Matthew 17:20. He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
I get a bit nostalgic when I see things like stop motion. David Crowder Band's MV was based on lite-bright stop motion. It reminds me of playing with the etch sketch when I was younger. I was so enthusiastic about the toy when I first got it, and after a while, it was abandoned, I don't actually know where the toy is anymore.
When we first get to know Jesus and salvation, we are totally overwhelmed and excited. It's an amazing love and we just want to tell everyone about it. We want to shine so everyone can see it. But then as the years go by, does your light get brighter? Or is it just like my old toys, abandoned for newer things.
In the last few months, I have had clients that have suffered so much at their young age. I struggle to find a way to help them forgive their past. How can they forgive people who have caused them so much pain?
We too have caused God a great deal of pain. Yet, while we were still sinners, still hurting God, he chose to come and die for us. And in this, he showed us how to forgive.
Are you feeling defeated? Is it exam stress? Not performing well at school? Not reaching your KPI (Key performance indicators)? Feeling like a failure as a friend, lover, mother/father?
Well, after being rewarded with a long weekend, I felt like I hadn't accomplished all that I had set out to accomplish. I felt defeated, deflated and diminished. But let us remember, in Christ, we have eternal VICTORY!
Jeremy Camp won K-Love's male artist of the year. And this week's klove free song is from his new album Reckless: We must remember by Jeremy Camp.
Building 429's new album comes out TODAY! It's the same artists that bought us "Where I belong" which was really my anthem last year. If you feel the winter blues, feel sluggish or just bored. It's time to Get up!
As Christians, we were born again not just to fill up empty bleachers and seats at church. Our hands were made to reach out. If you aren't currently serving in church, have you considered getting up?
There are so many options, Worship ministry, Children's ministry, Outreach ministries, bible study leaders and helpers, etc.
Klove's free song this week is : Get up by Building 429
Who is my God? He is the great I AM. To me, God is existence itself.
I am so humbled and grateful for all the blessings in my life. Over the last 12 months alone, I have so much to be thankful for. Every step of the way, my God has shown me that he is there with me. I am blessed with friends that are there besides me even when I am moody, stressed and busy. I am blessed with a family who puts up with the needy me. I am blessed with the many opportunities including in teaching, in travelling, in sharing the gospel. I am blessed with a functioning body. I am blessed with every breathe that I take.
Thank you.
I had a fantastic birthday yesterday. Even though I didn't have any parties, but in my busy day, God gave me surprise after surprise after surprise. I'm currently working hard towards PhD completion, and I'm unsure what is on the other side of that, but I know, my God will be there, just as he has been, always.
This week's Klove free song is Jesus a Firm Foundation. It's part of a album with revamped traditional hymns by leading Christian artists. In most churches today, hymnals stay on the seats and the congregation focuses their attention to big projection screens. While there are great modern christian songs, there is such richness in traditional hymns. Yet, the four part harmonies in which these are based are seen as out dated.
It was so exciting to find out about this new album which marries the traditional hymns with modern interpretations. Hopefully, this will prolong the relevance of the stories and meanings behind these hymns. Hymns include: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, I surrender all, Blessed assurance, it is well (oh my soul).
In my church, we have been praying for the health of various people. Every week, we are praying for recovery from cancer, heart attacks, etc. Our God is so powerful that he can heal the sick, bring the dead back to life. But how strong is our faith? Will we stay faithful even if the healing doesn't come?
This week's klove free song is: Even if by Kutless. Claim by 29/4/2013.
Sarcasm doesn't work with kids. Calling your kids names maybe funny, but they are internalizing the things you are saying. "You aren't as stupid as I thought" or "Fatty" is simply inappropriate. I have kids come into the clinic, their parents have no idea where they get their low self esteem from, they don't know why they don't feel loved enough though the parents buy them nice toys, take them on holidays.
When was the last time you told someone that you love them just the way they are. That they are enough.
God didn't wait till we lost 5kg to save us. He didn't wait till we have quit our bad habits. He didn't wait until became more patient to accept us. When we finally realize that God loves us just the way we are, we are able to comfortably grow in his likeness.
This week's klove free song is Jason Castro's Enough. It was written for his daughters birthday.
Lately, I've been working with children who are suffering mental health problems partly due to their parents behavior. In the past their parents may have neglected them, may have done things to them, may have used drugs during pregnancy And despite all this, you know what? All they wanted was for their parent to be there for a particular birthday party or school event.
Parents bring their kids into therapy expecting us to fix the kid and give them a perfect kid afterwards. But the reality is, parents must also be committed to becoming like new parents. This change is HARD. And some aren't willing to change. But for those who are willing to give it a shot, the rewards are well worth it.
Movie summary: Ralph is the bad guy, even off air the others in his video game treat him like a villain, trash. But Ralph doesn't want to be the bad guy anymore, for once in his life, he wants to be a hero. So he ventures into other video games in order to win a gold coin. Can he gain the respect for others and save the video game arcade?
As Christians, we are told to give generously. To help those in need. And to love our neighbors as ourselves. It's all good and all but HOW? In 2010, in an episodes of Simpsons, Lisa learns about microfinancing. Basically, it's about loaning small amounts of money to people who can't get normal loans to get them a kick start in their business. The cartoon also showed that these organisations also tends to make a lot of money. Similarly we find that we become more and more skeptical of the way non-profit organisations use their money. Unfortunately, this gives more and more of us excuses to simply keep our wallets closed.
I've been so tired lately. It's as if all I do is eat, sleep and work. And even still, I am still lagging in my progress. But somehow, God revives me everyday. Somehow I've been blessed with strength.
Dear friends, hopefully I will have freedom in a couple of months. But over the past few weeks I have been considering my options post graduation. I've been at college for almost a decade and although I have worked throughout my studies, I haven't really held a permanent full time position. And although I have helped create business ventures in the past I have never had my own business. Now I'm at cross-roads. I don't know what God intends for me to do, I don't know where my own preferences lie. They say the world is my oyster- I could apply for positions abroad, interstate and even in different cities. I can apply for various different roles.
"Everyone longs to give themselves to someone-- to have a deep soul relationship with another -- to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But to a Christian, God says, "No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled, and content with being loved by Me alone-- with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me. I love you, my child. And until you discover that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship I have planned for you.
Movie Summary: Tyler writes to God. In his letters, he writes to God about the people in his life, he prays for their salvation, he prays for their wellbeing. But Tyler is very ill with cancer. But his letters to God are prayers and his prayers begin to influence those around him to search for something more meaningful.
It's easy to praise God when the storm is over and we can see the rainbow. But can we praise God in the storm? Not only is my state in another storm, floods destroyed homes, lives are lost, but can we praise God during the storm?
I'm struggling so hard to praise God in the storm. In the darkness and the storm, I'm crying out to God. Why do people continue to oppress us? Why do people keep oppressing the widows and orphans? How can people who call themselves Christians cause chaos in my life?
It's a tough lesson. There is a break from the storms today, but the dreaded painters are back. Mum asks me to forgive these people. To love these people. But I'm screaming. I'm hurting inside.
Can you praise God during the storm? Lesson to be continued...
Movie Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Movie Summary: Lucy and her brother return to Narnia with their annoying cousin. Prince Caspian takes them on an adventure on the Dawn Treader in order to break a spell threatening Narnia.
On the way they each have to face their fears and grow.
My thoughts: Gripping. Not suitable for young children because it gets a bit scary at times.There are so many hidden truths in the story if only one would take time to uncover them all.
Movie summary: The movie follows a prisoner (played by Hugh Jackman) on the run during the period of the French revolution. The prisoner is given a second chance in life by a priest and is able to make something of himself. But each time his identity is discovered, he is on the run again. On the way, his story is intertwined with the story of Fantine who is forced into prostitution in order to pay the people looking after her daughter. After her death, we find out that her daughter Cosette is actually mistreated by the inn keepers. Fast forward and Cosette is all grown up and falls in love with a man who is determined to have a part in the French revolution.
Surrender. Surrender. Surrender. I think this is something I have always been struggling with. I have recently been reading the account of Rebecca and Isaac in Genesis 24:1-67. This young lady was approached one day by the servant of Abraham (whom she has never met) and was asked to return with him and be married with the master's son. It's not as common these days to agree to blind marriages, but if I was her, would I be as willing to hand over my future to an unknown "master"?
But God doesn't want to be our part-time master, he wants to be our ONLY master. So in 2013, can I focus more on Him and less on me?
Verse One
D(Eb)
_The battle rages on
As storms and tempests roar
We cannot win this fight
______________A(Bb)
Inside our rebel hearts
Pre-Chorus
______G(Ab) Bm(Cm) A(B)
We’re laying down our weapons now
Chorus
Bm(Cm) G(Ab)
___We raise our white flag
D(Eb) A(Bb) Bm(Cm) G(Ab) D(Eb) A(Bb)
___We surrender all to You, all for You
Bm(Cm) G(Ab) D(Eb) A(Bb)
___We raise our white flag: the war is over
Bm(Cm) G(Ab) D(Eb) A(Bb)
Love has come, Your love has won
Verse Two
Here on this holy ground
You made a way for peace
Laying your body down
You took our rightful place
Pre-Chorus
____G(Ab) Bm(Cm) A(B)
This freedom song is marching on
Chorus
Bridge
D(Eb)
We lift the cross, lift it high, lift it high (x4)
____D(Eb) G(Ab) D(Eb) A(Bb)
We lift the cross, Lift it high, lift it high (x4)
Chorus x2
____D(Eb) G(Ab) D(Eb) A(Bb)
We lift the cross, Lift it high, lift it high (x4)
2012 was an eventful year for me. But the changes to my life in 2013 have already started to happen. It's an exciting time for me but at the same time, it's also very stressful.
Already in 2013, I feel that I've let God down. It's a little like Exodus 14, after escaping Egypt, the Israelites were being pursed by the Egyptians, and the seemed to have reached a dead end, they were afraid. But Moses told them, 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Last week, I was a bit overwhelmed by the changes happening in my life, I didn't know what to do, I felt the pressure, but when I opened up to God's word, he told me that He would fight for me and that I only needed to be still. AND God did fight for me. I didn't even have to defend myself.
There will be many things both positive and negative that might come your way in 2013, and even if it seems like the end of the road, just remember, God has a plan, and all is well. Just have faith in him!
This week's free Klove song is All is Well by Phillips Craig and Dean.
