Ahead We Run!

something that I always grew up knowing, but I thought it was a good reminder to self =)

School starts and so it did

i am really looking forward to this whole new year in school especially since it will be my last year in university. i guess we make out what we want from the places we are placed. what resonates in me more is the excitement to see what God has installed as i start to let him take control of my life. less of me more of Him.

there are 2 things which i think helped me build my confidence up once again. and i thought it was best that i could share. it might make sense to you now or it might not. but i do hope that someday it will make sense.

1. The only fear that we should have is of God.

2. Less of myself, more of You

explaining 1:

i figured out that every other fear apart from the fear of God is bad and it does not come from God. when i start to fear people/things, i start to cast my fear onto God and it is amazing to see the other fears flee. knowing that i do not need to fear anything else but God, it allows me to be who I am and who God intended me to be.

Isaiah 33:6 - the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

explaining 2:

i felt God telling me this while i was in a church camp as a group leader to teenagers and totally stepping out of my comfort zone. i had to do cheers for the first time in my life and i was to lead them. it totally made me put my "trying to look-cool-matured" look down as i embraced more confidence from God. as i think less about myself, and more about God, i realize i am able to do things that i thought i won't possibly do.

well, it might seem like all these just probably applied to me; but if you don't believe it applies to you, try it yourself! =)

i feel that i can't just contain all these things i am experiencing from God without sharing them. it is just like how i just love to share the amazing landscapes God has shown me through the photos i take. *the photo: Yosemite Valley over Spring*

The New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE =)

It has been awhile since I blogged. I woke up today wanting to share a little about the amazing experience I had while in East Timor in December. I spent about a week in Dili, East Timor as part of a mission trip with Church of Our Saviour. A team of 9 of us stayed in Bairo Pete with Siew Lee and Li Shan who were permanent missionaries there. We organized leadership workshops while we were there.

One of my goals for my mission trip was to see God's miracles more tangibly, and He did show it to me. Below is my testimony =)

While lining up at the airport security queue to pass my hand carry bags through the x-ray machine, I realized that I forgot to check in my swiss army knife and it was in my hand carry instead. At the airport security queue, there was a big notice mentioning about prohibited items that included my swiss army knife. Hence, my swiss army knife would have to be definitely confiscated. I was frustrated and I asked God why must this happen to me right at the end of a mission trip as I was leaving back to Singapore. Is this what I get from a mission trip? The swiss army knife I had was worth over a hundred dollars. However, I actually purchased it at a third of the price it was worth. But still, it did mean quite a lot to me. As I was thinking through the situation, Michelle, my teammate said that I must be ready to surrender the swiss army knife when it passes through the x-ray machine. At that moment, I told myself, I had no choice and I was willing to surrender it but it did make my heart feel so heavy. Together with a few teammates, we prayed that God would help us out. As my bags were going through the x-ray machine, the metal detector for the passengers beeped and it distracted the person operating the xray machine. Miraculously, my swiss army knife that is a big chunk of metal passed through the x-ray machine. I was literally speechless when that happened. Even as I was about to forget about my personal goal in the mission trip to see God’s miracles more tangibly, He never fails to answer my goals. As I thought back about my swiss army knife, I felt God telling me that it represented my talents that He has given me. The fact that the swiss army knife was worth so much more than what I paid for indicated the blessings and talents God has multiplied and given to me. However, I clung on too dearly to the blessings and talents that God had given me and He wanted to change my attitude. As I was willing to surrender all my talents and fears in my heart to Him, He will take care of everything else.

I am glad I was able to gain 2 new good friends in my life while I was there.

Antonio and I

Frans and I