Breathing the Breath - by Matt Redman

MATT REDMAN lyrics

this song... a song of gratitude, a song that states the meaning and purpose of life... of being created to worship the Mighty Creator!

Copy: The Encounter

the below were posted in another blog site...

The Encounter

In A Mess!

07:22, 2007-Jun-17 .. 0 comments .. Link

i remembered reading a book written by Mrs. Bevere entitled 'Out of Control and Loving It' umpteen years ago. at first glance, i thought to myself, 'how could this be?'. later as I read the book it was all about giving up control over ourselves and allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way.

at this point of my life, i really feel that i am in a terrible mess.. though it's not that awful. why i say that? well, there are so many things in my life right now that need to be completed/achieved.. but there's nothing much i can do.. can't move to my new house coz the reno is halted (waiting for cash to come in), brother still not fully recovered, parents affected by brother's condition, ministry - striving for excellence but still very far from it, family - still learning how to manage it more effectively (which i feel i am totally out of control now - it's the 'leave and cleave' problem)..

there's nothing much i can do, i am so broken and only God knows...

Lord, i surrender!!!

A Note: Reminder...

07:50, 2007-Apr-16 .. 0 comments .. Link

Just wanna jot down some prophesies upon my family by Rev. Becky Marking...

Shane - God has given him the gift of being creative... doing things with his hands. Also, God has bestowed upon him the gift of evangelism... people will be drawn to God whenever he shares to them.. hallelujah!

Kate - The little prophetess... her eyes connected with Rev. Becky's while she was being prayed. She will see things that most people don't understand or see. God will show her things that few people will know.

Danny - God is healing and dealing with him one thing at a time... a promise and assurance that our children will not go through the hardship that we worry they will have to go through. God sees him as a man of honour... wow, what a great honour! The Lord will bless him... financially! amen!!!

Myself - Songs for the nation...

Dear Lord, You have spoken... we put our trust in You. it is indeed a wonderful privilege to be called Your children; and that's who we are!! Father, help us (danny and myself) to nurture our children in the fear of the Lord so that they may fulfil their calling and utilize and multiply the gifts that You've bestowed upon their lives. honestly, Lord, I do feel the pressure to raise up my kids but I know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us... and You who have begun a good work in us will bring it to completion. let Your presence be felt every moment so that we will be reminded to humble ourselves... we trust in You, Lord.. believing each of the things that You have spoken will come to pass. in the Name of our Lord Jesus, amen!!!

Trust His Character

08:13, 2007-Apr-5 .. 1 comments .. Link

have you ever wondered sometimes why God isn't doing anything no matter how hard we pray? oh, that's our presumption, a wrong one! we always think He isn't moving His hands when things don't turn out the way we've asked for.

i was wondering how i could stay in faith when sometimes i just cannot see anything happening after a series of fervent prayer (frankly, sometimes i pray until i don't know what/how to pray especially the same thing over and over again... until i am so tired of myself) as faithful as He is, He led me to a devotional material... it is His grace... His grace lets me know that if i cannot see His hands moving, i must trust His heart, His character. it all boils down to 'knowing Him'. this is so, so vital... it's His heartbeat we're talking here~

Thank You, Lord, for Your grace. Thank You for Your promise that says if we draw near to You, You will draw near to us. Allow me to know You the way that I should. In Jesus' Name, amen!

Exam tips!

09:15, 2007-Apr-3 .. 0 comments .. Link

have you ever gotten exam tips before? how does it feel? excited, right? oh, definitely... thinking of passing with flying colours.

it's funny how I got 'exam tips' from God a couple of days before i face the test... i was struggling with how to deal with someone and when i share it with my pastor, i sensed God told me to be 'more gracious'. i was so sure that was what He told me. Lo and behold, two days after i was left with a choice of being angry or gracious. it was totally up to me. of course, i struggled to be more gracious (it was not easy... i cried) but i pulled through (hallelujah!). i can do all thing through Him... His grace is absolutely sufficient for me and you! with an all-knowing God by our side, victory is ours.

Thank You, Lord, for everything. i need you more and more each day. strengthen me in You, protect my family as we serve you. i am in awe of Your faithfulness. in Jesus' Name, amen!

It feels good...

07:17, 2007-Apr-1 .. 0 comments .. Link

never thought it feels this good... what feels good?! oh, ya... i turned 30 today. yup, it feels good. there is a sense of gratitude and love towards the Most High for all that He has done and is still doing in my life...

counting my blessings actually, ahaha... a loving and wonderful husband (danny, i truly love u), 2 adorable and awesome kids (shane & kate, i thank God for blessing me with u 2), great buddies (lisa, hoe, leng and carmen, u guys are the greatest!), my parents and bro (mom, dad & vince, God bless u all) and so many, so many people who have blessed me and made me who i am today (pastor lawrence, lucy, uncle lau) it's starting to sound like i have won an oscar... what more can i ask!!?

i am not saying my life is very flowery at the moment, far from that... my life is filled with lots of trials and testings at this point of time (i pray i'll pass all with flying colors ) but these people whom God has placed in my life, have a special place in my heart.

i made a wish today... i hope it's not a selfish one... i wish and pray that God will fulfil the desires of my parents' heart... i pray that the trials that they are going through will turn out to be something beautiful.

Lord, here is my heart... thank You for Your unfailing love. i rededicate my life to You. have Your way. in the Name of Jesus, amen.

I heard Him...

07:23, 2007-Mar-28 .. 0 comments .. Link

hmmm... you know, i actually dunno where to start and what to write for this first post. funny how i've always wanted to start a blog but now, have no idea what to write...
think, think, think...

well, i think i will talk about my personal encounter (in my daily life, devotion, struggles, etc) with the Lord, especially lately, He seems to be quite loud... i pray that i hear Him right. i hope this journal will serve as a reminder to me of what the Lord has time and time again put in my heart.

God seems to be telling me about worship and family (parenting). frankly, i am not an expert in these areas but i just cannot ignore His voice telling me to embark further in these aspects. worship... i still have tonnes to know and learn, parenting... i still dunno whether i am doing it right with my two kids.

i pray i'll get clearer directions from Him in time...

Lord,
i want Your will to be done in my life and i have to acknowledge that it's a bit scary to pray for this but i know Your grace is always, always sufficient for me. let me hear You clearly. may You be glorified. in Jesus' Name, Amen!

STUCK but BREAKING LOOSE

We are currently staying with my parents and brother. There are times when my parents presence are such a blessing, and there are times when we wish we are not staying together. It's the little things that bother me, lots of little things. Things like I don't like the way things are being put up, so many things in the house (belongings of 3 families in one double-storery terrace house... 2 washing machines, 3 refridgerators, 3 sets of sofas...), when my mom forgets to put away the keys (the keys hanging outside the house overnight!), different preference in TV programmes, my mom cooking dinner for everyone when we feel like eating out and so on and so forth. And there are also unspoken expectation which is the most dangerous. All these sound like no big deal but when they are piled up, they make you wanna scream! AARRGGGH!! My parents don't even impose their ways on us and we are already feeling uncomfortable, mind you...

That is why I mentioned in my previous post about the importance of having our own space. I would very much prefer to once in a while visit my folks rather than staying together. That way there won't be so many 'little things'. Why are you guys staying together in the first place? You may ask... well, it's complicated! Really! You still wanna know? OK, OK... Here we go...

When Danny and I got married we were staying in an apartment (we had our own space ;-D). Then not long after that my parents bought a house (the current one we are staying). When the house was ready nobody was staying here. So, mom suggested that we rent out our apartment (for extra income) and move in and stay in our current house. We agreed because when we first moved in, Danny, myself and Shane were the ones staying here (we were still having our own space). We didn't intend to stay forever in my parents' house, so we bought ourselves a new townhouse about 2 years ago. Now after 4 years, everyone has moved in here, which we are not so comfortable with. Thank God our townhouse is almost ready, in fact it is already completed. Just that we are waiting for the developer to hand over the property. Another bizzare thing is... my parents bought the house next door!!! Not that they don't have a house! They have good intentions... they wanna stay near us so that they could help take care of the grandchildren... but staying next door! When will they realize that I am a woman now? That I can take care of myself and my own family? But I guess being neighbours are better that living under the same roof. There is pretty much nothing I can do now, just have to wait to move into our new premise... ooh, the waiting!

Mom, Dad, I really appreciate you guys a lot. Providing for us... Loving us, protecting us... but sometimes I feel you have to learn the art of letting go and letting God. After everything that you have done, you may think I am unappreciative and rebellious if you know about this post, about how I really feel but no, I would appreciate you guys more if I were given more space and liberty. I love you both dearly. If only you know...

God showed me this verse to make things easier for me...

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
-- think about such things."
Philippians 4:8

Family Boundaries

I am a person who is very, very family oriented and so is my husband, Danny. Of course there are our own/immediate family (spouse and kids), extended family (parents, siblings and in-laws), close and distant relatives. And the order of priorities are as presented.

At this point of time, as parents, my husband and I will have to ensure the safety and security of our kids.. that they are loved, nurtured, protected (note not overprotected) and are taught biblical values and to love God... Our kids are still young and most of the time are unable to make sound judgement, as parents we need to guide them and protect them from making wrong decisions.. till probably when they are older (by the way my son, Shane is five and my daughter, Kate is barely 3 months).

Our parents are precious but once we (their children) start our family then they will have to let loose. Not that we are being rebellious but there are reasons for this to take place. When we as parents want to discipline our children and when grandparents are present, there could be awkwardness. Grandparents tend (not all of them) to pamper their grandchildren and so do uncles and aunties who like to pamper their nephews and nieces. It is not easy to have so many families living under one roof. Disagreements are bound to happen, sooner or later. It is best that families have their own boundaries. Their own space. We need our own space and who doesn't.

"For this reason a mean will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
and they will become one flesh."
Genesis 2:24

I treasure my extended families very much and spend a lot of time with them. They love my kids dearly. And sometimes treat my kids as though their own. No doubt this is good but overdoing it is a no-no. Kids still need to know who is in charged - MOM & DAD; and not granny or grandpa, or uncle or auntie so and so... A lot of things done by our other families are all well-meaning but we as parents must be cautious not to let them go over board. Offering too many junk food/drink, buying too many toys, and instant gratifications too often, are not very healthy. Especially Asian culture, we either not do anything at all or tend to overdo things... hmmm...

" "Everything is permissible" -- but not everything is beneficial...
"Everything is permissible" -- but not everything is constructive. "
1 Corinthians 10:23

Our children must be taught of the above truth... It is hard to confront/carefront when things like these happen... we will be marked as arrogant, strict parents, unappreciative... oh only God knows. When we have to do it, we must do it. Ask God for grace and wisdom to deal with such situation. God will meet us where we are.

Therefore, it is vital that the family unit stay together and not be 'intruded' by anyone - well-meaning or not... unless it is for the purpose of reconciliation and seeking help (eg. counselling). Always ask God to bind us in love and to protect us against intrusion...

Divine Favour

I was talking about being a full-time mother (a stay-home-mom) and stuff like that in my previous post, right..?

See, I have always wanted to return to work in church because I know that's another passion that I have apart from nurturing my children... There was an open door recently... a part-time position which requires me to work half day. What's my value? God and family... What are my priorities? God-Family-Work/Church.

Well, I just gave birth to a baby girl two months ago and I have a 5-year old son. At the same time I was breastfeeding my little girl. I actually thought I could handle the job offered to me until I realized my girl is not ready. I reverted back to the church management and counter offered a proposal stating that I could not meet their requirements and if they don't accept my proposal I will have to decline the job. After I gave them the proposal, I was prepared they would not accept my proposal but I was still hopeful.

Praise be to God... they came back to me and agree to what I have proposed! Now, I will need to go to the office and pick up the tasks that I need to do and come home... I really thank God for this favour. Only God knows what it means to me.

My say, put your priorities right and you will see everything fall into place!

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matt. 6:33

The Best Decision Ever

I was working in the church as an admin staff since I was 19 years old. After we got married we thought of giving ourselves a year or so before we start a family. But the fact that we love to have children of our own caused us to plan having a baby earlier. So in January 2001, I found out that I was pregnant and the baby would be due in September. We were overjoyed! God knows our hearts' desire.

Later, we needed to decide on who would be taking care of the baby... And thanks for the from my pastor's wife, Pastor Wai Lin and a dear sister-in-Christ Auntie Ann, they encouraged me to stay home and take care of my baby full-time and I can say till today, that was one of the best decisions I have made in my life (apart from marrying Danny, hahaha). I also sense the peace of God as I made this commitment even though working in the church is God's call upon my life. I believe being a mother is one of the highest calling a woman can ever have.

God never intends to bless us with kids and just let them grow. Family is God instituted, just like marriage, therefore it is sacred. I am not saying that you should not let other caregiver to nurture your own kids, I am saying if the family can survive on one person's pay check, by all means take care and nurture your kids on your own. It is vital to impart good family values to your children, if you let others do it, you might have to undo a lot of things that the caregivers did... Your kids are not going to be babies and toddlers all their lives. Their vital years are only till about 6 years of age. And believe me, time flies. Once you have missed it is gone. It is hard work, I know, but worth every bit of it!

I do see the difference in children who are taken care by their mothers and those by other caregivers. I am not saying that if you choose to return to work it is wrong. There are good caregivers out there. It is just that what is more precious than watching your own flesh and blood grow...

I also don't believe in being too busy for God and aspect God to take care of the family. Everything starts in the family. Manners, discipline, respect, how your children relate to people etc... Only when you are able to manage your family well then will you be able to shine for God. What testimony can you show others even when you do so much outside the family, yet the family is crying out for more of your time and 'existence'.

What I am trying to address is, there is a time for everything... do pray and ask God to reveal His perfect time for our lives, and not to miss anything in His time. If now family is His time for you, don't ignore it. He wants you to build a strong and healthy family with Him and not just leave it to Him. Not that He is unable, but it is a journey and a process that He wants to go along with you...

"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven..."
Eccl. 3:1

Our Story...

Danny and I first met about 11 years ago in a Christian youth meeting. We started off as acquaintances. He was the reserved but funny guy and I was a little more outspoken than him and stood out in the crowd. After a year or so, from acquiantances we became lovers ;-)... When we started off as lovers we already had marriage in our minds, though we did not get married immediately, no not so young (he was 20 and I was a year younger). We talked about marriage and what we expected from the relationship (i.e. trust, remain pure till we are married, our priorities, etc..). I am glad we made things clear at the very beginning. About 4 years later, we got married. It was on June 3rd, 2000. One of the happiest days in my life. Of course I have many, many happy days! We are married for 6 years now and into our 7th year with 2 adorable kids, Shane (5) and Kate (2 months).

Throughout our journey together, all I can say is God is faithful. He feels our life with abundant love for each other and our 2 lovely children. Indeed His grace is truly sufficient. Till this day, we still think the Golden Rule of putting God first, family second, church/career third has put our perspectives right.

So if you carry on reading this blog, you will expect me to touch a lot on family... and of course, God, because family is God instituted.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matt. 6:21