spring break - 22/04 - 3/5.

went to stanford (and the surrounding cities), SF, gilroy.

met super smart and prophetic people. God is so amazing.

went to Tree of life Church on sat and went to Santa Cruz John Crowder church for easter.

so good. wonderful churches.

--

Royalty is my identity. Servanthood is my assignment. intimacy with GOd is my life source. So, before God, I'm an intimate. Before people, I'm a servant. Before the powers of hell i'm s ruler, with no tolerance for their influence. Wisdom knows which role to fulfill at the proper time. - Bill Johnson, Dreaming with God p88

interior design: pirate ship in bedroom and slide
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Pirate-ship-bedroom/ss/events/en/041911pirateroom

i've changed quite alot!

i came to Bethel to grow in 3 Cs: Character, Covenantal Relationships, Call. and i realised, by God's grace, i've grown so much in them.

i've gotten what i've come here for.

i've worked on getting rid of condemnation - a fuller work of Rom 8:1 in me. even when i stumble, i found grace and strength to not allow condemnation (from the accuser of the brethren) to get me. i've grown so much stronger in who i m, in trusting God and being able to trust my heart - which, according to God's word, is the heart of flesh that God has put into me. (Eze 11:19, 36:26).

so good!

and thank God for the community of covenant friends He has put in my life.

these next few weeks would be weeks of much coffee - closure times with them, saying temporary good-byes. for we shall be separated geographically for some time, but not in heart and spirit. it's really such a blessing to be in the Body of Christ. i need them as much as they need me. i've blessed them, just as they've blessed me.

call - ah...! i'm ready for a new challenge and adventure. this part can only come properly when knowing God and knowing who you are falls into place. otherwise, it's like a kid trying to drive a car - a disaster waiting to happen. most believers are so caught up trying to find this without the 1st 2 and they wonder why it is so hard walking out their call. we always get ahead of ourselves. it's only 3rd in place of knowing God and knowing who you are in God.

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the Mozambique mission trip has been so instrumental in helping me internalize and solidify God's work in me these past months. i have been able to become more fully myself after the wonderful TLC i've received from the team. it's such a wonderful team: one of the best i've ever been on, if not the best. (i've been on alot of mission trips!) their love and affirmation tipped me over. "you're so worth it!" "pocket evangeline" "i love you" it really has been such a huge turning point in my life, not in terms of direction in life but in becoming more truly me. thank You God! thank you, guys!

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busy next few weeks preparing to come back to Singapore. the bethel chapter is about to come to an end. like i said earlier, alot of coffee meetings for good-byes and thank yous, alot of shopping to do (books is my one vice!), giving/selling of assets like furniture, home appliances, car, filming some testimonies that will be helpful for the people God will have me minister to... homework to do in order to graduate! haha... and most importantly spending time with God. it'll be a time of accelerated growth and crazy encounters!

love You Jesus! i love this life You've given me.

may all those i love realise how wonderful their lives are in You. John 10:10

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_localsfo/20110411/ts_yblog_localsfo/sand-written-wedding-proposal-mystery-solved

Mary Jo Bowling

Before we delve into the deets behind the mystery proposal that captivated our readers, let's get a couple of things out of the way: (1) Her name is Kelly Riplinger and she said "yes" and (2) Jason Fordley, the mastermind behind the sand art question, might well be the most romantic man in San Francisco.

On Wednesday at approximately 3 p.m. I posted a blog featuring photos of what appeared to be an elaborate wedding proposal writ in sand, hoping we might be able to locate the couple and find out what happened. The reaction was swift: Within an hour readers identified the pattern's artist as Andres Amador; by 10 p.m. I had an email from a friend of the couple saying he was contacting them; and the next morning there was a message in my inbox from Jason's (admittedly) proud mama ratting him out and providing his email (thank you, Laurie Rickson). In between there were a few doubters (someone commented that there was no way it was real) and several women who offered via email or Facebook to take the mystery man up on his offer if Kelly rejected him.

Ladies, you are out of luck. As Kelly told me via phone late yesterday: "He's taken, sorry!"

Here's how it all went down: Several years ago, Jason and Kelly were enjoying a picnic of Thai take-out on Ocean Beach when they noticed Amador creating a mural in the sand. "It was one of our first dates in San Francisco and it was just so cool," says Kelly. "We took a bunch of photos and it was a great memory."

Three years later, Jason tracked down the artist via the Internet and asked him to create a wedding proposal sand mural on February 12. The artist conceptualized the design and directed a handful of the couple's friends in raking it into Ocean Beach. It took them, according to Amador, about an hour and a half to get the job done; then everyone took cover on the sidewalk above the rocks.

Meanwhile, Jason was luring Kelly back to the picnic spot. "As we walked down the beach, we talked about the mural we'd seen years ago," Kelly says. "When we came upon the patterns in the sand, I couldn't believe the artist was back!"

Because the design was so large, Kelly couldn't read the message until she climbed up on the rocks (which took some coaxing). The waves were just starting to erase the edges of the mural when Jason pointed out the words and got on his knee. "I was in total shock," says Kelly. "I mean, after five years I was getting a bit impatient, but I had no idea he would do anything like that! He told me that he'd made me wait so long, he knew he had to make it really good."

And, as I said at the beginning, she said "yes." Jason slipped the ring he'd designed on her finger, their friends (and the small band of onlookers) cheered and the champagne started flowing by a fire pit on the beach.

But the surprises weren't over. Jason chartered a limo to take the whole crew around the city to scenic spots (such as Crissy Field and Twin Peaks) before crossing the Golden Gate Bridge for an In-N-Out Burger feast. After that, they came back to Ocean Beach for a bonfire. "There happened to be fire dancers there that night," says Kelly. "It was the ONLY thing he didn't plan."

I asked Kelly what women around San Francisco want to know: Is the guy this romantic all the time? "He really is," she says. "He's just stupid creative. I don't know how I got this lucky. He made a huge effort, and it was the happiest day of my life."

The wedding is set for next fall in the Wine Country.