your sins." (Ephesians 5:2)

In summary, love means giving up-yielding my preferences, comfort, goals, security, money, energy or time for the benefit of someone else. The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.

Friendship

"The greatest gift you can give to someone is your friendship because you are giving them a portion of your life that you will never get it back"

My last day at work.......

No....today is not my last day at work but my last day in the office working without a boss since beginning of this month. For the past few weeks I had a relax time in the office except during the first week of Jan. People say without a boss means "I am the boss" or the most common words- "very relax or no work". How I wish! Come to think of it.....I realised that I have been so relaxed at work until I even have lots of time to blog. Hehe!! (my boss can never find out about this) She will return back to work on Monday (29 Jan). Sigh......this means more work to come!!

Yet Will I Praise Thee

Lord You are the one I long for
In your presence is
Where I belong

Lord Your love brings joy to my heart
And Your touch is all
I need to feel
Deep in my heart
Won't You satisfy my soul

Yet will I praise thee
Lift my hands to sing
Yet will I praise thee
I will bow before the King and praise thee
Give to You my everything
I'll lift up my hands to You
Yet will I praise thee

I Will Bless Your Name

I will bless Your name
I will bless Your name
High above my circumstances
I will bless You Lord

I will bless Your name
I will bless Your name
Give You all the praise
For Your mercy and Your grace
I will bless Your name

Followed by:
1) I will praise Your name
2) I will lift Your name

Eagle's Wings

Here I am waiting
Abide in me I pray
Here I am longing for You
Hide me in Your love
Bring me to my knees
May I know Jesus more and more

Come live in me
All my life take over
Come breathe in me
And I will rise
On eagle's wings

Through It All

You are forever in my life
You see me through the seasons
Cover me with Your hand
And lead me in Your righteousness

And I look to You
And I wait on You

I'll sing to You Lord
A hymn of love
For your faithfulness to me
I'm carrying in everlasting arms
You'll never let me go
Through it all

Hallelujah (4x)

Pangkor@18 to 20 Dec 06

Luxurious villa suite

The moment I stepped in, I felt like I was in paradise.....

Tranquility and privacy redefined

Check out the floating chalets and the beautiful scenery.......

How Did God Use A Problem To Bring Good Into Your Life?

God will use all your troubles in His plan for your life if you let Him.

How did God use your pain or sadness?
1) Did He fill you with empathy for others?
2) Did He draw you closer to Him?
3) Did He teach you to obey Him?
4) Did you learn to trust God and let Him help you?
5) Did someone else ask you about your strong faith during trials?
6) Did it cause you to bond with someone more closely?

I believe the answers are yes to all the questions mentioned above. God will use our heartache, whatever its cause to build our character, draw us closer to Him and make us pliable tools for His purposes. He will call on each of us from time to time to go through something, so we can better minister to others.

Scripture to ponder:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28)

Dear Lord, I know that in all things you work for the good of those who love you, those who have been called according to your purpose. Today I thank you for how you planned, in advance, to turn all my crisis and problems into good and that you have made that promise to all Christians. It gives me enormous hope. Help me always remember that you are my compassionate and caring Father. I give all my hurt and troubles to you to put to good use. Amen.

Reconciliation Prayer

Lord, I pray that you will bring us to a reconciliation with each other. There is a purpose for everything that happened and only You know what is the best for me. May You speak to us and move our hearts as we wait upon You. I place my trust in You and surrender everything to you because I know You are a God who is in control of my life. Change our hearts to be right with You, help us to forgive and accept each other as brother and sister in Christ. When the time is right, I pray that You will reveal to us the right thing to do. Amen.

Christmas 2006

My younger brothers

Ricky's Christmas party (left standing)

Christmas and Reunion Dinner @ Aunty Juliet's, Kota Kemuning with Yvonne and Jin Kai from Shanghai

Koinonians

Masterpiece 1

Check out our masterpiece decoration in church. Thanks to Su Lin (right) for leading us with the decoration. Although it was a last minute preparation, we manage to get it done. Su Lin, don't worry so much next time.....we were given the responsibility to decorate the church. Therefore...it is our responsibility to make sure the job is done.

Masterpiece 2

6 pretty ladies

Birthday Nov 06

I had a wonderful time celebrating my birthday with cg members at Pizza Uno, Taipan.

Thank you Koinonians!!

New Year's Eve dinner 2006

Alice, Cheryl, Jess & Joanne

Alberto's Pizza and Pasta @ Desa Sri Hartamas on 30 Dec 06

We decided to indulge ourselves on a sumptous and expensive Italian meal in line to celebrate new year's eve.....we chose 30 Dec because we expected most of the restaurants were fully booked on 31 Dec. It came to our surprise that we were the only customers dining in the restaurant. We were discussing among ourselves.....where was everyone in Hartamas on a Sat night? Then we realised that it was a long weekend up to 2 Jan 07 and most people had returned back to their home town.

Hooked, The Curve on 16 Nov 06

We had a great time catching up with each other. Each of us ordered a set meal each with refillable drinks. We spent 3 hours talking, laughing, sharing, eating and drinking.

I will always cherish the moments we have together.

May God bless our friendship always.......

Thank you!

Alice

Root: Alice
Origin: Greek
Meaning: "truth or of noble birth"

Majestic

She marches to the beat of her own drum

Personality
A pennant winner in any league

Genuine
Morality is her highest value

Style
Absolutely pure of mind

Ability
Someone who is clear in her explanations

Character
One whose ideals are paramount

Sentiment
A woman who envisions change

Physical
Looks forward to getting the job done

A Year Of Time

…Though even thinking on the subject of time may prove discomforting, it is not a bad idea—especially at the beginning of a new year.

As we look into 2007 we look at a block of time. We see 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. And all is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchased it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life.

The gift of time is not ours alone. It is given equally to each person. Rich and poor, educated and ignorant, strong and weak—every man, woman and child has the same twenty-four hours every day.

Another important thing about time is that you cannot stop it. There is no way to slow it down, turn it off, or adjust it. Time marches on.

And you cannot bring back time. Once it is gone, it is gone. Yesterday is lost forever. If yesterday is lost, tomorrow is uncertain. We may look ahead at a full year’s block of time, but we really have no guarantee that we will experience any of it.

Obviously, time is one of our most precious possessions. We can waste it. We can worry over it. We can spend it on ourselves. Or, as good stewards, we can invest it in the kingdom of God.

The new year is full of time. As the seconds tick away, will you be tossing time out the window, or will you make every minute count?

Embracing the New Year 2007

20 days after the new year. A new journey begins. I feel that time flies really fast and 2006 marched on so quickly like as if everything had happened yesterday. Usually one will start the new year afresh and awake to take on the new challenges and changes of the new year. Most of us will ask ourselves, what will 2007 hold for me and what are the new year resolutions that I need to make? Questions such as "can I do this?" when the truth is "do I want to do this?" leave us to find out our own answers. Its at times like this that knowing God's purpose in our lives become essential and only then, can we embrace change with an open heart.

Towards the end of 2006 got me thinking what will year 2007 hold for me?......Will I face new challenges and trials in life? What are my new year resolutions? Will it be a meaningful year for me? Will it be a year full of blessings? What do I want to do differently this year? Will it be a year that I will find someone special in my life? And so on.

While I was finding the answers to all these questions, I was reminded by a powerful scripture passage in the bible that says: " For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. " (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

This powerful verse has impacted me and it somehow changed my views and perception about planning my own life. I realised I should have practice on relying on the Lord as much as I should have but instead, I was being too self centered and trying to figure out what is best for my life. I have always wanted this and that but I've never known what God wants for me. So, I have chosen to live this year trusting God and knowing what He has planned for me. It is not easy because new challenges have already started. It can be hurtful and sad at times and it sometimes lead me to question God why is this happening to me. If God had planned it in such a way, why did He let it happened? These challenges made me realised that God is teaching me to be patient and He wants me to learn from these experiences so that I am able to grow not only in spiritual maturity, but also to continue to seek and trust in Him. God's plans are always good. Unknown plans can be frightening, but when the plans belong to God, I can be rest assured that I can expect something marvelous.

So, I have decided to live this year knowing what is God's will for my life, learning to trust and wait upon Him as I walk the journey with Him day by day. Sometimes the best way to know God's will is to let go and let God have His wonderful way. I may learn more about His will for me as I allow Him to work out His will in my life. I understand that I would need to make some drastic changes in my life. I pray that He will continue to show me the right Godly change to embrace and helping me to grow as a woman after God's own heart.