Edification

Lord, I thank you for your word that was shared today about edifying your church, acting out of love for you. Show me Your ways and teach me to love others always! For you!

(Romans 14)

Finale

It feels like one of the "How I met your Mother" episode about Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's the time of the year when we binge ourselves silly and meet up with friends and loved ones. It's also the time of the year when most people will go for holidays or indulge in shopping sprees.

I like Christmas. Not just because of the warmth that you get from spending quality time with your loved ones. I like Christmas simply because it's a good way to end the year by remembering God's love for everyone. As the finale approaches, I want to give thanks for everything that had happened in 2010. May God be praised for yet another year.

More than Conquerors

Today's sermon was taken from Romans 8.

More Than Conquerors

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This was the exact passage that God showed me in 2008, during the Christmas season. Nothing keeps us from God's love. This advent season, it sparked some reflection about how I had lived my life for the past 12 months. In the passage, it says we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. The word 'Conqueror' means winner, it originates from Old French word, conquerre, from Vulgar Latin conquērere (unattested) to obtain, from Latin conquīrere to search for, collect, from quaerere to seek.

Because of God's grace, we are able to conquer, to seek His true love, love that is all sufficient, all powerful, unconditional. How beautiful to know that the love we receive from God is so perfect!

God led me to this hymn for comfort. May God give me strength to declare that it is well with my soul...


It is well with my soul

When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul

It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul

It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend
Even so, it is well with my soul

It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul

Cauldron of frustrations

There's this growing sense of frustration. With my personal life, work as well as striving to maintain a balance in ministry. God, please help me... How do I keep my cool in the midst of all these?

Good things

All good things are from God, and Him alone. I am thankful for the little blessings this week. For the time spent with Val, catching up with different groups of friends, a nice home-cooked lunch on Sat as well as the day spent at MHKY's wedding. Indeed, let us not stop giving thanks. In good or bad times, may God continue to help me to give thanks and praise Him.

It had been a trying week for T and I as we iron out some major differences...will iron sharpen iron? or will things just fall out between the both of us? I pray that God will continue to lead us and help us to honour and please Him in our decisions...

What kind of light are you?

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

- Matthew 5:13-14

This had been a rather unusual week. An unusual week of catching up with friends from church, and school. The topics and issues that were discussed really piqued my interest and sparked some deep reflection about my faith. A close friend shared how she felt uncomfortable sharing some things with Christians...We are called to be salt and light of the world, being ambassadors of Christ...yet somehow, being set apart may be the very thing that makes people uncomfortable...I thank God for helping me to live a christian life, at the same time, it is my prayer that God will use me as a light that brings comfort and not one to be shunned.

Blunder Blunder, God is Greater!!!!!

I made a huge blunder at work today and had to apologize to the relevant parties because of it. Felt awful for the implications but I am thankful that God helped me to admit my mistakes and move on. It's probably the best way to deal with the situation.

I want to live a God-ward life, praising God in good and bad times, under all circumstances. It has been a great week with the arrival of Baby A (2). I can't wait to see Tim's little nephews in Feb!!!! There are so many things that I want to achieve at the moment. I want to have better financial stability, career achievement and a right relationship with God and my loved ones. May God guard this passion.

Crêperie

Met up with a group of gal pals at a local Crêperie. Food is great. Taste just like those from Brittany. YUMMMMMMM...

Basil escargots

Creme Brulee

crêpe Suzette

crêpe Normandy (mushroom, cream, ham)

crêpe grande

Move it move it...

I haven't been discipline enough to blog regularly but so much has happened in 2010. Switched jobs, went to France, celebrated 2nd Ramly anniversary with bf and started my Bachelor's studies in Counselling, Jo got married. It's an exciting journey no-less. I am happy to finally embark on my dream to be a counsellor.

At the same time, 2010 marks my career switch. Bidding teaching good-bye, I embraced a secretarial job in the corporate world. It's amazing how things work out but I'm loving it. I feel just like the lion moving from the zoo to Madagascar. New adventures, new people, new experiences. Lovely.

Rawwwww

(pic of one of my bestie with the perfect expression on her face)

It's a new year! It's a year speckled with excitement and anticipation! I'll be schooling (again) and bidding farewell to my profession for the last 2 years. Looking back, 2009 has been a great one for me. A year of meeting new people and gaining new experience. There's so much to look forward to this year! I'm lovin' it. And I'm very thankful for the ones who have stood by me all these while, especially God and my hunter b.f who has been catching lovely seafood for me.