comp somehow got comp... maybe some prog got corrupted. sigh...
m glad my sis updated our Norton subscription, bro borrowed a HD n backed-up and reinstalled progs... thank you guys!

had a very good church leaders' retreat on sun n mon at SAF Yacht Club. it's so beautiful... can stare out at sea the whole day cos our meeting room and bedrooms face the sea. n, it's beauitful at changi... was at sembawang yacht club... not as nice. so glad!

learnt alot from the speaker on the book of Joshua. a book no unfamiliar to us.

(Jos 1:6)

"YOU will lead" - you, not another. specific. a call.

"you WILL lead" - command, certainty, time specific (there is a kairos moment taht God has ordained u to)

"you will LEAD" - what you are called to do. (not inspire, stand-in, facilitate, cajole, but LEAD)

we often claim the "be strong n courageous" part... but have we realised that we too are called to lead?

carry the ark and stand in the river jordan at flood state? march ard jericho with the levities in front instead of the fighting soldiers? how is this going to bring abt wat we are supposed to get accomplished? Juz obey. "How" is God's specialty.

definition of success: Success is doing what God wants u to. 100% guaranteed. doing what God wants u to today, tmr...

"i never take on more than i can do without a calm spirit" - John Wesley. need to ponder abt dat... the leaders' retreat made me realise once again that indeed i m supposed to be in the ministries i am in right now. juz dat i feel so terribly stretched n flustered. how? pray for a calm spirit then! (n a bigger capacity n wisdom n strength!) since i m more sure now than before this wed that i m taking on wat God wants me to.

boo hoo~ Melinda is gone! i didnt manage to catch the results show (no surprise abt dat). i juz checked online for it... sigh... why? sianz... she is the best of the 3!! man... cant they hear?
anyway. nvm... if anything i believe she left wif a better understanding of the gift God has given her. she is a star... dat she shines real bright.

anyway... today's my sis's birthday!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
muacks

now ch5 is showing american idol. so glad to be home now to chill after working LONG hours these past weeks! on mon, worked too late dat i had to stay overnight in GC! lol. was good tho... less 3 hours of travelling actually did me some good. was refreshed n ready to pia till 1030pm on tues.
back to AM...
i predict... *looks into crystal ball* melinda doolittle n jordin sparks!
juz realised melinda's face is HUGE! when she stood beside the host... now wats his name?? haha... d size of her face was 2.5x his! shocker.
n jordin is juz huge! anyway... way to go gals!

What we can learn from the geese

Fact no.1:
as each bird flaps its wings, it creats an uplift draft for the bird following. by flying in a "V" formation, the while flock adds a greater flying range than if one bird flew alone.
Lesson no.1:
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they're going quicker and more easily because they are travelling on the strength of one another.

Fact no. 2:
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddnely feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the uplifting power of the bird immediately in fornt.
Lesson no.2:
If we have as much sense as geese, we will stay in formation and be wiling to accept help when we need it and give help when it is needed.

Fact no.3:
When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation, and another goose flies in the point position.
Lesson no. 3:
Geese instinctively share the task of leadership and do not resent the leader.

Fact no.4:
The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Lesson no.4:
We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging and not something else.

Fact no.5:
When a goose gets sick, is wounded or is shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to earth to ehlp and protect it. they stay with their disabled companion until it is able to fly again or dies. they then lauch out on their own or with another formation or catch up with the flock.
Lesson no.5:
If we have as much sense as geese, we, too, will stand by one another in difficult times and help the one who has dropped out to regain his place in the formation.

an amazing group of people - The Recabites
Jeremiah 35
5 Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family and said to them, "Drink some wine."
6 But they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.' 8 We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9 or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us.
12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying: 13 "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, 'Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?' declares the LORD. 14 'Jonadab son of Recab ordered his sons not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather's command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. 15 Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, "Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your fathers." But you have not paid attention or listened to me. 16 The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab have carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.'

if a people can obey a mere man so totally,
how can it be that God's pp - who have been saved by His grace from death and bondage, tasted His goodness, claim they love Him and live for Him - not obey Him ? n i m not even talking abt the Israelites. i'm talking abt u & i.

was on the bus to NUS, reflecting abt something when this hit me: be careful what you open your heart to. dont fall for the line "what is there to lose?" cos, u really never know. your heart's pretty easily conquered by all the wrong things. alot more is at stake.

"your heart must grow in tandem to your vision" - KH at famiy night (tonight)
lessons from the geese... akan datang.