Happy New Year!

To everyone, A Blessed New Year 2009!

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself: "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." (Lamentations 3:19-24)

The Final Chapter

Hey ya'll

So we've done the bbq and we've done the movie night and we've done the taboo and also the cardmaking (which has yet to be completed) :D

Great job!!

As for the last chapter of this book, I think that as a person, I've learnt alot about prayer from a book as straightforward and simple as this. I hope you all have had the same experiences.

So finally, after tackling issues such as praying for each other, ourselves, children, unbelievers, help, big things, little things, together, spouses and just plain beginnings... how do we pray when we in fact can't pray or dont know how to??

Life can be overwhelming and ridiculously occupying at times, to the point that we just want to tuck ourselves and bed and wake up, hopefully, to a day that was the opposite of our current circumstantial states.

When we are up, praying is a joy and thanksgiving is so easy to do. Conversely, when we are down in the bunkers hiding and fighting to move just an inch without being shot, praying seems like an enormous chore.

But the Lord promises us His Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us, and most importantly pray on our behalf when we do not know how to pray.

Have you been in a situation where you could not pray and relied on the Holy Spirit to pray on your behalf?

What was that prayer like?

In retrospect and also on learning from this chapter, how much more are you going to rely on the Holy Spirit to intercede for you?

Campus location

Hi guys.
So i went to the course adviser today and i found out that i can't transfer to Clayton anymore. I know some of you might not think that it is that big a deal, but it is to me. I was still not sure whether i wanted to go to Clayton or not, but it was sortof decided for me because i did not know the closing date was so early.

The advantage of going to Clayton was that it is closer. In addition, Alan, Winnie and Daniel and some of my Uni friends are going to Clayton, so that is like another kick in the nuts.

The only advantage i can see from going to Caulfield is just increasing the Christian influence in my small impacts on other peoples lives.

I think God may have placed me in Caulfield on purpose when i prayed that his will be done. It is really strange because i don't feel angry as much, but more sad and overwhelmed since i am so used to going through life with Alan. Usually i would get angry, but i feel that it must be God's choice, so i just feel sad instead. To help you guys know the feeling, it is like going from primary to secondary school, or secondary to uni. You know that there is going to be big change, and your just don't want it to happen. Especially when you know that a best friendship is going to become just a good friendship. But change is inevitable, and at least i know we will still keep in contact.

So please pray for me for:
- Strength to carry me through ( i am quite a hard person, but i just don't enjoy this bad feeling)
- Wisdom/guidance to know whether i should go to Clayton in two years time
- For God's will to be done in my life, and hopefully that he will show me his plan

Random stuff...

I just realised that i spend a great deal of time thinking, often staring at one of 3 objects on my table whilst doing so - either the flower on the left, the calender picture, or the smily ball. Day before yesterday, i was just wondering, why people calculate the percentage of the exams that they need to pass? is it for security reasons or to make themselves feel better? Personally i don't see the point in calculating the percentage, cuz i just want to try my hardest and give it my best shot. I agree, it is a tad comforting to know that u may prob only need about 35% on the exam to pass the subject, but i still like knowing that i gave it my best shot.

Lifted

HAY-LOW!
Just want to share a bit on how I've been encouraged this exam season! (that I am still in boo)

One of the ways is...the encouraging SMSes I've received! Seriously. So so gamdong-ing (touching :D).
Like for me, honestly like I've already wished people all the best, praying for them, etc...I wouldn't actually SMS them to encourage them again, you know? Maybe I'm just mean haha.

But anyway, like last Friday I was really pretty nervous about starting 1 of 4 papers. Then I received 2 SMSes from 2 people (well duh two people HAHAHA) and it was really unexpected and I felt so like...some nice feeling la.
And last night and this morning I received another 2! I really felt so so so...nice feeling again.

And it's really timely too. Cos actually every single time I receive these SMSes it was like. Just when or after I'm feeling very very down and fed up and depressed (but mild version :D) and you get the gist?
Looking back now and seeing it as a whole (or let's be more cliche. The 'big picture'), God's hand in this is really so obvious. I really get very down during exams okay. It's like my end of the world everytime it rolls around. I don't understand it either since I'm from Malaysia : The Land of Many Unnecessary Exams.
But anyhow it even gets to points where I feel like skipping papers, not studying at all, dropping out, and I can even understand how Singaporean students can actually commit suicide over exams. Of course, I will never never have the guts to do any of the afore mentioned, so no worries there ;) (sometimes I shudder to imagine the things I would do if I didn't know our good great God)...and if I continue talking about this it'll become a post-in-a-post so I shall stop.

Anyway, I'm getting (gotten?) off the tangent and blogging as though this was my blog lol.
Apologies!
And yeap just wanted to share the encouraging-ness I've experience these past few days and thank you to wonderful people and thank You to wonderful God :)
Fight on, people!

swearing

who thinks swearing is a sin?

This is not a direct quote, but Jonno thinks swearing is alright. I am not exactly sure of what you said, but is it correct to assume that you think swearing by yourself is alright, but swearing at others is wrong? Jonno, could you please reply to correct what i just wrote?

Anyways, what does everyone think? Who here swears, and when?

I swear, cos when i was in primary school, my friends just taught me too and i did not know better. Now it is a habit.

In Corinthians 13:4, it says love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

So does this mean swearing is a sin? or are things rude only when other people are present?
For example, it is not rude for me to be naked by myself, but it is when other people are around.

SO please, tell me your thoughts.

The Exam Prayer

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not flunk;
He keepeth me from lying down when I should be studying.
He leadeth me beside the water cooler for study break;
He restoreth my faith in study guides.
He leads me to better study habits for my grades' sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of borderline grades,
I will not have a nervous breakdown
for Thou art with me.
My prayers and my friends, they comfort me.
Thou givest me answers in my moments of blankness;
Thou annointest my head with understanding.
My test paper runneth over with questions I recognise.
Surely passing grades and flying colors shall follow me
all the days of my examinations,
and I shall not have to dwell in this misery forever.
Amen.

-unknown

Hohoho...Something to put a smile on your faces this dreary season!

how lazy are you?

well, during my daily devotion.. i stumbled upon this passage of scripture.. i find it quite intriguing.. hahahha.. is about lazy people.. just thought i'd share it with all of you..

here it is.. taken from the New Living Translation (NLT) version..
Proverbs 26: 13-16
13 the lazy person is full of excuses, saying, "I can't go outside because there might be a lion on the road! Yes, I'm sure there's a lion out there!"
14 As the door turns back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed.
15 Some people are so lazy that they won't lift a finger to feed themselves.
16 Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors.



pssttt.. i found that i'm not that lazy after all!!

Helllooo

Was thinking about some stuff today. As i was doing perio study (periodontics - study of disease of gums and related structures) today for my exam, i came across many lecture slides where the stuff seemed sorta...common sense. And i somehow thought of the book of proverbs and how it instructs us and equips us with wisdom. But somehow, as i read through proverbs, it kinda seems like common sense and very repetitive. Im not really sure what that means but i found this thingo online where there is a verse in proverbs that sums up the purpose of the book of proverbs is for: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction." [Proverbs 1:7]. (http://www.answers.com/topic/proverbs)
The website states that the book centers on willingness to learn, learn how to be devoted to God. And from that i realised that it is not just a rule book on common sense, instructional verses but rather showing that you are obedient to God. I just realised that Nicole Conner mentioned that proverbs was "wisdom literature" and as we pray for wisdom...refer to the book of proverbs as guidance for God.

Ah, random trailing thoughts. Ok, back to study for me =]

Initiation

So this is where reflections happen...

The purpose of this blog is for life group members to share with each other their reflections on Christ, His Word, questions about their faith, all things God related... and to be a place where we bond through our views on life as well.

I felt that although most of us do actually run our own blogs, that having a central one would be ground/forum between us :D

The challenge then is to ... make sure we keep posting and sharing with each other, because we all would agree that meeting up for life group once every two weeks is not enough!! hahaha

You are all awesome!!

JON