J'aime vie...

By The Grace Of God I Am What I Am

“His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain.”
1 Corinthians 15:10

The way we continually talk about our own inability is an insult to the Creator. The deploring of our own incompetence is a slander against God for having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining in the sight of God the things that sound humble before men, and you will be amazed at how staggeringly impertinent they are. "Oh, I shouldn't like to say I am sanctified; I'm not a saint." Say that before God; and it means - "No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are chances I have not had; so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn't possible." That may sound wonderfully humble before men, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.

Again, the things that sound humble before God 'may sound the opposite before men. To say Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified is in the sight of God the acme of humility, it means you have so completely abandoned yourself to God that you know He is true. Never bother your head as to whether what you say sounds humble before men or not, but always be humble before God, and let Him be all in all.

There is only one relationship that matters, and that is your personal relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord. Let everything else go, but maintain that at all costs, and God will fulfil His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God's purposes, and yours may be that life.

What Matters Most (Part 2)

2. Love will last forever


Another reason God tells us to make love our top priority is that it is eternal: "These three things continue forever: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love."


Love leaves a legacy. Mother Theresa said, "It's not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters." Love is the secret of a lasting heritage.


I have been at the bedside of many people in their final moments, when they stand on the edge of eternity, and I have never heard anyone say, "Bring me my diplomas! I want to look at them one more time. Show me my awards, my medal, that gold watch I have given." When life on earth is ending, people don't surround themselves with objects. What we want around us is people - people we love and have a relationship with. In our final moments, we all realise that relationships are what life is all about. Wisdom is learning that truth sooner rather than later.


3. We Will be evaluated on our love.


One of the ways God measures spiritual maturity is by the quality of your relationships. In heaven God won't say, "Tell me about your career, your bank account, and your hobbies." Instead he will review how you treated other people, particularly those in need. Jesus said the way to love him is to love his family and care for their practical needs: "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."


People need to understand that when you transfer into eternnity, you will leave everything else behind. All you're taking with you is your character. That's why the Bible says, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."


Knowing this, I encourage you to pray this simple prayer every morning: "God, whether I get anything else done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving other people - because that's what life is all about. I don't want to waste this day." Why should God give you another day if you're going to waste it?




By Rick Warren

What Matter Most

By Rick Warren (Pastors.com)

Because God is love, the most important lessons He wants you to learn on earth is how to love. It is in loving that we are most like Him, so love is the foundation of every command He has given us: "The whole Law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbour as you love yourself.'"

These words take on even greater significance for those in spiritual leadership. The level of love within your church reveals the spiritual health of the fellowship. Paul makes this point: "No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love." Jesus said our love for each other - not our doctrinal beliefs - is our greatest witness to the world. He said, "Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

1. Life without love is really worthless

Often we act as if relationships are something to be squeezed into our schedule. We talk about finding time for our children or making time for people in our lives. That gives the impression that relationships are just a part of our lives along with many other tasks. But God says relationships are what life is all about.

Jesus summarized what matters most to God in two statements: Love God and love people. He said, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart. ...This is the first and the greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." After learning to love God (worship), learning to love others is the second purpose of your life.

Busyness is a great enemy of relationships. People become preoccupied with making a living, working, paying bills, and accomplishing goals as if these tasks are the point of life. They are not. The point of life is learning to love - God and people. Life minus love equals zero.

....to be continued. Part 2...Love will last forever...

Some Wise Sharing from a friend...

 

 

THE GATEWAY TO THE KINGDOM

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Matthew 5:3

 

Beware of placing Our Lord as a Teacher first. If Jesus Christ is a Teacher only, then all He can do is to tantalize me by erecting a standard I can not attain. What is the use of presenting me with an ideal I cannot possibly come near? I am happier without knowing it. What is the good of telling me to be what I never can be - to be pure in heart, to do more than my duty, to be perfectly devoted to God? I must know Jesus Christ as Saviour before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of an ideal which leads to despair. But when I am born again of the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus Christ did not come to teach only: He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the disposition that ruled His own life, and all the standards God gives are based on that disposition.

 

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces despair in the natural man - the very thing Jesus means it to do. As long as we have a self-righteous, conceited notion that we can carry out Our Lord's teaching, God will allow us to go on until we break our ignorance over some obstacle, then we are willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. "Blessed are the paupers in spirit," that is the first principle in the Kingdom of God. The bedrock in Jesus Christ's kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of absolute futility - I cannot begin to do it. Then Jesus says - Blessed are you. That is the entrance, and it does take us a long while to believe we are poor! The knowledge of our own poverty brings us to the moral frontier where Jesus Christ works.

Happy 22nd Birthday!!

Happy 22nd Birthday sis! You're well and truly a grown up woman now. I wish you the best in all your life undertakings...and a wider perspective and zest to take in all that life has to offer you, my dear.

Donovan's Rocks!

We went to Donovan's on St Kilda Beach to celebrate...it is amazing! Fantastic! Delicious! hehehe...all in all, it rocks! A little expensive though...but what do you expect from a highly recommended restaurant on the 5 star list and sits on St Kilda Beach where you can view the sunset over dinner. It's so popular that you have to book 1-3 months ahead if you want to reserve one of the highly in demand window seats that overlook the rolling sea and the city skyline. Romantic place for din...On the outside, you don't see what Donovan's is all about until you walk in...A very warm restaurant with a very unique setting. A country style living room sits in the middle of the restaurant with a fire place...this is the waiting area or sitting area to chat, have desert and coffee after dinner. And the food was top notch. All good except the salty seafood Linguine, which they took out of the bill as apologies from the chef. How cool is that...

It was a really good time...My sis had the 3 most important people in her life sitting around her...laughing and eating and taking photos with her. It was an intimate and good time, all in all. :)

Joe, your birthday soon! Where should we go?? ;P

Giving is the true measure of love...

Do you want a refreshing change this Christmas? Consider new ways to give yourself to the Lord and to those in need. It's a meaningful way to thank God for "His indescribable gift" of salvation through His Son.

The gifts that we may give
And deeds that we may do
Most truly honour Christ
When self is given too...

Thanks to God

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,

Thanks for all thou dost provide!

Thanks for times now but a memory,

Thanks for Jesus by my side!

Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,

Thanks for dark and stormy fall!

Thanks for tears by now forgotten,

Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that thou hast answered,

Thanks for what Thou dost deny!

Thanks for storms that I have weathered,

Thanks for all Thou dost supply!

Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,

Thanks for comfort in despair!

Thanks for grace that none can measure,

Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,

Thanks for thorns their stems contain!

Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,

Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!

Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,

Thanks for heavenly peace with Thee!

Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,

Thanks through all eternity!

Deeper Than The Deep Blue Sea

Daily Bread October 25

The depth of the ocean is mind boggling. The Mariana Trench is nearly 7 miles down. The water pressure at the bottom of the trench is 15,931 pounds per square inch. Yet there is life.

For most of us, it's hard to fathom just how deep the Mariana Trench is. But much more difficult to comprehend is the love of God. Paul was hard-pressed to describe it, but he prayed that his readers would be able somehow to grasp "the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge" (Ephesians 3:18).

The reason we can never reach the depths of God's love is that it is infinite - beyond measure. If you ever feel alone and unloved, that you've sunk to the depths of dark despair, think about Ephesians 3:18. God's love for you is deeper than the Mariana Trench!

I have a faithful Friend whose faithful love

Is more than all the world to me;

It's higher than the heights above,

And deeper than the boundless sea - Anon

The Test of our Faith

Hebrews 11:17-19

There was a church who had met to pray for rain to release a long dry spell. The preacher looked severely at his flock and said: "Brothers and sisters, all of you know why we are here. Now what I want to know is this – where are your umbrellas? Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible.

Be Willing to Pay the Price

Isaac was the son to bear the promise, who bore his hope; Isaac was unique and irreplaceable; Isaac was the apple of his eye. Whenever God test our faith in Him and our love for Him, He tests us to see if we would really have faith in Him at any cost, just like with Abraham. It is always easier to have faith in things that are not valuable to you as compared to things that are valuable to you.

Obey Even When We Don’t Understand

Obedience is the hallmark of Christianity, we must not just sing about it, talk about it, discuss about it, pray about it, we must eventually do it. Abraham’s test here is not just obedience, but obedience even when he does not understand. God’s present command apparently contradicts His initial promise that Abraham’s descendants will come through Isaac; there is difficulty in reconciling God’s promise and His command. The emphasis is to love the giver more than the gift.

Trust in God’s Power

The fulfillment of God’s promises depended upon Isaac’s survival. If Isaac were to die, how could God’s promises be fulfilled? Abraham knew that God has the power and ability to do everything that He has promised. What God has promised He can and will also deliver. What’s the mountain in your life today that is keeping you from putting your faith in God? Why don’t you put your faith in God?

Principles of Decision Making...

Cry your heart out...

Empty everything out to God...Nothing left

God shows the WAY...

Be still my heart. Pray again...

Are you sure, Lord?

Confirmation.

Decision.

Just believe in Him And REJOICE!

Goodness and mercy all the days of my life...

Difficult Days...

Psalm 23:1-6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life...

"Saviour, please stay close beside,
Be my comfort, Lord, and guide,
When I'm troubled, tempted, tried,
May Your love and grace abide" - Brandt

Dear Lord, help us when we don't know what to do. Help us most of all when we know what to do but don't want to do it. May it never we said that we cling on too tightly to what is not for us to hold on to.

Every now and then, one is faced with the dread of having to face a situation when all your beliefs and decisions are challenged and you don't know what to do or what decision to make. In times like this, your flesh (or rational...as some may call it) goes on overdrive and your spirit is weak. You can't hear or you hear but you are not sure whether it is the right thing you heard.

The last 2 days, the entries in Daily Bread have been titled "Let go!" and "Difficult Days"...God speaks to us and uses all kinds of means...

He knows what we are going through...Let Him lead. Let Him guide us. When you can't cling on anymore, God clings on to you.

A Step at a time...

Appreciate the days you have
Because you don't know what tomorrow will bring

Appreciate the people you have
If not, we may miss out on true friendships right in front of us

Appreciate the nights
When you know that God sends His angels to guard around you....even when you sleep

Appreciate and Give Thanks to God!
Rejoice in every circumstance because He is our help and strength from above

Lord, take my hands,
One Step At a Time....

How to Move on?

What do you do when you know you have to move on but can't...When pieces of your past catches up with you and you suddenly can't come to grips with ways your life may have been...

I don't know but...what i have learnt...

Appreciate every moment you have...

Appreciate every friend you have...

Appreciate the waves that is brought into your life...it's hard now. But it will carry you far...

A sister sent me this SMS a few weeks back...It's a poem that sits on the wall of my house and it is indeed a great comfort:

"God may not have promised skies always blue
Flowers strewn pathways all our lives through
He may not have promised sun without rain
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God's promised strength for the day, rest for the labourers, light on the way, grace for the trial, help from above, unfailing sympathy and undying love..."

......

Something is Missing...Missing Cat

Cat cat, where are you?

True Love is not fleeting moments...but true love is found when you discover the path of life you are meant to take. True love can only be found in that path...

Cat Cat, your dreams will not fall away cause His love will not fall away...

Have you seen Love?

When does one know what is L.O.V.E.?

...when the people who gives you strength to be who you are is sitting all around you over dinner and laughs and just sharing the moment

...when the people you care about tell you how much they care.

...when the people who care about you show you how much they love you.

...when a friend confronts about your weakness and encourages you to change.

...when you witness the greatest love of all - the grace of our Father, Who died for us and Whose love will never disappoint nor forsake nor leave us be!

You are loved...

Must Love DOGS...

Look at how cute my Darling is!

Can't imagine life without him. He's my joy.

He doesn't bark much but those BIG eyes speak a thousand words. He doesn't do tricks or even fetch but he warms my heart each time. He loves chocolate and even responds to it more than his own name. He talks when he sleeps...snores and kicks  when he dreams. Then there's those BIG eyes staring into your eyes when you wake up in the morning. He nudges you from the back when you are not paying attention or when he realises that you are going to go out...without him. He loves guinea pigs and plays with them but hates possums. He's not very sociable with other dogs but loves people, especially kids. He's Prince. The dog formerly known as Prince...or just plain Prince.  :)

Must Love Dogs...

Bored at work...Meeting Jui Wan sent me through a wave of nostalgia...through secondary school and then uni and to what I do today.

You know when you were a secondary school student, you had these dreams of who you would turn out to be when you "grow up" and start working. Am I who I wanted to be. Work is not as satisfying as I hoped it would be. It's pretty exciting I must say... Meeting and working for projects that involve Music Companies such as The Orchard, Sony, EMI and MGM...Seeing your work and sweat come to be online for the whole Internet world to see.

Is this who I've always wanted to be? Is this what accomplishment feels like at 25? Yes! I'm 25! It's funny how Jui Wan keeps reminding me that I need a "pet"...cause time is ticking. Haha...But i have one. Right, Jui?! One 4-legged pet is enough. Well, when the time is right.

But at the moment, I'm loving the blessing that Prince is to me. He's about the warmest and cutest dog alive! Every owner will say that about their dog. But no one lavishes love and attention like Prince does. And for now...I'm happy.