This is our God (Hillsong-Reuben Morgan)

Your grace is enough, more than i need
at Your word i will believe
i wait for you, draw near again
let Your spirit make me new

i will fall at Your feet, i will fall at Your feet
and i will worship You here

Your presence in me, Jesus light the way
by the power of Your word
i am restored, i am redeemed
by Your spirit i am free

freely You gave it all for us,
surrendered Your life upon that cross,
great is the love poured out for all,
this is our God

lifted on high from death to life, forever our God is glorified
servant and king, rescued the world
this is our God

it's CHRISTmas eve, it's great to be home, it's heartwarming to see familiar faces and places, my room, my bed, my piano.. even the heavy rain sounds so comforting. so yes, Christmas is almost here, hip hurray! ive always been hyped for Christmas year after year, there's even excitement all around the streets of singapore, with all the fancy lightings and dangling lollipops, technicolor-forever-changing decors and bling blings wrapping the malls.. mega sales, discounts, offers, huge crowds and long queues of last minute christmas shoppers. "chestnuts roasting in an open fire..." christmas tracks play, choirs carolling, eager eyes waiting for the clock to strike 12 before attacking the beautifully wrapped gifts and then complaining that it wasnt the gift they wanted.

christmas has become yet another excuse for piling the home with more gifts and for retail stores to make money.. yea maybe attend a church service, have a family gathering.. but where has the real meaning of Christmas gone?
do you still remember that many years ago, someone was born into this world, though He was God, He lived as a man and endured pain and hardship. He taught the world to have faith, to have hope, to have love and He demonstrated the greatest love of all on the cross. that's what Christmas about.. the greatest gift from God: Christ Jesus, who saw us sinners and not only had compassion on us, but loved us unconditionally.
so what are you giving to God this Christmas?

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13

MERRY CHRISTMAS, JESUS LOVES YOU

i feel like i've just returned to planet earth after a long long time when actually it's just been a week in adelaide. Overseas Christian Fellowship Convention 2008 was super, awesome, great, fantastic.. i-want-to-go-back-there-right-now kinda good. the camp only went on for 5 days but it was 5 days of intensive learning and 'awakening', which i would usually take maybe a semester to digest.
camp theme was THE KING'S RETURN, GET READY. it's basically reminding us to be ready for Christ's return.

2Peter3 explains everything...
10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.[a]
11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b]That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

it just made me think.. if the Lord were to return tomorrow, would i be ready to welcome Him, and be accountable for what I've done with my life? what have i been wasting my life with? when i come into His presence on the day of His return, what will matter most to Him? is it the same as what matters most to me? i haven't been putting in much effort in spreading the message of power and salvation to the unreached countries.. i havent even been putting in effort to spread the message to those around me. maybe its fear of rejection and being mocked and being left out, maybe its the feeling of inadequacy, maybe because i need to make sure my own life is fine and cared for, my needs are met, my goals are reached before i can start on anything that does not benefit me. but does that make God happy? is that what He wants? am i picking up the cross daily and following Him? hurhur.. big fat no.. and no i dont want to live like that and feel guilty when God asks me about my life!
i want to live my life totally surrendered to God, availing myself, my time, my energy to His works and His kingdom, standing firm in this faith, encouraging others, reaching out to others. and i'll need your prayers! and remind myself to do so everyday!!!!!!

PFFFFTTT.

whee exams are long over and out of the window and i havent been on msn much (well.. uhm compared to last time) because my laptop burnt. like.. really it burnt no joke. it was the last exam day and i was reading anatomy lectures when i saw this white feather float past.. and i realised it was smoke (this is when u go "OMG! WO DE TIAN AH! ZHEN DE MA!!?!"). yes. zhen de. so yea i switched it off and it nv turned on again. and God is really amazing because He made it tahan till my last exam which is really cool =)

so yes. been out and around doing stuff. my first shopping in a long while.. RED DOT STORE, BIG W, SUBI MARKET with my dad. HEHHE. really.. retail therapy works even in grocery stores.. its amazing. i feel happy. red dot store's the coolest it has many santa claus things heehee and there's lotsa cheap stuff I LIKE CHEAP STUFF HOHOHO.

and ive been bz packing stuff and chucking stuff out too.. therefore having to try on old clothes.. its quite depressing when it comes to jeans.. my leg goes in easily now (they used to be too tight) but when it goes all the way up, its impossible to even move the zip by 1mm =( i used to have problems squeezing my thigh in and then there's all these excess butt space.. but now its the other way round.. dammit.. ahahha OH WELL.

lalala adelaide tmr hip hurray =D

My Time With You (by David Choi and Kina Grannis)



We're going to the beach today
We're gonna laugh and sing our cares away
The sun is shining on our face
We can take it in and let it out and say...


La, la-la, la-la, la-la
La, la-la, la-la, la-la
La, la-la, la-la, la-la
La, la-la, la-la, la-la


I do enjoy my time with you
Making the best of everything we do
We're gonna try on something new
And we'll make it ours before the day is through


And now the sun has said goodnight
Just want to say I had a real good time
I think I really feel all right (all right)
I don't ever ever wanna say goodbye


La, la-la, la-la, la-la
La, la-la, la-la, la-la


listen to it here!
http://ai.xanga.com/mp3/mytimewithyou.mp3
ah.. good music =) this song is so happy. =D



ON THE OTHER HAND, happiness seems so far away...
how many hours more till the long awaited thursday!!!!



that song's stuck in my head now. lalalalalalala...lalalalalalala...



HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTIE AH GOH GOH YO YO
may your wishes come true =) MWA!

nerve injuries..neuropraxia.. axonotemesis..neurotemesis..
bone healing.. hematoma, inflammation, callus, consolidation, remodelling
*nods and dozes off* *snores* *drools*
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

=D weehoo

end of my lifelong (1 semester) struggle with human bio depression (less than a semester actually.. lets say, a fraction of the exam period. ahhaha)

i watched Enchanted! xD

aww its so funny and cute.

(HEEHEE they're on a dayung sampan!)

i love how giselle always manages to break out into songs, and make pretty dresses from curtains and floormats, and how prince edward is so dramamama..HOHO

but my favourite's pip the chipmunk =D

how he imitates nathaniel and giselle's poison apple scene was the cutest thing ever!

AAWWWWW. and how he squeaks.. AWWW!! SO CUTE!! *heart melts*

morgan's a cute kid too.. =D she learns karate haha and i love how she comments on stuff in such a -duh- manner.. HEEHEEHEE sho cutee

sigh. it's amazing how my mood swings from longkang low to skyhigh.

i feel like a kid who throws tantrums and screams for attention, ignorant to the needs and moods of others. so selfishly expecting the world to revolve around her again and again. i've been such a crybaby (its seriously stupid human bio..), it's really annoying. but i thank God for placing such mature and encouraging souls close to me. thank you all who shared, prayed for, listened and encouraged me even though im unreasonably grouchy, even though there's enough stuff to worry about. thank you for time spent lazing in the sun or labs or libraries or the study desks at home or msn or karrawarra and coles =)

this week's devotion from subichurch's oneheart.onemind.oneLord talks about community, how we should have an attitude of a humble servant, selfless and honouring others above ourselves, compromising and giving, encouraging and building each other up, for we are members of ONE body, united in Christ. and I suddenly realised that I do have a lot to work on.

hmm. selflessness.. others before self. i remember wenzhen telling us about a friend who was a really good example of a selfless person. as a mentor to his mentees, he really did put them before himself, willing to sacrifice his time for them even though it was exam period. and of course, the perfect example that Jesus set: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13. if im not even willing to give up a little bit of my time to people, how can i even learn to love like Jesus? if im not even willing to venture out of my little bubble for others, how can i? it's so easy to say: be selfless be selfless.. but what exactly is being selfless? the more i think about it, the more i see how selfish i am.. it's so ugly..yuck. and then i think about what Christ did again. there was nothing He did that deserved such a painful death, and so much humiliation.. but so that we sinners could be reconciled with God, he suffered the pain and gave his life. and then He rose to life on the third day after He died! =D but think about it.. how selfless was that? He could have easily went "but that's none of my business" and avoided all the unneccessary pain, like how we go "but i don't have time for that" and leave people feeling lonely and upset.. or "it's not safe for ME" and leave unreached people overseas clueless that there is a God who loves them. or "they will think im a weirdo" and therefore choose to keep quiet about being a Christian and not share about Christ's great act of selflessness. ive gotta get off my bum and get this selflessness thing started!!

there's something with this season. quote glenna: SPRING.. the season of love.

never believed it, but this year, so true. they strike the people around me in the form of boy problems and long phone calls and hankypanky and i dont know what else. like all of the people i hang out with.. geez.. where's mine?

so to all those cute guys out there, call me. *bats eyelids* AHHAHAHAH
and while i'm at it, i thought i might help bananathornton out too...

ok im just kidding. hahaha. ive been listening to kinagrannis lately. she's really good! go youtube her! i love her voice. and listen to her sing the 1234 song by feist. its so cool how she grew up singing 3 part harmonies with her sisters while washing dishes. i should make my kids do that too heeheehee. oh but she is really talented. REALLY. GO LISTEN RIGHT NOW!

bedtime! gnight!

im feeling grumpy
D=
everything seems to annoy me so easily.
human bio gives me major depression
WWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
i need to play wii
i need to play guitar heroes
i need to scream n whine
i need next thursday to come quickly

then i'll be FWEEEE TO FLYYYYY

hello spongebob, im ur number one fan =D
ur songs make me happy!

F is for friends who do stuff together
U is for U and ME
N it for NEwhere, NEtime at all
down here in the deep blue sea!

F is for frolick through all the flowers
U is for ukelele
N is for nosepicking, sharing gum and sandlicking here with my best buddy

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

i wasn having a laughing fit.. it was part of the song.

3 main arteries that supply the gut: [CSI] Coeliac trunk, Superior mesenteric, Inferior mesenteric
external salivary glands:
parrot sits on the upper molar.. Parotid, located near the 2nd upper molar
subway man beside my fren.. submandibular gland, located lateral to lingual frenulum
sob and sit on the floor.. sublingual, located at the floor of mouth

HEEHEE SARA ONG TING TONG I REMEMBER!

i've planned my 2nd year timetable! whheee.
i end school at 6 on mondays n tuesdays =(

IM ANNOYEDDDDDDDD >=(

My soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:20-23

He's the one who turns the caterpillars into butterflies, the tiny seeds into flowers and big trees, the carbon into diamond the tiny sperm and egg into a human being. He causes the blind to see and the weak to become strong. WOW WOW WOW!!! =D

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligences of the intelligent I will frustrate."

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness. holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

the God who

used little David to defeat the enormous Goliath with just a sling and a stone [1 Samuel 17]

the God who

chose to let Jesus be born in a manger with animals around instead of a royal birth with big celebrations [Luke 2]

the God who

chose Mary and Joseph, a carpenter, as Jesus' parents [Matthew 1]

the God who

sealed the mouths of the beasts when Daniel was in the lion's den [Daniel 6]

and gave Daniel the wisdom to interpret the king's dreams [Daniel 4]

the God who

chose fishermen and tax collectors (tax collectors were despised by many in those days) as disciples [Matthew 4:18, 9:9]

the God who

fed thousands of people using a child's basket of 5 bread and 2 fish [Mark 8]

the God who

gave "unschooled, ordinary men" Peter and John the power to heal the sick and courage to speak of salvation, even when it meant going to jail for them [Acts 4:13]

the God who

used Paul, (who used to be Saul, who "[breathed] out murderous threats against [His] disciples" -Acts 9:1) as His "chosen instrument to carry [His] name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel" -Acts 9:15, who became a great testimony of God's amazing grace, planting churches and building many people up in God's words.

He's not just ANY chapalang God with a "made in china" sticker stuck to Him.

Acts 17:24-29

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill.

He's so real, so great, so amazing, so wise that even His foolishness is far to wise for us. And yet of all people, He chooses to use the lowly ones who are looked down upon, the despised, the weak and the foolish to show His power, His grace and the wonders of His love. Many times I'm overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy and weakness and the lack of capability to serve: as missions rep (being clueless about how to get ppl aware of the importance of missions since i have much to learn myself), teaching in Sunday school (when the kids seem so unresponsive or when i can't seem to get them to stop crying), playing the conga for worship (going off beat or having weird hand spasms or dropping the shakers and the tambourines), getting upset about the poor turn up in discipleship or bible study group meets or just being a good example as a Christian and plucking the courage to speak about God and juggling everything with school work, assignments, tests, exams.. sometimes i just feel like dropping everything so i don't have to be so stressed and feel so small and helpless, which i actually do by facebooking and checking my email a million times a day even when there's nothing new.. i keep running away even though i know i'll have to come back to face it eventually. How timely it is indeed, right at the point when i think im going bonkers because i cant get any human bio to stay in my brain, and stressing about how unprepared i am for exams, feeling like the stupidest person ever to walk on planet earth, at least i know that God will still use me.

and make the smartypants look stupid hurhur.

ok forget the last sentence haha.

HOW DO YOU THINK YOU CAN LET GOD USE YOU? =))

yay. all the best A levels people =) and exams and assignments people. and working people. and bumming people.

GOD LOVES YOU!

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6-7

dear daddyy,

happy (secret number) birthday =D

thank you for being so extremely loving, for calling me a million times a day no matter which part of the planet i reside in, for still being jovial even when im grumpy, for always giving in to me, for being able to find things to say even when its the millionth time u've called in a day, for loving the family so much, although im always grumpy and annoyed, you know i still love you =) (because the cake says so...)

because of you,

i know where my silliness comes from

i know where my habit of falling asleep anywhere and anytime comes from

i know where my silly photo poses come from

i know where my wild sense of imagination comes from

i know where my youthfulness *ahem* immaturity *ahem* comes from

last but not least, i know where my interest in guys came from..

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

hurhurhur. take care daddy.

love, jeannie

i was just clicking my way through old photos and i must say it's made me very homesick!

i cant wait to go home now.. and im pretty sure the time will come very quickly, and then go even faster than when it came. soon enough (like 3+ years later), it'll be time to venture into the GREAT BIG WORKING WORLD and become even more overwhelmed with more stress about stuff... hmmm

best thing to do: sleepsleepsleep

i want to turn back the time
and return to that crowd of blue and grey
and sit next to shushu
and laugh till i cry and till my stomach hurts
till i get abs
i think that is still the happiest time of my life

i want to play catching around the pillar
i want to sing and dance in the classroom on the table on the chair
i want to eat da bao-ed beehoon in the school canteen
i want to jump and be hyper on national day
i want to walk from cedar to pp macs
i want to sit and chill at the playground
with my favourite crazy clown =)

i want to go to hale for band practices
i want to go the the PAC for dance rehearsals
i want to miss lunch for drum lessons
i dont really miss my voice lessons..
i wanna sit in music class and listen to ms petrie and laugh at mr harrison
i wanna wake up early and dash to school for more band pracs n dance rehearsals
i wanna take walks round the oval round the school
i don't mind dying a bit in X-ctry training just one more time
i wanna roll down the hill
i wanna use the coool kickass bigprocams
i wanna bang on bananathornton's wall and send some secret messages
i wanna hug annie (maybe when she was smaller) and take her for walks, watch her play catching with other dogs, and kill myself trying to get her back on the leash
i wanna laze around the common room and eat all the biscuits.
i should have used more of the microwave, sandwich press, blender, toaster, kettle, fridge and tv
i wanna visit the music room with bananathornton
i wanna play with nikita's imac, eat her strawberry flavored cornflake and watch her wash her face with green tea
i wanna sing adiemus
i wanna bang on nikita's wall to ask her to stop talking on the phone past bedtime
i wanna sit with everyone at brekkie and dinner time, sit on the grass at lunch time, huddle together in room 43 in winter time

i wanna go cut hair with my many years cut hair friend and 'practise guitar' and visit ppl's churches
i wanna go for taitai high tea with my taitai neighbour in our taitai jacuzzi with root beer n choc chip cookies
i wanna take bus from choir to ballet with my sticker friend
i wanna eat taitai neighbour's ikan bilis and tapioca chips

i wanna b a backpacker and explore the world and make new friends
i wanna live on doulos
i wanna play in the rain
i wanna chase rainbows
i wanna chase ducklings
i wanna lie on the beach
i wanna learn to surf
i wanna scream and shout on sports days/not sports days/any days
i wanna work with refugees
i wanna be a prison officer

i wanna dash for cheeseburger lunches
n cringe at curdled milos
i wanna be meimeimei's flashing lampost
i wanna visit ppl's rooms
and hide in their cupboards when its past bedtime
i wanna explore mei's room of junk n cool things
i wanna dance in the swimming pool with the taugei gang
i wanna dance in the sauna
i wanna roll across a field
and jump over puddles
and jump into puddles

i wanna walk around with a paperbag over my head and stalk people
while kristi "reads" her hole-y newsppr
i wanna visit the church in the cemetery
i wanna lie down n see stars
i wanna go for sec1 sec2 class chalet
i wanna rehearse for sec2 class dance competition
i want chanmalichan to help me kill bugs in my shoe
i wanna sit on the cold cement in class after spring cleaning the class room
i wanna play the cinderella dries the floor game with my classmates

i wanna dig mingming and teoteo's cupboards
i wanna sit at ulu corners in compasspoint n chitchat
i wanna go try clothes in compasspoint
i wanna sit at the bus interchange and chitchat
i wanna eat curly fries
i wanna tie myself to many pieces of cardboard and try to fly
i wanna curl up under my big fat blankie and.. urr.. fall asleep

i wish i wish i wish I WISH I WISH I WISH
hello

im eighteen plus plus

im not eight plus plus

=E
...

surprise surprise...

James 1: 19-27

Listening and Doing
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect llaw that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

i received an email today:

"Just want to drop a note to say Mummy Loves you.
Always remembering you in my prayer .. GOD to lead your way and give you wisdom to make all the right choices.
OT will be badly needed in this aging society... before Jodie's dream of having a robotic clone of herself to take care of mummy and daddy during our old age can come true...
......"

it made me laugh AND cry at the same time. hahaha.

hello mummy, daddy, jodie =D

thanks for being there for me the whole time when im happy when im silly when im grumpy when im busy when im lazy when im sleepy.

i love you too <3

one minute im high and the next im all sianned for no reason.
i think i've got bipolar disorder =(

i discovered today that snowpeas grow on the side of the road. i saw them when i was walking home from the city. they look just like the ones we have in jap restaurants.. just a little bit more furry. I also saw many pretty flowers that've woken up from their deep winter slumber. they look so bright and happy and colourful. it's one of the ways that God uses to say 'I love you'. i wonder what other people think when they see them.

nowadays i find it difficult to find things to blog about.
HMM
on the way home with pampam we were talking about how we find it so hard to focus on whatever we were doing and that we'll zone out easily. i dont like it =(

chinese new year's 26th january next year! YAY!

this sem's flying past way too quick... it feels like a hurricane/tornado that's passed by, dragging me along with it. maybe i just need better time management and a neater desk.

this is such a random post...
HELLO PEOPLE

=D
happy, shalala..
its so nice to be happy!
shalala
everybody should be happy!
shalala
its so nice to be happy!
shalala!
=D

dearest audeedee chan mali chan,

i thank God for such a sweetheart like you!

from our toot-toot-sec-one-days to act-cool-sec-two-days to have-no-time-to-be-anything-sec-three-and-four-days to our long distance emails now, i'm grateful that you are my best friend/fellow bai chi/richtaitai neighbour to be staying in ICON/3rd lang friend/macho buddy etcetc.

im sorry for finishing ur ikan bilis everytime i enter ur house.

im sorry for finishing ur tapioca chips too.

im sorry i still cant figure my way to ur house alone

im sorry i wanted to mail u smth but i realised i dont have your address!

im sorry i havent replied your email after so long! i dont want to just simply reply but i havent found the time to sit down and write a long one yet. =(

sometimes i feel so guilty. i tell myself: others before self. but i always end up too selfish and put my school work and commitments as priority. =( sorry audrey! i'll reply ur email as soon as i can!

im sorry i wanted to call u, but my phone died n i lost ur number.

=( I FEEL SO BAD NOW THAT IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND I HAVENT DONE MUCH x(

how have you been, my dear friend?

life's so different now.. in secondary school, we seemed so carefree, eating 25cents icecream or shaker fries on the way to and from LC, stalking people, making up our own lingo, mongoose-dissing. we were so childish and annoying back then actually! haha

im kinda glad that we're not like that now! i must say we're much nicer and maturer! =D and we have more realistic goals like being taitais in ICON. ok not really, but its not bad.. ahhaha. end of jc2 is dawning and u may end up in another country far far away, our holidays may not coincide and it may become more difficult to meet =( but i believe time and distance won't change this friendship! and 10 years down the road when we're happily married with our true love and with kids, we'll meet up more often to make up for the lost time, sipping tea and watching the world go by, reminiscing, hoping, dreaming and being content, eating more high class ice cream and fries.

there's so much to look forward to.. uni life, working life, dating life, married life, family life, granny life, afterlife... although it may seem rather daunting, although u may be afraid u wont be able to choose something that u like doing, im sure u'll grow to love whatever you end up in, whether or not it was ur choice. God has a perfect plan for your life, so just do your best and trust God with the rest =)

i was watching leap years a while ago. although it was quite crappy, i love the bit where the same group of girls stuck by each other over the years since secondary school till after marriage. we'll be long time friends like them too! =D

happy 18th dear! =)

seriously, i think im going insane.

24 hours more before i sleep!

goodbye world im gonna rot in my hole with my measurement assignment.

SIANZ MANZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!

WHAT AM I DOING HERE!!!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Matthew 22: 36-40

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' All the Law and prophets hang on these two commandments.

Pastor Timon spoke on redeeming love on Sunday. Many a times, we get so caught up with being righteous and keeping ourselves holy and pure that we draw a line between ourselves and those that we think are 'evil', unpure, lowly, not as good as us in fear that they might corrupt us in some ways. I remember listening to a sermon from the hillsong conference in Kristi's car about how we keep ourselves safe in our self built fortress and separate ourselves from the rest of the world. but Jesus says in Mark2:17 " It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

so what if i am actively involved in serving in church activities? So what if I have strong faith that moves mountains? So what if I give to the poor? even then, if i've done them without love, they dont mean anything at all.

i find myself starting to not love people who annoy me or give me a bad impression or do not meet my expectation of "nice-ness". I judge them and criticise them, but who am I to do that? Paul reminds me in Romans 14 and 15 "You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgement seat... Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way... We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves... May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and one mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Let us learn to love each other unconditionally like how God loves us, sinners.

gohbiaomei's going to Rome because of this...

which would not have been possible if not for my mouse. hehehe. yeah and a little bit of creativity and a little bit of artistic ability, but trust me, its the mouse.

ok fine its not the mouse... YES SHE IS EXCITED =)

I flipped my calender flippy thing and today, it said this:

Throughout His early life, Jesus was constantly exposed to personal criticism and rejection... How did He respond to criticism and rejection? First, with steadfastness. He did not tone down His message, nor did He stop doing what He knew was right. Second, with strength. Ahead of Him was the Cross- but He did not loose courage or shrink from what He knew was God's will. Third, with submission. When Herod prodded Him to defend Himself, "He answered him nothing" (Luke 23:9). Only one thing mattered: Fulfilling God's purpose for His life. How will we meet criticism?

so how do we meet criticism? for me, i think i try to avoid it at all costs. if i do meet any, it affects me horribly, makes me feel lousy and demoralised, crushes my self esteem. at least that's what i expect to happen since i've been busy keeping myself in my own little bubble where i think i'll feel comfortable. but i'll get nowhere just staying within my comfort zone. i think we need to remind ourselves time and again to reflect on what really matters. Lenard was talking to me about my future role as missions rep and i think i'm still scared because i'm afraid i'll stuff up or i'll not be able to reach peoples' expectations and i hate being criticised or rejected, and i hate even more the way i react to criticism and rejection. like a spoilt brat, sobbing away, being angry and annoyed, as if the whole world has done me wrong. but i should really remind myself to take it in my own stride and keep in mind what God wants me to do.

this sem is gonna be really packed with tests, assignments(not as much), ocf bible studies discipleship public meets missions day spring feast praise and prayer night prayer day, im thinking of joining curtin volunteers for john curtin week, dance classes, kneehighs(kids ministry in subi)... but im excited =) the days are passing so quickly... tuition free week is next week!!

hiphurray xD

Lord, i pray for courage to step out of my comfort zone to spread Your word and share this love with the people around me. In Jesus' name i pray, Amen.

Your love is amazing
Steady and unchanging
Your love is a mountain
Firm beneath my feet

Your love is a mystery
How You gently life me
When I am surrounded
Your love carries me

CHORUS
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Your love makes me sing
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Your love makes me sing

Your love is surprising
I can feel it rising
All the joy that’s growing
Deep inside of me

And every time I see you
All your goodness shines through
And I can feel this God song rising up in me

i was just thinking about the time i just arrived in perth with my dad. small, helpless, vulnerable. HAHAHA anyway.. for the first few weeks we went about to different churches here and there.. although there were nice people, i didnt really like the idea of attending those churches every week. and being terribly shy and anti-social didnt really help much cus i would just glue myself to my dad everywhere he went.
but one fine day, after a few weeks of hopping around, we hopped into subi church of Christ, warmly greeted by the stand-at-the-door-to-shake-hands people, one of which was auntie deborah who talked to us as if she knew us long ago. she then introduced me to glennabanana (due to some miscommunications, i thought she was a mother of 3 HAHAHA) who invited me to ocf but on that night i entered the wrong room and joined friday night live instead .. i attended ocf after that and LO AND BEHOLD, here i am! happy in OCF =D
God is so amazing in the ways that He provides. if i had decided to attend those churches before, i wouldn have joined ocf, i might not even know what is OT and thus be stressed doing a course i dont really enjoy + cant imagine myself doing in the future. i love to look back and find out how everything clicks into place without myself realising. when i was frustrated about not being able to find a church i would enjoy attending regularly, God wanted me to wait, because He had a brilliant plan, far better than i could have imagined. it doesnt only affect my every sundays but also my every weekdays and my life ahead.
in the same way, while we were all worried bout my dad not being able to find a house in the first few weeks/months, God wanted us to wait, because He's got a much better plan for us. I'm awfully grateful to be staying in such a safe and peaceful area which is convenient and very pretty at the same time. while we were worrying about all these, we were merely concentrating on a single piece of jigsaw puzzle while God was dealing with the great big gigantic enormous picture. like that chinese story about the blind men trying to figure out what exactly an elephant was: the one holding the trunk said its long and skinny, the one holding the ear said its big and flat, the one holding the leg said its a big stump, all because they couldnt look at the big picture. and i guess that's what i tend to do. complain, whinge, whine, when actually its all part of a bigger and better plan. but thank You Lord, for remaining faithful, continually providing for me and loving me unconditionally.
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again i say REJOICE =)

on the bus to school today i met a cute little boy who sat next to me

2 years and 3 months, beautiful dark curly hair

big innocent eyes.

everytime i smiled at him he'll giggle and cover his face and turn away

at curtin christian union's bible talk today i met sophie

she's just learned to stand, she hobbles a bit and finds that crawling is more of her thing

she's got chubby cheeks that are pink and rosy,

her hair's blackish with a tinge of goldish as if it is highlighted

she smiles a lot and she salivates a lot

she watches turbo the puppy guide dog in training as he finds things to chew or hops around frantically.

she's so amused, she watches him as if she's watching a movie

she tries to move as close as she can but her mum pulls her back

she continues to smile and salivate

awww.. heart melts

little kids are so beautiful (when they are not being annoying)

they have so much zest, so much life and energy

so curious, so carefree, so simple, so happy

they speak whatever's on their minds

they have so little to worry about

they havent learnt to fear people, strangers..

they flash their most gorgeous smiles that steal peoples' hearts away

they are so tiny and cute and they have such lovely soft hair

i wanna be a kid again, amused by the simplest things instead of being greedy and wanting more

carefree and happy, not having to be affected by things that happen or dont happen which frustrate me, not having to stress myself with tests.. or people.. or the house that seems like its gonna fall apart..

wake up wake up

it's only the beginning of school and im sick of studying =(

actually i havent started.. i want a holiday again!

while procrastinating, i was clicking through my photos again.

and i started reminiscing again..

the time i worked in uncle tham's after school care

the times when i was still skinny but didnt know it

the times when my sister was still small, cute but a little bit annoying

the times when my sister hasnt turned into kissmon yet.

the times in cedar, choir, ballet, sf, singapore, st marys, boarding...

they were not that bad.. in fact, they're not bad at all

it always takes me so long to realise what i've been given

it's always too late when i start to learn to appreciate

i think i complain too much. things that i should give thanks for, i end up complaining.

but God still remains faithful, always providing for me, still loving me. =)

latest updates:

i fell sick. im much better and getting better

my house flooded bcus the hot water pipe burst

im living on the streets right now

i was lying about the streets bit.

SIGH. i feel sian now.

this semester is just like one psych unit one measurement unit and 3 humanbio-anatomy-ish units and guess what? I SUCK AT THOSE HUMANBIO-ANATOMY-ISH KINDA THINGS!

but fret not! as Paul mentions in 2Cor12:9 "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." It is by God's strength that i pull through!

the days really pass by so quickly. it feels like sunday was yesterday..

ohoh i have another goal this sem: JIANFEI! this time i will make sure it works!

ive been looking at enough photos to realise how much ive grown these few years

Hillsong, Reuben Morgan:

You are my strength

strength like no other

strength like no other

reaches to me

You are my hope

hope like no other

hope like no other

reaches to me

in the fullness of Your grace

in the power of Your name

You lift me up

You lift me up

unfailing love

stronger than mountains

deeper than oceans

reaches to me

Your love, O Lord

reaches to the heavens

Your faithfulness

reaches to the skies

Your love, O Lord

reaches to the heaven

Your faithfulness

reaches to the skies

i wanna go travelling. not the tourist kind. the kind where i stay at a place for a while and learn their cultures and lifestyles. not the kind where i stay in a hotel and take a tourbus. blablabla goodnight

back to school days arent that bad actually
in fact, i think this semester would be better than the previous one because i wont have many assignments to chiong! YAY thank God!
although its cold n windy n rainy i thank God for umbrellas n cars
n kind souls who drive the cars.
but i definitely prefer holidaying in singapore right now HEHEHE
ah wells =) its fine here
i think i've lost my social skills.. i've forgotten how to talk to people n what to talk about. more awkward silences =S
anyway, new sem new resolutions! im blogging max once per week! n im gna sleep! GOODNIGHT!

im starting to wish the days pass more slowly

how annoying it is to have to leave when i've started adapting and feeling all comfy and at home. how annoying it is to think about going to school in the freezing cold instead of relaxing in the nice and warm. how annoying it is to always feel so negative about everything =(



im happy that i came back. im happy and grateful for those people who generously made time for me. im glad to catch up with those i havent seen for ages. im happy hanging out in church and taking part in the choir practices. im happy going out to eat n walk n talk n watch movies n bishi bashi n kboxing n sleeping in the car. im happy at home baking n tv-ing n eating n cooking n piano-ing n sleeping. thank God for company =) n thank yous for being great company! it just makes it harder to leave now!
i enjoyed wandering round tp to deliver liming's birthday dinner

i enjoyed aspiring to be a taitai (it was in fact good consolation after a bad experience at the hairdresser's =p)

i enjoyed eating somemore with family

but then again, i guess it's not that healthy to bum around for too long. it's almost time i got my brain ticking and brain juice flowing again. Perth isn't bad. there's things to look forward to as well. there's company as well. the weather's not all THAT bad. but... mmhmm i want to linger here, mmhmm a little longer here......





this morning i woke up with funny eyes, because i've been crying and weeping as if my husband died, because i was watching whywhylove and OH MY GOSH it was so sad. and OH MY GOSH i actually finished watching it and OH MY GOSH MIKE HE woohoo!


hooray baking day =D

its not my fault.. it runs in the family...=D

in face of persecution, what would you do?

i've been struggling to be a reflector of Christ amidst non-Christian friends. i am easily troubled by how they will think of me and how they will react to what i say or what i do. i find it difficult to open my mouth to share the gospel with others, lest they start thinking that Christianity is a religion where its people enjoy brainwashing people.

from a Christian's point of view, it IS good news. it's about God sending Jesus to live like us humans.. but leading a totally blameless life, and dying on the cross bearing the burden of all our sins, but rising 3 days later. its the promise of eternal life, because death (the wages of our sins) has been overcome as Christ rose. and this eternal life is made available for all who believe, not because of what we have done, not because we have been outstandingly amazing people, but simply because God loves His people, even when they sin, even when they hurt each other, even when they are not as amazing as they make themselves out to be. that's what Christians believe and we want to share it with others so that they too would receive the gift of eternal life.
however, somewhere along the lines, misunderstandings might have appeared. Christians start to appear to be pushy, or always think that they're right (which i myself am guilty of). and people get offended and start disliking/avoiding Christians. but what im trying to get at is.. they really seriously meant well. they are sharing the gospel with you because they love you and want you to have that privilege as well and not because they want to brainwash you. having grown up in a Christian environment, i might not be able to relate to how it feels having someone evangelise to me.. but being introduced to a totally new and foreign thing may seem rather daunting and overwhelming.. some may not even see the point of all these religious things.. so what if somebody died for my sins 2000+ years ago? all i can say is, for me, i feel it is really an act of great sacrifice. the wages of our sin is death. but because God loves us, He sent His innocent son, Jesus to take our place. on the day He rose from the dead, sin and death was overcome. all these pain and suffering afflicted on Him, He did nothing to deserve, but He still endured out of love.

many people have died or suffered because of this faith. stoned, shot, jailed, mocked at, ostracised... i really admire their courage and perseverance. those who rejoice and bless those who persecute them i admire even more. in face of persecution, i want to rejoice that i bear the name of the Lord. in face of persecution, i want to still love and bless the people persecuting me. in face of persecution, i want to stand strong and firm in Christ, like a tree with its roots deep in the ground. in face of persecution, i want to be fully reliant on God, because "[His] grace is sufficient for [me], for [His] power is made perfect in weakness." For when i am weak, then i am strong.

i am really really grateful for the people God has placed in my life.. =D
i dont know what pictures to put..

i've been trying to step out of my comfort zone in different areas of life.
i tried and did somersaults on the trampolin (smth i would not hav done if i let the kiasi side of me take over). im not a risk taker, i like to be safe and alive and unharmed. i am scared of falling down or hurting myself.
i volunteered to take up the percussionist position in subi church. i get scared playing in front of people cuz im so lousy and its embarassing. but i think God didnt give me the chance to learn percussion and piano and ballet etc etc for me to play to myself.. and my teacher, but to serve Him in whatever ways i can. yes, i may not be good, but i learnt it so i have the basic skills. and its times like these when i am weak, that i can rely on Him and be strong in the Lord. so please pray for me, that i can serve God wholeheartedly in whatever i do, and stop being worried that i make a fool of myself. =D

HONEY, I'M HOME!!!

ah.. i just love the feeling of being home!

...despite almost suffocating when i stepped out of the plane into the humid weather.

But God has been graciously providing rain to cool my side of the world, so i don't melt and die. It's also a good thing that it's humid here cus perth has been dehydrating me so much that it made my skin peel n bla n it hurt. so here, i can re-hydrate myself while feasting!

night 1:

hokkien mee

orh luat

kulat (??!) some mushroom thing which is yummy =)

day 2:

seafood porridge

chee cheong fun

chicken rice

fish

another kind of fish

night 2:

mango milk pudding (i think?!)

chai tow kuay black

stingray

satay longan drink

day 3:

ya kun kaya toast

hehehe i know i know i've been doing a great job with meal planning. im a natural =p anyway, day 2 morning my dear friend qinyilim came to sengkang to visit! so sweet! but the funny thing was.. i was not home! hahaha but i got home eventually n we spent the day lazing around n walked to chomp chomp to eat with dorcas n zhengting=D

i've been itching ever since camp ended. i think i got bitten by bedbugs. I CANT STAND IT! SO ITCHY!!! gahh... if i did bring any home by accident, i hope the bugs starve n die so that when i return, i'll be saved from all the itching.

this holiday's gonna be real short! 18 days n 2.5 have gone! i need to make the most out of it! i find it very difficult to wake up!

all those claims that exercising makes you happy are fake! seriously.. while joggin last night, my blood pressure was rising steadily with xxx's constant nagging. but still.. i think i was annoyed because what he said was true and i think im too proud to admit my mistakes and weaknesses in front of my own family especially. i like to be right and i always think im right which is so not right =(

what happened to your 'never say die' spirit? slowly killed by failures and setbacks? where's your zest and daringness? hidden by fear and doubt? is that all to life? being too afraid of failing, always giving up? where does that bring you?

cya in 18 days perth home home!

geri's surprise 18th. we were teaching the ladies about modesty hahah.

sara's farewell/girly sleepover

1. winter camp was super duper!
2. i passed my driving test!
3. im sick!
4. im singaporing soon!
5. its so lonely at home =(
6. there's not many people left in perth
7. its freezing!
8. i miss camp!
9. i want trampolin!
10. i did somersault on the trampolin!
11. i put on weight i know so when u see me u dont have to tell me!

i think God's purpose for me to study overseas is to stop me from becoming too comfortable and attached to the world, and know that heaven is home.

exams are long gone.
MERDEKA!
school's out this winter.
MERDEKA!
holidays are here.
MERDEKA!

we did a bit of ciao-italia-ing to celebrate haniksha's early 21st.. before exams, we had a chicken themed bs dinner (i duno if ive mentioned it before but hey it was really YUMYUMYUMMY)

SARALEE'S RABBIT!!!!!!! SO CUTEEEE!!!!!!!!
steph, liz n i did some baking and cooking for the stressed up ocf-ers having exams

i just finished watching HANA KIMI and.. NAKATSU!!!!!!!! nakatsu nakatsu nakatsu!! so cute!
awwwwwwwwww
we also celebrated ivan's birthday

i have more photos but they're not rotated yet.

METEOR GARDEN! IM COMING FOR YOU!

pei ni qu kan liu xing yu!!! hahaha

happy holidays!