Blessings

Was blessed by dear ChaiLing with this article. Would like to share with all who need it.An extract of the article...

"Being single is a time to learn of God and o ourselves, a time to discover who are in Christ, and to grow in Christlikeness.

It is a time to be zealous fr good works and involved in ministry to others. Being single has a magic of its own that should be enjoyed in its time because once passed it may not return.

There is nothing quite as sad as a woman now married who regrets what she could have been and done with her life while single. All was lostfor the sake of hurrying to be married without consideration for the plan or work of God.

Every season in life has its wonder and beauty of its own."

Enlightening and encouraging.. May all who need it read it and be blessed.

On a more personal update. My work has been fine, colleagues are also fine. Once in a while some complains, but overall ok. Still adjusting. I believe once I have adjusted, I will enjoy my work even more. Most of the time, its getting the hang of things and how they are done.

I think I do enjoy my work. Because time flys while at work. The week flys pass without really me noticing it. So I guess that's a good sign that at least I am not looking at my watch and waiting for the day to end.

More learning to do. Everyday is some learning about myself and to grow from what I observe and do.

But it gets tiring when there are meetings after work, and more meetings on Sat. Saturday is like another work day when I wake up at 630am and only reach home at 9pm. Ministry, ministry, ministry, church. If I have not been involved in ministry since young, I am not sure if I would be in ministry now. The demands are indeed high. No wonder so many working people find it hard to commit to ministry.

The demands that the world put on us is great. And many get distracted by the different demands when there is no focus.

May the Lord God be my focus. The anchor of my soul, in whom I do all things for His sole purpose and desire...And may the joy of the Lord be my strength...

What amazes me..

As I look at Ling and Ruth.. It amazes me to see how cousins can be so close.. like friends.. really very sweet..

I looked at the older girls.. It amazes me to see how far our friendship has gone. The meet up was just like old times, as Ling said.. It was fun..




But beyond the fun, I hope there are more things that they picked up through the time together.. It was not structured.. What I hope to teach I didnt. Because what was lacking in the girls is not knowledge, but fellowship. They hardly get to meet as a group now. Such combined PT are precious. But what little that I taught through the bible, and the many things said that was not from the bible, I hope they caught something. I also hope God will use it to bring growth into their faith.

你在许多见证人面前听见我所教训的，也要交托那忠心能教导别人的人. 2 Timothy 2:2.
My desire is to see them teaching others what they have heard from me. To teach others who will also be faithful to pass the message on.

Robert reminded me at DMT that what our girls see us do, they will do. What is in our hearts, they will catch on. One bit that I hope they will catch on, is the desire to invest in young lives for God.

I recognise that God has a special plan for each of them. Will they all stay to be laborers, I dunno. God is the one who send laborers into the harvest field. I am only responsible to be a laborer.

Weekend work

Saturday, 9pm.. Here I am doing preparing for a workshop on Monday. I wonder if that's my life for the next few years? I am quite opposed to bring office work home.. But yet.. I hope that I may be able to manage this aspect of my life better..

Something very sweet which Serene did for us..




One of the picture I got cut off.. I thought I was not in the picture with them until I realised that it was the same pic but diff design.. How blur can I get? And till this day, I still dunno what they mean by getting the pic published? Is it really published? Then can I get to see it somewhere?

Anyway,such nice pictures are hard to come by.. =)

Do not give up meeting together

Thankful for people in my life who remember me enough to want to meet up with me. If they were sales persons, I might think they have ulterior motives. ha.. But they are not..

HuiYue organized a meeting with me and Miaoling to kinda celebrated my farewell. I didnt expect that. It was a very pleasant surprise for me.

Shuxian also out of the blue sms me and asked to catch up with me. Again I told her that I was plesantly surprised that she would do that. I guess I am not one who would take the effort to plan meet-ups with people. I usually tack along people who organise and I benefitted from the efforts of the organisers.

Really thankful for people in my life who bothered to meet up, otherwise I might just live in my own isolatred world, which most times I am pretty contented in. People like Doreal, Jia, Serene who bother to plan for meet up.. Thankful for them also..

Hebrews 10:24-25.. Do not give up meeting together...

Graveyard of the Fireflies

I was not expecting anything like this. It is an anime by my favorite author and I was expecting to be nice. Maybe I was not expecting anything, cos each of his anime gives me a wonderful surprise. So I was awaiting that pleasent surprise.



At the end of the anime, I was so disturbed I cant sleep well. Its a story that happen to 2 Japanese siblings during WW2.
What is the major story plot for war? Violence, deaths of millions of soldiers and civilians, victories and defeats, territories won and lost...
But what is the minor story plot in war? What do you think? I think they are pains, abandonment, helplessness, rejections, struggles, hunger, loneliness, fear...

Through the eyes of these 2 siblings- a brother trying to care for the younger sister, a war story was told. The love between them, the security the brother tries to offer his sister (by not telling her that their parents had died). The provision the brother tries to give his sister (by getting food through stealing, begging robbing). The hope he tried to offer her (by bringing her to the seaside for some fun time). I see 2 young hopes trying to stay alive during war.

Despite their fighting to stay alive, they lost. When the sister passed away due to malnurition and sickness, the brother eventually died having no hope nor reasons to be alive anymore.

It breaks my heart to see how they tried to remain hopeful. It torn my heart into pieces to see the little girl wasting away. My heart bled when the brother had to steal to survive. I grieved at the end of the anime when both died slowly.

I had never seen war, and I pray I shall never see it.

Sufferings in this world is everywhere. I prayed and I grieved yet but its not enough. Lord, help me do something. What else can I do?

The good Lord reminded me, "I am still confident of this, I will see the GOODNESS of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13. There is yet goodness in this world. Not all is lost.
Shown forth your mercy Lord. Your salvation come swiftly Lord. Let your hope shine in their hearts... Love you Lord

Rest Day

Finally felt rested today. Had some time of BS with fayth and jolynn, went walked around with Jia, watched Zhi's concert with Mum & Lucas, pray, then working again now..

I wanted to only work tml morning, but the constant thinking of wat's undone gives me no sleep.. haha.. So here I am almost completing my work.. =)

I have began to put in my to-do list "ETWG". It's to remind me that I got to set aside time for it.

I am glad that I am coping. Stressed as it may be to have many things to handle, I am glad that there is this resource within me which I am tapping on. Each day, this resource runs low and always needs to be filled up. I know that the Spirit within me is helping me. And to allow Sabbath rest is to empower the Spirit again...

People, I dont like to say that I am busy. But rather say that I am occupied. Busy gives this notion that the time is not handle well, for example, double-booking yourelf, forgetting appointments, no time to finish work etc. I hope to say that I am occupied. So one day if u see me having the above symptoms, pls tell me...

In the midst of transition...

Busy work life has a way of crowding human mind with too many.
To make sure that I continue to be mentally alert and growing, the discipline of reading must not stop. Thanks to WQ, I had this good read for this past 1 month to keep me growing. =) Thanks Bro!

Wonder how he is now. Must sms him to ask him..

Starting parttime as a social worker is definitely good in helping me transit into the new role. But its a challenge to start focus on one task at one time because there are many things that needs attention, from TNT & from my new office. Its a challenge but also a good experience.

Even after I work as a social worker full time, there are some things that I would need to continue regularly. Swimming once a week, finish a book every month, Qt everyday, prayer everyday, quality time with Lucas, quality with family, qualiy with friends, time to meet girls, time to prepare and have BS.

Is it possible that to do all these? I wonder how far a person's capacity can be stretched? My supervisor has trememdous amount of capacity. She is a mum of 2 young kids, serving in church, handles so many things in the office, and efficient is her work. At the same time, she enjoys good relationships with people in the office. Looking forward to learning from her. Believe she would be a good role model.

Talking to Kris recently helped me discover that I am pretty leader-motivated. It's God's grace to give me a good leader at work. In fact, He has always been giving me wonderful godly leaders as role-models and to inspire me.

Thank you Lord..

Still helping people but different already...

Had quite a busy day today.. Woke up at 6am so that I can have BS with Fayth & Jolynn at 8am at Woodlands!!! ahhh.. haha.. but I drag Jia to suffer along with me! cos we are attending the Christ CHurch Carnival.. =) Not bad.. quite fun.. spend all our tickets on food.. hee.. As we walked along, I saw alot of students.. the one thought really is- the harvest is truly plentiful and the laborers are really few... I wish I could have all the time in the world to spend time with each of them.. But really, not possible..

Time with the students really will be rewarded.. As I was teaching halfway at SALT today, I received an sms fr LH. She was asking me if there is any verse to get someone to accept Christ. I thought she wanted to share with a friend. So i reply her Rev 3:20. Her nxt reply was, "Li Jie, i want to accept Christ =)". What could I do but to call her immediately and to confirm with her and then pray. LH is an interesting girl. She has an interest in the Word even when she was not a believer. There were interest and desire to know God. Yet her parents' objections were what that was stopping her. I am so glad that she has somehow with the help of God, she overcame that obstacle and decided to follow Christ. Its like seeing your child returning to you. Now she says she wants to share with her friend, who also like her, wanted to know God but afraid of parents' objection.

The most meaningful thing in this world is to help someone to know God, to build a person up in the knowledge and r/s with God. Nothing in this whole wide world beats it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I enter in social work, and helping some of those people who dont wanna help themselves, I need to adjust my perspective and expectations about my work. Social work target audience and TNT is different. I cannot bring my expectations from TNT into social worker.

I know God is going to stretch my love for His people..Pray with me.. to love with wisdom and depth of knowledge and insight

Fruit of Perseverance

Finally had my first proper BS with them.. They were not a very easy lot to handle right from the beginning, but I guess with time and familiarity, things became alot better. Over the year, they have grown in some maturity. But girls being girls, they still have the same sort of girls' problem, but its really but better.

Like Marge says, growth is natural and will happen for sure. I think I see it in them. I didnt do alot with them or for them, despite that, God is giving them growth, for God is the only one who makes things grow.

Felt that today we had a heart to heart BS, where I could share my passion and convictions with them. Admitted to them that having them for BS were never easy, but I am encouraged to see them persevering together with me. And somehow we were glad that we did not gave up on one another.. =)

They are new every morning...

I awoke this morning to the glorious sunshine shining into my room. This is God's wonderful reminder of His glory and His love that is new every morning.

What used to be a source of irritation is now to me a new source of inspiration & hope. Many years of sleeping in that room, I have missed out on God's awe day after day. I don't know what came over me, maybe God really does work miracle over night..

我 们 不 致 消 灭 ， 是 出 於 耶 和 华 诸 般 的 慈 爱 ； 是 因 他 的 怜 悯 不 致 断 绝 。

每 早 晨 ， 这 都 是 新 的 ； 你 的 诚 实 极 其 广 大 ！

我 心 里 说 ： 耶 和 华 是 我 的 分 ， 因 此 ， 我 要 仰 望 他 。

凡 等 候 耶 和 华 ， 心 里 寻 求 他 的 ， 耶 和 华 必 施 恩 给 他 。Lamentations 3:22-25