Only One Life (by Charles Studd)

Only One Life

By C.T. Studd

Two little lines I heard one day,

Traveling along life's busy way;

Bringing conviction to my heart,

And from my mind would not depart;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past, 

Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,

Soon will its fleeting hours be done;

Then, in 'that day' my Lord to meet,

And stand before His Judgement seat;

Only one life,'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,

Gently pleads for a better choice

Bidding me selfish aims to leave,

And to God's holy will to cleave;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,

Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;

Each with its clays I must fulfill,

living for self or in His will;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,

When Satan would a victory score;

When self would seek to have its way,

Then help me Lord with joy to say;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,

In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;

Faithful and true what e'er the strife,

Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,

And from the world now let me turn;

Living for Thee, and Thee alone,

Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,

Now let me say,"Thy will be done”;

And when at last I'll hear the call,

I know I'll say “twas worth it all”;

Only one life,'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last. 

The Paradox of Our Time in History (by Bob Moorehead)

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints;
we spend more, but have less;
we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time;
we have more degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgment;
more experts, but less solutions;
more medicine, but less health.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life;
we've added years to life, not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back,
     but have trouble crossing the street to meet our neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space;
we've done larger things, but not better things;
we've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We have higher incomes, but lower morale;
we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of tall me, and short character;
steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic violence;
more leisure, but less fun;
more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce;
of fancier houses, but broken homes.
It is a time when there is so much in the showroom window
     and nothing in the stockroom.

Today we celebrate

Today, we feast and celebrate.
We celebrate unexpected friendships - old and new, temporary and everlasting.
We celebrate permanent residency in a fading world, and citizenship in heaven.
We celebrate vocations that last this lifetime and eternal hallelujahs before our King.
We celebrate because we are friends, but also because we are family in our Father's house.
As we feasted and celebrated, my heart couldn't help but sing. Our God our God, abounding in love and mercy. Your grace has been poured out so freely into our lives.
Your intricate plans beyond our imagination weaves our paths together in Your sovereignty, into Your masterpiece.
"What a small world!" - really just meant God ordained.
Why am I so amazed even though I already know that my God is amazing?
How else shall I respond, apart from wholeheartedly?

He knows you by name

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
Revelation 7:9‭-‬10 NIV

As we contemplate this image of heaven, of multitudes worshipping God seated in His heavenly throne,  people of every tribe and nation and language crowded around Him... I was reminded at bible study that what John described as "uncountable"- the sea of faces, each distinct from one another.. God knows each and every one of these faces personally and intimately. He knows their name, their thoughts, when they sit and when they rise.
God reaches to each one personally, tenderly and patiently. Like a gentle shepherd. And when we finally get to see Him face to face, His presence shall be our shelter. Even now, He is our ever present help.

Thank You Lord, for loving us.. for loving me, a speck of dust. Who am I that You should care for me? How else should one respond, apart from full surrender-  a life that lives to worship You.

The Lord My Good Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil. For you are with me, your rod and staff, they comfort me.

Today, I am thankful that I have a good shepherd who provides for all my needs physically, mentally and spiritually. The good shepherd who knows His sheep and lays down His life for His sheep. He leads us to springs of living waters.

Psalm 23, Revelation 7, John 10

Lord, thank You for being my shepherd. Teach me to love Your sheep entrusted into my care like You do. Teach me to place their needs before my own, teach me to point them to the chief shepherd, You, who is the only one who can fill and satisfy us physically, mentally and spiritually. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Psalm 143

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground" - I quickly skimmed through youversion's bible verse of the day in my weak attempt to blitz through devotion time with God. Often in my pride, I choose to think that the verses offered aren't relevant to my situation or season of life and then either commence an "app crawl" to look for the PERFECT bible verse that I felt like hearing, or forget it at all and get on with my tight Facebook and YouTube schedule.

Somehow tonight, the Spirit prompted me to read the verse in its context: chapter 143 in the book of Psalm.."Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy" immediately I thought "this is another one of those Psalms where David is being chased by his enemies..well I'm not in much danger like David was, so it probably wouldn't relate to me".

Little did I know how much it actually does relate to me.. To us!

V1-2 - Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgement, for no one living is righteous before you. 
Dare I say that I am not in need of God's mercy? Forbid it Lord, may that day never come! As David, known as "the man after God's own heart" points out - no one living is righteous before our Lord. He is righteousness itself and who can withstand His judgement? David acknowledged his sinful self before his Holy God and so should I.

V3-4 - The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.
The devil prowls around for opportunities to draw our attention away from the cross, from eternity. As he did with Adam and Eve eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, resulting in sin and death, he continues to seize the slightest opportunities to pull us to make our dwelling in the darkness. Subtly, drastically, consciously or subconsciously, each choice to place my interest over God's is a step towards the dark dwelling place. Before you know it, each step becomes easier and suddenly you find yourself like Adam and Eve, hiding from God in shame and not knowing how to get back to where you came from.

V5-7 - I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land. Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
I remember MY days of long ago. The first love I seem to have forsaken - the excitement of dwelling in the presence of God, reading, meditating on and loving His words, living it out and witnessing His faithfulness in the lives of those around me. I want to go back there. To when my heart was filled and content with God, before I allowed weeds of worry and pride into my heart. Before they started to take root and compete for my time, energy and attention. Please Lord, have mercy on me, forgive me for my wandering heart and turn Your face towards me.

V8-10 - Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Let EVERY morning bring me word of Your unfailing love. Let Your way be THE way in my life. As I flee from temptations of wasting my life on myself, Facebook and YouTube videos of dancing with the Stars, help me hide in the presence of God and His word. May I be led by the Spirit daily.

V11-12 - For your name's sake, Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.
Yes Lord, preserve me till the end of time. Help me to stand firm. Help me to love You with all my heart. As Jesus comes again, the enemy will be silenced once and for all, but dear Lord, have mercy on me

My Prayer for the Season

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in endless praise.

Take my hands and let them move, at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be, swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing, always only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own, it shall be Thine royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour, at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee

fasting

John Piper says, “The absence of fasting is the measure of our contentment with the absence of Christ.” Piper adds, “If we don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because we have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great.”

sounds and sights

It's special to come back once/twice a year to this hustling and bustling little island city. Waking up late into the morning to some neighbour in the opposite block practicing scales on the piano, children playing in the pool, random bird noises, dogs barking, mothers/maids talking to children. Listening to the washing machine going off, sounds of the handles knocking on the laundry pail, my grandpa's sandals shuffling across the marble floor. Also, the constant sound of running water from the pool, the occasional "dings" from the lifts outside my door, scrubbing and cleaning happening down the corridor.
Waking up to see my grandpa doing his daily drill - reading the papers out on the balcony, his hand shaking exercise, eating bread and drinking tea, watching korean dramas on the telly, having his lunch with the mandatory crockery combination of a bowl, plate, chopsticks and a soup spoon.

So nostalgic.

2014

It was our final small group meeting of 2014. We ate, we exchanged gifts, we had a moment to share and reflect about our year.

I thought about my 2014 but my mind was a blank, besides being confused about how it's already December. One thing I realised was that I had spent less time reflecting - my quiet time with God had been in the last year overtaken by life, work, commitments, family, friends, the need for more sleep, hours of mindlessly scrolling through facebook, being a couch potato..but I hope that in the new year, even if it's just starting from 5 minutes a day or one day a week, I would like to get my private life into order; I would like to be God-led and not driven by the winds of my world of commitments/obligations; I would like to be more reflective. I shall make that my only goal in 2015.. although it really sounds like 3 or 4 goals o.0

I feel that my lack of reflection was due to big transitions in life that took up my attention and energy, amazing procrastinating skills, sometimes also (despite how much I value honesty) because I don't like being honest with myself. (yup. what nonsense.. what an escapist.. ). As a result, my lack of reflection has made me less aware of God's blessings in my life, less grateful as a person, I really feel that I'm not where I'm supposed to be spiritually. And because I have not been seeking Christ as frequently and intentionally, I have not been as effective in giving Him the glory that He rightfully deserves, or pointing others to His love and glory.

Therefore, here's a start - these are things that i've done for the first time in 2014 in a nutshell (actually, maybe a giant coconut shell):

- my first year working full time as an occupational therapist: this job is a gift from God and I'm reminded of His providence whenever I explain to others how I got the job. I'm thankful for the spiritual encouragement from fellow believers at work, who love Jesus and their colleagues and clients. I'm thankful for supportive colleagues, and the privilege to meet so many wonderful families and witness their love for one another. Even though I'm not the quickest in developing friendships, I'm thankful for the few colleagues I've had the opportunity to work closely and develop a friendship with. I'm thankful that work is not always easy so (as much as I'm lazy and do not like thinking) I need to actively problem solve and not be complacent. I'm thankful for the skills that I'm continuing to develop in working with every individual and looking at their lives wholistically instead of being tunnel visioned.

- my first year out of OCF and into small group: I was debating with myself if I should be joining a group of people that I'm not familiar with or with a seemingly almost entirely made up of ex-OCF curtin group. I thought it was good to step out of my comfort zone and fellowship with other faces that I haven't met in Subi. I went for the majority-ex-OCF-Curtin group in the end, because at the end of the day, I feel that small group is about fellowship and growing together in Christ. I guess it didn't really matter which one I chose, but being familiar with everyone in your group is a strength in different ways. I thank God for the faces that have come and gone, those that have come and have stayed, those that visit once in a while, those who have been faithfully leading and serving. Glad to say we have grown in numbers, and have more variety now over the course of the year - in age, nationality, life experiences and walks of life. We may be at different stages spiritually, but we are growing slowly and surely. I'd love to see the day where we will be praying passionately and zealously for the kingdom of God.

- my first semester serving in BSF leadership: I started serving when there was a need for a fill-in for my group leader who was going on long service leave.. I said yes, as I was keen to learn all I could and allow God to mould me in ways that would benefit His ministry. I am continually humbled and in awe of the leaders that I've started to serve alongside with - their heart, their time, their love for their group members.. it's beyond me. Before I started serving, finishing the homework itself by Monday evening was a big challenge - now I have homiletics to complete by Thursday night and homework to finish before our weekly Saturday morning meeting. I joined BSF because I wanted to be disciplined. Let's just say.. I'm still a work in progress! We will be studying the Life of Moses next year and I would want to complete my homework with ALL MY HEART and not just my mind. I want to be sensitive to what God is speaking through the passages and notes each week, and be used and equipped by God like how he did with Moses.

- my first year visiting Freo service: Subi has recently 'adopted' the Freo service and that congregation is full of elderly people overflowing with love. I can't forget the day I attended a baby shower of one of the few young families I met there. It was the young pregnant mother, her 4 year old daughter, and many elderly ladies eagerly showering them with gifts and lots of love. One of the ladies' shared that they try to be home away from home for young people who are visiting from another country. Such a privilege..

- my first time driving to Narembeen with small group: I must say that I have been trained well at work to drive long distances. Narembeen is ~4hours away from Perth where one of our small group member's parents are pastoring a church. We spent the Easter long weekend out there, ate awesome home cooked food, hiked around, visited Wave Rock, played ping pong, made nasi briyani, danced in church, played hide and seek with an obstacle course in the dark, visited the farm, did an easter egg hunt, played with cute kids and rested.

- my first time and second time driving to Margaret River with friends: I made the first trip with friends from BSF - had the most awesome passengers who kept talking with me the WHOLE ENTIRE JOURNEY. It's amazing how quick you get to know people when you are stuck in the same car for hours. Second time, I was there for Kristi and Chris' pre wedding photos. Both were awesome. Great company, beaaaauuutiful beaches, forests, lots of laughter.. and I got to listen to a whole audio book, Trophy of Grace, by Bronwyn Healy. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.. Marg River and Audiobook.

- my first time to Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie: We visited a Christian Aboriginal school in Coolgardie and a school in Kurrawang (very very small community). It was surprising to know that there are actually places in Australia that lack decent access to water and this affects whether or not the school can run. Nevertheless, it is amazing to see God's work in the hearts of the people. Loved seeing our teacher friends ministering to the students like mentors/ older sisters, one scene I cherished most in my heart was C teaching her students how to pray and encouraging them saying that sometimes we have so much on our minds but forget to pray about everything, but God knows our thoughts and we can commit them all to Him in prayer. Visited a camel farm and a mining site where the rocks on the ground that we walked on had gold in them! I really valued the hospitality and love shown by our hosts - so much love - better than 5 star hotel treatment. 

Kalgoorlie's SUPERPIT where you find gold under your feet

Coolgardie's Camel Farm

- my first time to Esperance (via Albany): Mamamag's wedding was in Esperance.. this place is so beautiful and so amazing. If you are ever there, you have to visit Twilight beach and Cape Le Grand (swim in Lucky Bay and climb Frenchman peak). The drive from Perth was a bit crazier (8+hours). The weather was sunny most days and it rained on our way back so we didn't really need to wash our rented car! God's perfect timing ;) I loved how I felt so tiny standing before the ocean, and how we climbed Frenchman peak in our crocs :D I loved how mamamag's wedding was such a beautiful marriage between 2 cultures, the guests were all so happy to YAMSENG like what we'd do in Singapore.

Esperance, Cape Le Grand - Lucky Bay

Esperance, Cape Le Grand - Frenchman Peak's Nature's Window

Esperance - Twilight Beach's Sunrise

Esperance - Samson's cat!

 
- my first time wedding dress shopping/prewedding photoshooting with Kristi the bride-to-be! YES SHE IS GETTING MARRIED :D So privileged to be part of this journey with them and so glad that they found each other. I'm thankful that God has grown this friendship especially in the last year and I look forward to their wedding!!!!