Elaine's Farewell

Keep (Guard) your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

- Pro 4:23


In the last few days... things were alittle topsy turvy for me..


I felt really low in life. It's like the devil had plan it all up. I was feeling pretty alright the whole day. Wanted to send Elaine off 'gloriously'! without too much 'boo-hoos' and 'sniffings arnd. But it turns out someone down there had plan something for me that day.



First, we met up at popeyes as a group earlier. I felt alittle different.. and unnatural being there. And actually, i've got this feeling too at a farewell lunch with Elaine and her ex-colleagues. It's like a fish out of water feeling. But very soon after, that feeling 'evolved' abd i became negative and pessismistic over remarks by my friends. It really sucks to feel this way.



Then as we took pictures and say farewell... i suddenly felt very incompetent to take over the responsibility of taking care of cell group. Became very self-aware of my weaknesses .. (as if it's the only thing on earth i have and im doomed to die with it) and seriously ... the thoughts are heart-piercing. Eventually i suppress everything and there and then (which i eventually realise).. i just reformed my emotional wall. Defences were up. I became shutdown in order to stop these hurts. It took quite a toll in my communication. and the way i behave the next few days. And with the upcoming Valentine's day.. it feels like i will never do a enjoy and get something nice for Mavis. All these thoughts really crushes ya spirit. So really it's important to examine ya thoughts before it becomes full-blown , ravaging and out of control!







So Thank God. Guard ya heart. For out of it flows... the issue of life.

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I really miss Elaine. Without her shelter ... it feels naked. That's how Mavis tried to explain what i am going through. but it's alright! everything will work out and she'll be back soon! And our cg will have multiplied with 40 over members by then! yeeha

Faith. Forsaking All I Trust Him.

im really inspired today in leaders meet. Pastor CK really spoke into my heart. :) cheer up if ya going through a very long season of dryness! there's a silver lining in every cloud.


trust. will share more..

Farewell..

i think guys are not very good with goodbyes..


i can see it in their eyes.


but yea like ben said ..


she'll be back soon...


sigh won't be able to meet her up for lunch or share with her abt work and life as often


but thank God she is able to pursue a dream to study overseas.


it's really amazing seeing her dream come to fruit-ion.


she spoke of it. then she wants it. and now she's got it.


it's amazing how her dream came to past so fast.


will miss you Elaine :) thanks for pastoring us and making us ya no.1 everytime.


ya our no.1 too!




rest of w116. lets rally ourselves and do her proud.

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on a seprate note .. after svc had a reunions dinner with ushers. well i din especially say good bye.. boo hoo hoo to them cos i rather leave quietly and happily. but im quite happy to see how the ushers whom i work with or mentored have both risen up to the occassion and maturity. it's really nice to see people grow and take lead. :) their enthusiasm inspires me many times! well i hope my (ex)team will really grow under you boon xiong! and pengru and the rest of the helpers. ya really people with an awesome. spread ya fire of serving arnd :)

oh yea.. i had a good lor hei with them! hehe.

tmr's prayer meeting! wooo it's going to be sooooo fun!

My very 1st Sermon on .....

Friendship

It took me like 3 nights to prepare this. The 1st 2 nights i was really brain-dead. After work, after school ... my brain-juice is almost sucked dry... urgh. But thank God He sent many angels and inspirations down and thereby i can share my conviction and type out a message. Well the thing about preparing a message is ... if it doesn't impact or touch you... you cant possibly expect it to touch others. So i cant really share something that is not birth off from God's revelation! So in preparing this ... i really realise the importance of having 1stly) Good REST! A Healthy rested mind is position to received revelations! 2ndly) To plug into the WORD. Deep in. I cant say anything out of my own knowledge. Because head-knowledge is just factual dead words. But a life-changing Word. A Rhema word. is what that really strikes your heart and your mind like a ligtning! 3rdly) Pray up. when ya battery is flat. there is only one thing to do. charge it la! so prayer charges ya spiritual life... it opens up the channel when God's words can travel down on a heavenly "telephone life" into ya spirit man.




ok wanan post my sermon here in remembrance!


Matt 22:37-40


In the 2 great commandments that is mentioned in the bible, we are especially called ... or i should say commanded to love God wholeheartedly and love people fervently!

Today we;ll just look at loving people!

The bible calls "christians" as a family with other believers. When we accept Christ, we are no longer wild "unadopted" children. (that's when you get the song no more running wild .... from our church song..) We came with our baggage of 'needs', 'concerns' and 'imperfection'. But it's in this family we learn and we forge strong support in our lives.



Eph 2:19 (TLB):
You are members of God's very own family, citizens of God's country and you belong in God's household with every other Christians

As you can see we all belong to part of God's family. In church, we've learn to make new friends and step out of our comfort zone to know people

Personally, I am not a very sociable person when i first came to church. In fact, I'm very close up in nature. I have many emotional walls around my heart. Often, I will appear friendly but i d0 not dare to show who i really am inside.

Coming to church, i am introduce to a family of friends who applied the caring system. I was slowly but surely touched by their sincerity and concern. In church, I was also slowly taught to step out of my circumstance/my past to learn to fellowship. It has helped me tremendously to overcome my low self-esteem... and find my identity in Christ.

So this year, i hope all of us can start the year by building strong bonds of friendship here! Here i am going to share with you 3 'C's to build friendship.


1) Communicate
a) The best way to communicate is to be present!
Communication calls for an availing of self to the people.

Matt 9:36 :
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd

Just a verse before Matt 9:35 - Jesus was already moving around performing miracles and healing the sick!

Jesus had a mission in life. That is to save the world. However, He never fails to minger with the crowd, teach them and meet their needs. No matter how big His mission or purpose was, He was there to meet their needs. He was there for them.


b) Learn to build conversations
Find a common interest or topic to discuss. Go a step further to find out a person's interest. To make communication flow, we can learn to find topics we can agree upon. Usually friends will find the conversation enjoyable if the topics are agreed or affirmed by both parties


c) Listening to your friend
Listen with your heart. When a person mentions about a subject, don't just listen to it on the surface. Get to the root of the issue by finding out more. At the same time be sensitive to the person's character and background.


As a general rule of the thumb. listen more. talk less. Because God gave us 2 ears and a mouth.


Communication is the key to every relationship.


2) Connection
a) The 5 Language of love of a person are as follow:
- Words of affirmation ( encourage )
- Acts of Service ( go the extra mile)
- Gifts ( makes people happy )
- Physical touch ( Pat on the back. another form of strong affrimation)
- Quality time ( Quality doesn't equate to quantity. QT is the time spent that draws your friendship closer. )


To enhance friendships, it's important to take note of a person's love language. Different people have different needs. Knowing the love language helps to feed the love tank of a person. This is a simple way to meet the needs of a person.




3) Communion

When we pray, doors are opened.
In Genesis 1, before the earth is formed .. the Holy Spirit hovered around the face of the earth.

When we pray, the Holy Spirit hovers around the person as well the relationship. It becomes easier for us to engage in the person in a relationship.

As much as possible, we can also learn to pray with the person. Praying opens the eyes of unbelievers to the reality of God!




Ecc 4:10-12
If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.



In a Cross, the vertical beam is our relationship with God. The horizontal beam is our relationship with Men. God wants us to know our life is a journey to be Christ-like. There are times where friends can prick us the wrong-way. But just as how iron sharpens iron, every single relationship we hold is God's way of helping us improve our character!

This year let's build strong friendship in our cell group! Before we can start on integrating friends.. let's learn to apply the caring system to touch the lives of our friends.! :)

Food for thought after sermon ( short 2-3 mins reflection and sharing )

1) Who is the most faithful or trustworthy friend you have had? Have any friends been unfaithful or untrustworthy ?

2) Has a past relationship or failure bothered you? Has it kept you from trying again ?

3) Can you name 3 friends or potential friends who encourage and help your faith in God? What can you do to pursue those friendships ?

[ questions adapted from Strong Men in tough times - on chapter 'My Brother's Keep' ]

Change.

Whether you're in usher ministry or in cell group. We're still part of the body of Christ.

- by Yong Hui,my mentor from G16UM (paraphrased by me)

I like this quote! Yonghui always reminded me we are always a body .. a family and we compliment one another in church. :) and it makes me feel no matter which ministry i wanna excell and grow, we're still ultimately serving God and one another. there is a always a special place for everyone of us to be in to fulfill our role in the kingdom of God.



This will be the official day i will be switching from usher to cell group! Time pass so fast... and Elaine's also leaving soon. Indeed the change seems so rapid all of a sudden!


But well ... i feel it's always a new adventure in every chapter! And being in usher ministry for about 5 years, i'm really thankful for all the things i learn and the friends i make. I feel the best thing about a ministry is the connection you make, the person the ministry makes you to be and most importantly friendship. Took a long time to understand fully the meaning of bonds in a ministry. Indeed like what Pastor Kong shared today : relationship precedes ministry!



Thank you everyone from um! :) all of ya rock socks!! continue to shine! Unified Servants who Honour and Exhalt the Reign of God! :)

Love talk

Heard this from Friday's edition of living room at 93.8live


The gist of it all:


When romantic love ends, there is where true love begins. When all the romance fades.. the love takes into a new level of maturity where true effort of loving begins. The fruits start blossoming here.



To maintain a relationship, always think of doing what's best for the relationship, for the marriage.




Relationship does one great thing in your life : it makes you a better person! [ you'll see love, kindness, patience, and other rare to see virtues ].



Love like a R.O.C.K.S.T.A.R.


For Men, women need-

Routinely contact- spend frequent times with her. listen to her.

Open your heart and mind- say/do positive things to her. she'll feel lifted.

Contact- stay connected in thinking. Touch. Didn't catch much on air

Keep it positive- understand women usually complain for attention. women usually connect to each other this way. Men sees complain as their failure to effectively protect her. (men is built in this way). keep the conversation positive.


For ladies, men need:

Sensuality- Oxytocin rush. check more details here. Didn't catch much on air.

Touch- amazingly men needs 2-3x as more touch than guys according to survey. e.g. A pat on the back... a hug.


Appreciation - maintains relationship for both parties. Appreciation affirms his role as a care-taker, leader and protector of the family.


Respect- Men are creatures of routine. They perform repeated habits usually and are more resistant to changes. Understanding and respect for their habits. Didn't catch much on air =p





for husbands and wifes, the marriage is substain not by a great holiday or an event. But by the way hundreds and thousands of things you do for each other. the commitment to each other is more important than the romance.


By Doctor Love Pat.




well i find some points really true for men and ladies. yours to ponder..