The chalk

G2

"You're the best decision I ever made, I just forgot."

"You're the best decision I ever made, I just forgot."

This was what Mike told Scarlet in 17 AGAIN. And it speaks to me, in fact i believe this speaks to most of us. The day we took the step to follow Jesus and commit our lives into His hands was the best decision we ever made in life! sometimes we just forgot. We just forgot our first love. How passionate we were when we first started our ministries, how enthusiatic we were when we were asked to lead worship for the first time (rammaging tru all the songs in our song list from A-Z, spending practically one whole week finding just 3songs for worship), how excited we were when we were asked to join THE TEAM, how happy we were when we looked forward to friday cell every single day and just yearn for weekends to come because we can go to church on Sunday mornings. THATS PASSIONATE first love! the love that consumes every single atom and molecule and cell of our body, the love that nudges us to love, the love that we love sooooo much we just want to be filled everyday by that love, the love that people around us see and want to be filled by too! THAT is the love that can change lives, the love that can impact, the love that is from GOD!

yet going tru life with worries increasing, etc, we forgot about that first love. We get so consumed with LIFE that we forgot that first passionate love we once had and that ONE decision we made which was the best we ever made! i want to remember that first love, i want to go back to the days i get soooo excited about the tiniest thing in life, i want to love God the way i first loved Him!

Matt 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I chose to rest today and let Him take my heavy loads and go back to Him, my first love remembering the best decision I ever made in life! -----> to LOVE GOD

G2

NEver alone

Hello people!!!
How are all of you? I'm still in Albany. This place is beautiful! What a wonderful place God has created!
I went to a church here! I going to share something that the pastor preached today, something that we all know but along the way, along the ups and downs, we forget...

The topic was on TRUTH.
Our journey of life after salvation is NEVER alone. Jesus is walking with us through this exciting journey. You may choose to ignore it but He is still right beside you! On this journey, we have a companion - the bible too!!! So cool right? After salvation, God gave us so many presents (He really loves us!!!!)

As we walk through this life on earth, there come many occasions that we need to make decisions. There are 2 persons we can ask; one is dead, one is ALIVE. Who would you ask? This is not a trick question.:P Of course, we ask JESUS! He is ALIVE!!! :)

Get to know this friend, this friend who died on the cross for you so that you may have eternal life! He is with you all through your journey, so why not get to know Him better as you walk through the ups and downs.:)

'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ (John 14:6).

G1

SHARE

I ask so many questions now i think im becoming like a child. haha=) ehem...today i helped a friend and felt so much for her i wanted to fly to her side and just hug her in my arms and sayang her. I want to comfort her in person, but i know i can't and i only can use my WORDS to bless her and love her. After talking to her, i realised there are so many people hurting out there, and they just have to know about God! ohmann!!! I talked to my angel and elephant and told them we really can't help everyone huh?! only if we could help everyone...=) and they gave me the exact same answer. We can't! that's why we're supposed to help the people around us and when opportunities come our way, we need to grab it and help! God place us wherever we are for a reason and we must make full use of it! That's right! Bless the people around us and love them. Shower them with the love of God! becoz only the love of God can satisfy the thirsty soul and hunger inside each and everyone. Only His love can penetrate the hardest walls and the biggest mountain. Only His love can renew a relationship and only His love can heal a broken heart. Are we willing to accept this free gift? A gift that everybody yearns for, a life that everybody yearns for. A love that can really really overcome everything. I hurt seeing people don't know this love and I believe God hurts the most. SHARE is the word to this problem. SHARE. i want to SHARE.

G2

The Climb

This is quite an old song, but it's really inspirational. I can still vividly remember my mom calling me up just to ask me to listen to this song [yeah, my mom is becoming more technologically advanced these days], knowing well that I was going through a rough patch.

There's always gonna be another mountain,
I'm always gonna wanna make it move,
Always gonna be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna hafta lose

Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side,
It's the climb

How true. There will always be obstacles in life which we want to move out of our way right away. It's not easy, and we struggle to overcome them. Being human, we want to win all the time.

But you see, life is not smooth-sailing. We can't win all the time. Sometimes, along the way, we will have to lose. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's neither about how fast we reach the finishing line, nor about the prize. It is our journey there.

Just like our Christian walk. It is neither about how fast we run to finish the race, nor is it about the prize that God is preparing for us.

Instead, it is our life journey to the finishing line...our life journey with God. It is the relationship that we build with Him. It is about how deeply we get to know Him, how closely we strive to walk with Him, how far we are willing to let Him work in us through our mistakes.

And in our walk with God, it's not smooth sailing all the way. Sometimes, we stumble. Sometimes, we fall. There's nothing wrong with that as long as we keep on moving, keep climbing, keep the faith. It's about our climb, our journey there.

The greatest privilege we have as Christians is the opportunity to journey through life on earth with God. To experience Him as we move through life. To grow close to Him, and get to know His heart better. To fall in love with Him, and grow more deeply in love with Him with each passing day. To know with all our heart that even when we stumble and fall, He will always be there to catch us and help us up again.

We have to keep going and keep pushing on. And today, I remind myself that whatever I'm going through now, it's not about how fast I get there, how little I fall, or how successful I am.

It's the climb; my journey home to God.

g3

5 Reasons Why God Uses Problems

I read this in an email from Lulu so thought I'd post it here cos I find it entertainingly true :P
___________________________________________

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you - depending on how you respond to them.
Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:

1. God uses problems to DIRECT you.
Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways." Proverbs 20:30

2. God uses problems to INSPECT you.
People are like tea bags...if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot ever water! Has God tested your faith with a problem What do problems reveal about you? "When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience." James 1:2-3

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you.
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something... health, money, a relationship. .. by losing it. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws." Psalm 119:71-72

4. God uses problems to PROTECT you.
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good... Genesis 50:20

5. God uses problems to PERFECT you.
Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice when we run into problems... they help us learn to be patient.. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady." Romans 5:3-4

Here's the point:
God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him.

"Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched and moments shared along the way"

g3

Renewed!

For many weeks now, i chose to run by myself, i chose to run on my own understanding.
Like a defiant child, i refused to go back to my Father. i chose to run alone....

Things of the world continue to pile in my little trolley, but i chose to pull it with my own little strength....

Slowly....
i ignore the help of the people around me.... i remained friendly to them but i was shutting them out.....

Little by little, my vision got blurrer and blurrer..... my ears could hear lesser and lesser..... my heart became colder and colder....

In the midst of the busyness of life, i look like i know what i was doing but really, i was stumbling along, just enough to get through..... i was lost...

i have forgotten the first LOVE. The LOVE i cannot fully describe. The LOVE that i cannot contain. The LOVE that i pushed away. The LOVE that is never failing. The LOVE that is greater than anything.

simple words. but POWERFUL WORDS.
JESUS LOVES YOU. GOD LOVES YOU.

The curtain was lifted off my eyes. i can see.... the wonders of God's LOVE.
The plug was taken off my ears. i can hear.... the voice of my LORD.
The ice in my heart was broken.

How prideful was i to think that i can run by myself?
How foolish was i to think that i can do this by myself?

THANK YOU Father for taking me back again and again. Even though i failed you, You LOVE me not less but all the same. THANK YOU! Lord, i surrender everything at your feet. Forgive me! Take my life, take every part of it. Make me ASSUREDLY yours.
I LOVE YOU, DADDY! because You first LOVE me!!!

G1

Happy things :)

Toothy smiles. Bright sunny rays of light. Legs to walk. Gobsmacking views. Assignment handed in. Couples hand-in-hand. Running into an old friend. Money to eat. Never-ending dreams. Witty housemates. Eyes to see. Warm hugs. Adorable little kids jumping up and down. The green, green grass. Hands to work. The flight back home. LIFE. Mr. Doggy. Yellow daisy. Clock ticking by. The rhythmic sound of waves. A simple hello. Butterflies. A heart to feel. Soft whispers of the wind. Gentle breeze through the hair. Hopskotch. The smell of fresh roses. Dancing. A flowery summer dress. The ice cream truck. Sounds of firecrackers crackling. Nose to smell. Pigging out. Old photos. Loving friends. Weddings. Riding a wave. Cuddles. Free bubble tea.

Skipping down the well-trodden path. A field of wild flowers. Ears to listen. A love story. Equals. Toes burried in the soft sand. A message received. Mouth to encourage. Pretty little cupcakes. Romance. A cuddly kitten. Fluffy clouds. A car ride. Shy, side-way glances. Precious memories. Family. A mind to think. Shiny tiara. Rushing adrenaline. Gurgling baby. A rocking chair. Rusty books. Well-meaning passerbys. Snorkelling in crystal clear waters. Island-hopping. Hide and seek. Pattering of the feet. Sisterly talks. Sweet perfume. Steamy dim sum. Knees to kneel. LOVE. Holiday entourage. Lollis! Skiing down a slope. Breathtaking view overlooking the mountains. Giggling girls. Climbing rooftops. Graduations. Blowing bubbles. Infectious laughter. Silly grins. Cell groups. Kisses. Softtoys.

Thank you, Daddy.

Today is a beautiful day because I choose to see You :)

g3

An honest outpour of the heart

Moments ago, a friend's words broke me. My contained emotions over the past few weeks finally flowed out freely. After that, for the first time in quite a while, I was able to release everything at God's feet.

Funny how it is that the most intimate time I spend with God comes in the wee hours of the morning. Funny how it is also away from people. Funny how it means I abandon every single thing just to kneel at His feet and cry my heart out. Time and sleep and work become just words.

I serve a God whom I can't see. Whom I can't feel at times. Who is love yet holy. Who is forgiving yet just. A God many can't accept because it is a relationship based on faith. A truth that far exceeds our understanding. A concept many find hard to grasp.

A God I know because I've experienced Him. So it is with you, isn't it? We know because our eyes and hearts have been opened.

I love God. He means more to me than anything in this world. It has come to that stage where I know I just can't live without Him. Or perhaps I knew that long time ago; I was just not willing to stand up for who I've become.

I love Him. Yet this love seems so trivial to the temptation of sinning at a given moment. How can this be if I say He means more to me than anything? How can this love I have be overshadowed by my flesh and the devil and the world?

Why am I not more than who I can be in Christ? There's still so much darkness in me that needs to come into the light. And when I look around me; sometimes all I see is brokenness. Tears unseen, cries of desperation, ugly thoughts, empty hearts, heart wrenching emotions.

Sometimes, I wonder what it is with us and this world that God loves so much. I wonder what it is in me that He noticed. How can He forgive me knowing that I will hurt Him again?

Yet, when I close my eyes now, a deep sense of peace engulfs my soul. Yet, when I sit at the wooden bridge in the breeze taking in the glorious sight of nature, I just know. God's love is real.

Despite all the questions, despite all the knowledge I do not possess, despite the things I don't understand and may never will, despite not being the most talented and successful, I've come to recognise that I matter in His eyes.

I am His work in progress. A canvas half completed. Clay being moulded.

And most importantly, that nothing compares to having Him close to me. For me now, the reason I am a Christian is really as simple as the words below:

You gave me hope You made me whole at the cross
You took my place You showed me grace
at the cross where You died for me

Chorus:

and His glory appears like the light from the sun
age to age He shines
oh look to the skies hear the angels cry
singing holy is the Lord...





It's all about Him.

Always have been and always should be.

g3

LOVE

"For God so love the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16

This is why we live.
This is why we dont give up.
This is why we act in obedience.
This is why we act in love.

This is how much He LOVES us!



<3
G1

We can't do as we feel

Thanks G1 for sharing your heart. After reading it, I felt convicted to share.

For me, there are times I too, get so tired physically, emotionally and mentally, I feel like giving up. There are moments I just don't bother about people because I feel that I need space to breath. Or instances when I wished I was back in old times when I did not need to care about the consequences of my words and actions. Like G1, there are times I feel like I don't want to do anything, and want to quit.

I say this because what G1 said is true; we can't do as we feel. Jesus demonstrated that graciously by dying on the cross for us even when He didn't feel like going through all the suffering.

It wasn't as if Jesus was excited about it; instead, He was distressed and troubled. He said this, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death'. And then, He fell to the ground and prayed this: 'Father, everything is possible for You. Take this cup from me.' [Matthew 26:38]

Yet, this is what distinguishes Jesus from me:

• Even when He was distressed and saw the huge obstacle in front of Him, He trusted and submitted Himself to God. He said this: 'Yet not what I will, but what You will.' [Mark 14:32-36]
• He spent time with God and prayed earnestly even at a critical moment- as a result, He drew strength from God
• He went before God with His emotions - He poured out His heart to God and told God exactly how He felt

I'd admit that I don't always do what Jesus did. Sometimes, I choose to give in to my emotions. I do as I feel. As a result, I cave in to my selfish desires, and to the rebellious streak in me. Frankly speaking, giving in to my emotions leads me away from God, and almost always into a multitude of sins.

But this is the one important fact worth knowing: God did not just leave us with nothing to overcome obstacles. God gave us His Holy Spirit when we accepted Him, and the Holy Spirit lives within us. He gave us His word which is living and active, and sharper than any double-edged sword.

As much as I want to continue dwelling in my emotions each time, deep down I know I can't. Somehow, the Holy Spirit always convicts. I'd know if my ill emotions come because I haven't been spending time with Him, or because I've sinned and refuse to confess or etc.

No matter the pain, no matter the disappointment, no matter the momentarily lapses in time that I stall doing the things I do, no matter the many times I wander away, no matter how lonely or depressed or inferior I feel, I just can't give up because God's love is real and everlasting.

So, I wake up each time to His resounding truth.

What we strive for is eternity. Who we serve is a true, loving, faithful, mighty God whom we will meet face to face one day.

Don't give up! Don't give in! Let us not let emotions rule us; let us not do as we feel.

Let us do what Jesus did.

G3