Anima sana in corpore sano (ASICS)-
a sound mind in a sound body....


had a gr8 worship min retreat on fri n sat. sessions by P PHilip Huan on "the Work of Prayer", "the Levitical call" and "the pillars of an anointed worship team" was a good time of learning from the word. and then the team building time... was good in getting to know people better. otherwise, i thought i could do a better job in explaining the game having better games, and debriefing- drawing lessons on teamwork from the activities. made me realised that over the years, my social work, counselling and group dynamics training, plus working with groups of people and of course playing lots of games n debriefing them had given me considerable experience in this area. a team building consultant charges more than $1000 per afternoon... hmmm.... oh well, my job is not dat... so i shall take joy with getting $1000 a month instead of an afternoon LOL

i've learnt alot from the retreat. one such thing was a greater need for discipline. i have much to do. really. so all the more the need for rest, for seeking the Lord. and such times wont juz come by. i have to carve time out for them. i shall try to really observe my sabbath... shall really get to say no to people... more "yes-es" to God.
have been trying to get deeper into the Word. but realised that while i used to have way more time to dig n plow thru the chapters, now it's taing me forever cos i dun have such extended time.... i shall have to find this extended time! effort, gal!

God has deposited alot of things upon my heart over these past few months. i had at first wondered which of these i should act upon, implement, do. it was at the end of the retreat, while sittingin yeep's car that it hit me. i m to do ALL those things God has told me to! it is an impossible amount. the impossibility of it IS the very reason why i m to do ALL instead of asking (n thus been rather hesitant n confused) which ones i m to do. cos it's gonna be a show of God's power n glory, and it is in this impoosibility that it'll be evident to me that it really isnt my doing. so yeah... hence the greater need for discipline n obedience, rest n prayer.

in my servant team recently, somehow the bringing up of the need and priority for prayer, has turned into a rather frustrating debate on prayer vs work, as if these 2 r mutually exclusive (remember your Sets? - maths lah) need i say here that it is NOT? another errant thinking is that prayer and work are two ends of a spectrum and that we need to find some sort of balance, a fulcrum so that life would work. sigh...

GOd reminded me (3X this week!) that i need to teach pp abt prayer! "when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think they will be heard for their many words." (Matt 6:8) but rather, "Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven and you on earth; therefore let your words be few." (Ecc 5:2)

we had a time of "repentance". and while the SC sounded out the call, we began pouring forth words so well rehearsed on repenting and turning back to God. i began crying so uncontrollably. where is the attitude and posture of repentance? my heart broke.the irony was that the SC used the passage in 2 Kings where Hezekiah put on sackcloth and spoke about the right attitude... "rend your heart, not your garments! (Joel 2:13)

what then would repentance show? the bible shows many many egs of real as well as skin-deep repentance. if we were to really see God, i believe our response will not be unlike Isaiah who said, "woe is me, for i m undone! i m an unclean man, and i live amongst people of unclean lips!" (Is 6) why? cos we would see God in His holiness, His glory, n us in our unworthiness, our nothingness. we are nothing apart from God! yet today, our repentance is uttering glib prayers. oh, that we would be silent! do away with our many vexing and tiresome words that crowds out God's voice, n be still... to see and hear God. He wants to reveal Himself to us!

may we, like the disciples ask of Jesus, "Lord teach us how to pray..."