童话

http://www.lcbtv.com/flash/movie/tonghua.swf
光良 童话

忘了有多久 再没听到你
对我说你最爱的故事
我想了很久 我开始慌了
是不是我又做错了什么
你哭着对我说 童话里都是骗人的
我不可能是你的王子
也许你不会懂 从你说爱我以后
我的天空星星都亮了

我愿变成童话里 你爱的那个天使
张开双手 变成翅膀守护你
你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里
幸福和快乐是结局

你哭着对我说 童话里都是骗人的
我不可能是你的王子
也许你不会懂 从你说爱我以后
我的天空星星都亮了
我愿变成童话里 你爱的那个天使
张开双手变成翅膀守护你
你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里
幸福和快乐是结局 我要变成童话里
你爱的那个天使 张开双手变成翅膀守护你
你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里
幸福和快乐是结局

我会变成童话里 你爱的那个天使
张开双手变成翅膀守护你 你要相信
相信我们会像童话故事里 幸福和快乐是结局
一起写我们的结局

23

i woke up on mon feeling EXTREMELY tired. my insides juz feel all wrong. i dunno if u know what i mean... getting old!!!! tired!! haha

anyway, tues night i was praying rather desperately re some stuff... n then i went to bed. the very first sms i read on wed morn was:

The Lord is my programmer, I shall not crash.
He installed His software on the hard disk of my heart
all His commands are user-friendly
his directory guides me to the right choices for His name sake
Even tho i scroll through the problems of life
i will fear no bugs for
His anti-virus n firewall, they comfort me!

what a cool way to start a day with! wonderful medicine this Psalm 23 is to the burdened soul!

here's the real version:

The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever

problems problems

everywhere u turn they r everywhere. trying to overwhelm u, attempting to tempt u to worry n lose ur sanity if not ur patience.

seems like an uphill task? mission impossible? a mountain of immovable problemoS? fires that dun seem to be "put-out- able"? feel on the losing side?

it's almost too easy to forget that God is still in control; almost too easy to think that all's lost since WE lose control.

i dunno abt u... i never seem 2 b in control. this might come as a surprise to some... but not to those who know me better. i really m NOT in control. but i do have the tendency to wrestle 4 some control.

sometimes, wat's worse is that we r holding unto the reins yet deludedly thinking we have put God in control.

then it's time to go back to God and return to Him what's His. we have to admit He is better at the wheel than us.

i mean... come on... even the winds and waves obey Him and become silent. How more in control do u wanna get? it's better to be in His boat! (mark 4:35-41 *this is NOT an exposition of the passage...! but to give a context since i write abt winds n waves obeying Jesus*)

this world has no friends, juz strangers u never met?!?!?!?!?!

that was wat my fren said while we stood at the junction waiting to cross. i seriously pondered over the profundity of her statement. "so... we are strangers who have met?" i asked.

turned out what she actually meant 2 say was the cliche: this world has no strangers, juz frens u havent met.

well, come to think of it... she may be kinda right... if u see the harshness of this dog-eat-dog world where u gotta watch ur back n mind ur words. n even if u have met some pp n probably meet them a number of times... they might jolly well STILL b strangers... the bottom line: how well do u noe who u noe? r they actually strangers?

ok... weird, sombre thots aside, today has really been such gr8 fun! hadn't had so much fun in s'pore in a long while! (had a gr8 time in US juz last month!)

felt like a kid all over again exploring the National Library n playing on the escalators n lifts, squeezing all our bags in the little locker, sitting on the couches... that simple joy in being with frens n acting silly! hahaha!

n the va va voom cafe! haha! nice vietnamese food... gr8 conversation...! hearty laughs! HO HO HO! can u believe a seminar for teachers on how to instill humour in their lessons?!

man... to my frens who refuse to b identified other than by the pseudonym "HO-LY"... thank u 4 such a wonderful time! tis a pity we didn't have camera. but i ve got it down in my memory... well, LOW, hope u dun turn up in my dreams tonight! =) haha... love u gals! so... we gonna partner in setting up the LAO NUA Vietnamese restaurant? n... yep... next month come celebrate at my house by popping corn k?

this world has no strangers, juz friends u havent met

i really only love God as much as i love the person i love the least. - Dorothy Day

without friends no one would choose to live, even if they had all other good things in life. - Aristotle

there is a little volume called "The All the Better Book" in which elementary school children try to solve some of the world's knottiest problems. here's the toughest:
"With billions of people in the world, someone should be able to figure out a system where no one is lonely. what do you suggest?"

"People should find lonely people and ask their name and address. then ask people who weren't lonely their name and address. When you have an even amount of each, assign lonely and not lonely poeple together in the newspaper."-Kalani, 8 (obviously this is a girl with the gift of administration.)

"Make food that talks to you when you eat. For instance, it would say, "How are you doing?" and "What happened to you today?" - Max, 9

"We could get people a pet or a husband or a wife and take them places." - Matt, 8 (this makes you wonder about his understanding of marriage.)

"Sing a song. Stomp your feet. read a book. (Sometimes i tihnk no ones loves me, so i do one of these.) - Brian, 8

from John Ortberg's Everybody's Normal till You Get to Know Them p28

got someone u gotta meet!
Greater love has no one than thus, that he (Jesus) lay down his life for his friends. - Jn 15:13
"Never will i leave you, never will i forsake you" - Jesus

NO TAME FEAT

If we could but show the world that being a follower of Christ is no tame, humdrum, sheltered monotony but the most exciting experience the human spirit can know, then those who are standing outside the church looking askance at Christ would come crowding into our churches to pay Him allegiance and we might well see the greatest revival since Pentecost.
~Dr James Stewart

kids sharing Christ

yesterday was the beginning of my church's missions conference. the focus was on reaching our "Jerusalem". we demonstrated the sharing of the gospel using the wordless book. nearing the end of the service, i passed a wordless book to one of the kids who was at the back of the hall and i went thru the book with him (Caleb). He immediately turned to share with the boy (Ian) who was by this time drwan towards us. i was standing there listening to Caleb share and he really got it. i was so surprised. Caleb is 3 years old. n before long a group of pre schoolers gathered around and Ian was sharing with them what the wordless book was about!

man! talking about spiritual multiplers!

this is Jolyn's story. uneditted.
A few weeks ago, Evan gave me a booklet to share with my friend. It was about telling other people about Jesus.

She taught me how to share it and a few days later, during recess, I satdown with one of my best friend and read the booklet to her. When I asked her if she wanted to be a child of God, she agreed! After that, I prayed with her. That was when I knew that sharing the gospel with someone else was such an easy task. When I went home, I called Evan and told her the good news. She was elated and told me I had to invite her to church. Unfortunately, when I asked my friend if she had told her parents about it, she was afraid. I prayed with her again and told her to tell her parents. The following Sunday, I asked Evan for another booklet. The next day, I excitedly shared it with another friend. She too, agreed! I prayed with her the same prayer and after that I gave the booklet to her.

My next wish is that both of my friends would be able to come to church after our PSLE examinations.
- Jolyn, 12

in conversation with Hudson Taylor on...

bringing the gospel to others:
“How long have you had the Glad Tidings in your country?”
Some hundreds of years,” was the reluctant reply.
“What! Hundreds of years?”
“My father sought the Truth,” he continued sadly, “and died without finding it. Oh why did you not come sooner?”
---

And we do well to remember that this gracious God, who has condescended to place His almighty power at the command of believing prayer looks not lightly on the blood guiltiness of those who neglect to avail themselves of it for the benefit of the perishing…

relying on God's provision:

“a foolhardy business,” said those who saw only the difficulties.
“a superhuman task,” sighed others who wished them well. And many even of their friends could not but be anxious.

“You will be forgotten,” was the concern of some. “With no committee or organization before the public, you will be lost sight of in that distant land. Claims are many nowadays. Before long you may find yourselves without even the necessaries of life!”

“I am taking my children with me,” was the quiet answer, “and I notice it is not difficult to remember that they need breakfast in the morning, dinner at midday and super at night. Indeed, I could not forget them if I tried. And I find it impossible to think that our heavenly Father is less tender and mindful of His children than I, a poor earthly father am of mine. No, He will not forget us!”

---

.. it is a wonderful thing to be really one with a risen and exalted Saviour, to be a member of Christ! Think what it involves. Can Christ be rich and I poor? Can your right hand be rich and your left poor? Again, think of its bearing on prayer. Could a bank clerk say to a customer, “it was only your hand, not you that wrote that check”; or “I cannot pay this sum to your hand, but only to yourself”? no more can your prayers or mine be discredited if offered in the name of Jesus (i.e., not for the sake of Jesus merely, but on the ground that we are His, His members) so long as we keep within the limits of Christ’s credit – a tolerably wide limit! If we ask for anything unscriptural, or not in accordance with the will of God, Christ Himself could not do that. But “if we ask anything according to his will… we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

The sweetest part, if one may speak of one part being sweeter than another, is the rest which full identification with Christ brings. I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize this; for He, I know, is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest position He must give me grace, and in the most difficult His grace is sufficient. It little matters to my servant whether I send him to buy a few cash worth or things, or the most expensive articles. In either case he looks to me for the money and brings me his purchases. So, if God should place me in serious perplexity. Of great difficulty, much grace; in circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength? No fear that His resources will prove unequal to the emergency! And His resources are mine, for He is mine, and is with me and dwells in me.

what a gr8 encouragement to those who are support raising! take heart! God will provide our daily bread.

Let us see that we keep God before our eyes; that we walk in His ways and seek to please and glorify Him in everything, great and small. Depend upon it, God’s work, done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.

my Heavenly Father spoke to me through my earthly father

22 Aug:
we had our Survivor Talk (How to survive year one) for the M1s. we got seniors who did very well to share tips on the year one subjects like anat, physio, and biochem. I prayed hard that God will use this to establish a bridge between us and the year ones so that we could have more targeted evangelistic programmes in time to come. My dad’s sms on 11.54am that day read: Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God & there is no one else.
I felt it was God’s reassurance of His presence and His unction on this events and also on the outreach work we will be doing in this year.

26 Aug:
I was very tired. Have 2 back to back Discipleship groups and speaking at LM. Slept 2 hours due to various fire fighting situations. Was very unsettled, fretful and even angry that morning. Was trying to calm myself and get ready for the day and praying so terribly hard and desperately from 730-930. was telling God He had to show up in the ministry. at 949am, dad sms-ed me: “Ps 12v5/6 But now I will come.’ Says the Lord. Because the needy are oppressed and the persecuted groan in pain. I will give them the security they long for.
I checked my Bible which was the NIV. It didn’t read like this. In fact, if the verse was given in NIV, it wouldn’t have spoken to me in my situation. The funny thing was that this version (whichever it is from) starts with “but now I will come” and when I read it, it almost seemed audible to me as if God was speaking as He arose. I was in awe and at rest. Indeed He came and supernaturally sustained me. I know I couldn’t have survived the day on my own strength. He held me throughout the day. It was really amazing.

30 Aug:
the storm has blown in.
I had not been so anxious in a long while. I was so edgy and my hands were cold (usu I m more on the warm side. Pp use my hands to ‘warm them’.) and the whole afternoon was a “wash-down the drain”. I just don’t seem to be able to find the peace and assurance that I so needed from God. Dad sms at 4.42pm when I was on my way to NUH for DG: Ps 91v14 God says, “I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as Lord.” This is not a word just for me but also for the others involved in this situation.
I really dunno how to pick up the pieces. Nevermind I was misrepresented at certain points, nevermind that my actions probably are misconstrued, nevermind that perhaps I have lost the friendship that I have been putting so much effort building up. I have to trust that God who has led me, and even the min to this point knows what He is doing and is bringing about a good for all that we now cannot see.
The tension and strain will be there. But I will trust the Lord of reconciliation to work things out. I desire to see growth and that the persons to succeed. How I wish this “cup” can pass from me. but this is my lot for the moment. Not an enviable position but a faith stretching one. And somehow I m led to give thanks nevertheless. I will trust. What an interesting blend of fear and faith, of love and anger, of anxiety and rest.

It’s surprising that God chose to speak through my most unlikely person. My dad is someone who has chosen to repeatedly turn his back to God. And he is Chinese educated. His English is BAD. The verses, I believe have been sms-ed to him by another bro-in-Christ who is trying to reach out to him at the moment. But God chose to use him. Why? Perhaps to remind me that He has not given up on him. But definitely to show that He speaks and is able to use ANY.

Pls pray with me for my dad that those words of life will not just pass through his hands as sms-es received and forwarded. But that the scales in his eyes will drop and he will see the truth and repent. Pray with me that he will see that he is walking towards destruction and will turn back to the God who has been calling out to him. Pray that the prodigal will return. Pray that just as my Heavenly Father is speaking to me through my earthly father, one day my earthly father will speak of my Heavenly Father. I typed this in tears. I claim that we who go out sowing in tears will indeed reap in joy. Thank you for praying with me.

Jesus a great teacher? think again

In his famous book Mere Christianity, Lewis makes this statement, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."

heartache hard egg

havent been writing though there's so much to put down onto "paper"... during this week i wanted so much to sit down to blog but juz could afford the time...!


this week has been a real challenging week.... learnt a lot... gone thru alot.... slept v little..ate v little...


hope i'll lose weight...! haha... really m too heavy. (aiyah cant go for the Army Half Marathon on 11 sept. sad.)

i realised i've grown... besides older n more haggard, wiser and more trusting n restful in God. found that He has enlarged my capacity... odd were the ways n means He used tho. =)

was so thankful n joyful to be able to serve God. such a wonderful honour n privilege to do what i m doing!


was praying hard on fri (cos i was so so dead tired n it was a packed day) that God will show up and got an sms fr my dad (haha! of all people!) that reads: (now... where's my hp?!?!) "But now i will come," says the Lord................. "!!!!
and he n HE were right! the Lord showed up! gave me strength n presence of mind so supernaturally! i felt so incredible! thanks to those who prayed...


i c a storm brewing from a distance... coming nearer! sigh... God have mercy!


love being single! such freedom n haha so much more time! more able to serve!
(for those asking abt "somebody"... i think no lah... i HOPE no lah...! so stop lah!)



a friend in NTU said something that i tot was interesting: friendship is one long conversation. (M.A, thanks!)
yah... we juz pick up where we left off
always saw it more like a journey n friend is a so-journer.



Eunice, happy birthday! wanted so much to join u on fri... sorry...!
n louis! happy birthday!

hmmm... how communications have evolved... how even writing journals have changed! i used to have an online diary somewhere in diaryland before the blog thingy caught "fire"... it's kinda secret. no one knows... juz me n whoever stumbles onto my page. now... i have no idea wat my user name was... sad. got some nice poems there... i want to put a poem here... but... the 'mood' isn't right.
"the distance is not of heaven n earth.................."
lost my muse... nothing rhymes now.

heartache hard egg hart etch
miss u mis ewe
crisis cry sis

wanted to change the MTV to daniel beddingfield's song... but they juz took the MTV down.. cant find liao....!


had a number of dreams... of people i have never seen or dreamt off before...
eg. taxi driver who turns out to be my mom's TKGS sch mate, lady in a cafe whose mascara runs... haha...





wonder why some pp can really live for frivolous things... wat do you live for? u might b surprised what some can come up with.



why do we not put God in the first place when we KNOW we should?
why do people like to deceive themselves by saying they are trying to get right with God but are not?
why do we look for God-substitutes?
why m i asking funny stuff when i should be in bed sleeping? hahahaha

really heartache re my frens.... know them for most of my life.... sigh...



by now u should have realised that i m rambling n trying to capture random thoughts n happenings of the week...

should sleep soon.... NOW maybe.
will try to finish the hudson taylor book by today(later today i mean)... wonderful book.. will share with you soon.

now, this is commitment!

excerpt of letter by an American college student explaining to his fiancee why he had to break off their engagement-

We communists have a high casualty rate. We live in virtual poverty, and turn back every penny we make to the Party above what is absolutely necessary to keep us alive. We communists don’t have the time or the money or movies, concerts, or T-bone steaks or decent homes or new cars. I am in dead earnest. Communism is my life, my business, my religion, my sweetheart, my wife, my mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it in the daytime and dream about it at night. Its hold on me grows, not lessens, as time goes by. Therefore, I cannot carry on a friendship, a love affair, or even a conversation without relating to this force which both drives and guides my life. I’ve already been in jail because of my ideas and if necessary I am ready to go before a firing squad.


Man! i look at this communist's great faith and passion and i am ashamed. i have not let the cause of Christ so consume me that all of my life is driven and guided by Him. if only we Christians know but a fraction of what it means to be thss "sold out", if only we allow God's hold on us to grow and make Him our all. to think an aetheist knows better what it means "to live is Christ" (Gal 2:20, Phil 1:21), except that for him to live is communism. it's all or nothing for Christ!

God is the issue - recapturing the cultural initiative

“Welcome to a culture where right and wrong have taken such a beating they’re no longer recognizable. If you think this debasement of our culture can never really affect you, think again. Today’s moral relativism and selfish agendas are moving through the body of society like a cancer, putting all of us at risk.”
~Tammy Bruce, The Death of Right and Wrong, p11

“What we do know is that the choices we make today will have consequences – for better or worse.

Will we rise to the challenge or will we bury our heads in the sands of indifference, prosperity, and busyness until it is too late? If we chose not to make God the issue now, our grandchildren may never even get the opportunity to do so.

God is the issue. God is the watershed. He is the only one who can push back the raging tide of moral relativism and secularism. If we fail to make God the issue, we shall most certainly and inevitably fail at all other tasks.”
~ Brad Bright, God is the Issue p148

prayer

Intercessory prayer is the Christian's most effective weapon. Nothing can withstand it's power. It will do things when all else has failed. And the marvel is that we turn to other agencies in order to accomplish what only prayer can bring to pass. God has placed this mighty weapon in our hands, and He expects us to use it. How disappointed He must be when we lay it a side and substitute natural means for supernatural work.
~The Work God Blesses by Dr Oswald J. Smith



Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, it is laying hold of His highest willingness
-- Archibishop Trench

Charlie n the choco fac

Charlie got the last golden ticket. he told his family he would not be going as he could sell his ticket to help out his family's financial situation - "We need the money!"

one of his grandparents (or is it greatgrandparents?) said this to him, "Don't ever trade it for something as common as money!"

how often do we do that?

you may say, "of course not!"

yet, how often do we neglect that which is invaluable, eternal, irreplaceble in the name of work? what you do trade off? your family? God? your walk with Him? your soul?

the old man wisely advice Charlie, "Don't you ever trade it for something as common as money!"

dunno wat's wrong!!!

man! there's something wrong with my blog! sorry to those who have been accessing n find it the same since 6th August!! i have written some stuff but somehow they juz dun get posted!?!?!?!!

kinda frustrating...! so this is my last attempt before i rewrite my blog AGAIN...!

invitation

the church has many organisers, but few agonizers; many who pay, but few who pray; many resters, but few wrestlers; many who are enterprising, but few who are interceding. People who are not praying are playing.

Two prerequisites of dynamic Christian living are vision and passion. Both of these are generated by prayer. The ministry of praying is open to every child of God…

Tithes may build the church, but tears will give it life. That is the difference between the modern church and the early church. Our emphasis is on paying, theirs was on praying. When we have paid, the place is taken. When they had prayed, the place was shaken (Acts 4:31)

In the matter of effective praying, never have so many left so much to so few. Brethren, let us pray.

~Leonard Ravenhill, “No wonder God wonders,” Great Commission Prayer League

r u listening?

i have a hearing problem.

i don't listen. someone reminded me of that last night. it was not the first time.

listening is my job. i even teach attentive hebaviour, active listening! other than work, i shut my ears. and my mutli-tasking nature aggrevates the situation.

i need treatment for my problem. i need to correct my listening deficiency or it'll corrode the relationships i hold dear...



Wherever you are, be all there.
Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.
~Jim Elliot

wat is your fish?

in John 21, Peter had gone back to fishing. Perhaps out of boredom, perhaps out of a sense of hopelessness. whatever it is, he is going back to what he used to do. why? cos there's a sense of familiarity; it's something he has some sense of control over, rather than the uncertainty at this point of time in John 21.

the story then goes to tell of yet another night of futile labour. having caught no fish and it's daybreak.

Jesus appeared to them, giving them another miraculous catch of fish- 153 to be exact. and John was careful to let the readers know 2 details in that sentence:
1. not 153 of any fish but LARGE fish,
2. that despite such a large catch the net did not break.

Peter recognises Jesus and swims ashore. there was already breakfast waiting. Jesus did not need that miraculous catch. and after the sumptuous meal, we read about the famous "DO you love me?" conversation. (those who know me know that that is my favourite question!)

Jesus asked Peter "do you truly love me more than these?"

many have debated over what the "these" were.

some say the other disciples. which is rather unlikely cos if Jesus frowned upon His disciples' comparison and strife with one another, He was definitely not about to encourage a "i-love-Jesus-more-than-you" contest.

i m more disposed to thinking the "these" were the 153 large fishes.

u c, all his life, apart from the 3 years he was following Jesus, Peter was a fisherman. while most of us cannot stand the stench, Peter lived that stench, worked that sweat for fish. He spent his days and nights looking for fish. and he markets them. He LOVED fish. Fish represented his life, his means of livelihood, his identity, what he is good at. Fish presented him a means to make a living, presented him with a life and friends who made up his world.

the 153 fish now represented all that, and more. 153... what a lot of fish! what alot of money that represents too! he could kick back and feed on that income for months! He could live on that wonderful reputation this catch of 153 large fish would give him! the wonder fisherman!

Yet, Jesus was asking him, "Do you love me more than these?"

is he going to give this up just like he had when Jesus called him to follow Him? will he again leave what he thought life was about, leave the life he has carved out for himself, leave what was so terribly familiar, leave the prosperity this 153 large fish can give him?

sometimes, i feel i loved my fish more and that call from the Lord alot harder to answer. Lord, help me to love You more than "these".

what makes u come alive?

Don't ask what the world needs
rather ask "What makes me come alive?"
cos what the world needs is people who are alive


one worship session at the US conference was led by latin americans n blacks. u noe lah... their worship style is not like what we see in the movies... was kinda hard to follow sometimes cos it's so impromptu... and they follow the worship leader. what caught me was one line which the worship leader sang and we echoed like a zillion times. the truth of it sang deep into my heart. the line was:

"I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive!"

sometimes we Christians live as if we were better of dead. yes we are supposed to live looking forward to heaven, but that doesn't mean we dun enjoy the journey getting there. and the effect of it is that non-Christians look at us n r not impressed by the way we live. we forget that Christ has made us alive. (nonwithstanding answering the question "what does being alive mean?")

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4,5

Besides that, God has put within each of us a unique set of personality and characteristics, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. what do you enjoy doing? what is that which make u tick? that answer, my friend, need not be "reading the bible", or "telling others about Him"... no 'pharisee-like' model answers pls! if that's really your genuine answer fine. but answers like "drawing", "singing" are just as spiritual. the guy in the "chariots of fire" (whose name i can't recall now in this jet-laggedness!) said that he feels God smile when he runs. running makes him feel alive.

what makes u feel alive?