J'aime vie...

I Have the Peace of the Lord....

Jassie & I posing for Robbie before Multicultural Nite at the Oceania Convention....haha!!!! Fun moments I will always remember...

Took out my suitcases and started to pack today. And I have a lot of peace as I do so.

A month ago, I was still struggling with the decision to go back but God spoke to me and assured me that it was what He wanted me to do. But I was still uncertain.

Now, one Easter and a Leaders' Advance later, I have a lot of peace as God brought many words of encouragement through people around me...confirming what He has been speaking to me about. And each time, the word was doubled up...ie, almost every word of encouragement was confirmed by 2 people who had almost identical words / visions.

Numbers 6:24-27

"Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

" ' "The LORD bless you and keep you;
       the LORD make his face shine upon you
       and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you
       and give you peace." '

"So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."

....

OC 2006 - A Fellowship Church

Got back from the Easter Convention in Brisbane late last night with a heart full of peace and reassurance in my God's love and faithfulness over my life...I have been tossing and turning with many issues over the last few months and was looking forward to finding some peace (and if possible, answers) over the Oceania Convention...

Multicultural Nite at the Oceania Convention 2006 -- >
Thank you for the Japanese Kimono, Trina!!!!

Then one night, God spoke to me that I was chasing after the 'task' too much - worrying about how to get there and details of when and who would be the team, is this the right time...etc - But this is not the reason I came for the convention. It's Easter...it is a time to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is because of Him that I am at the convention. I had been seeking the task and missed the Task-Giver...I thank Him for reminding me. And I began to pray for a surrender of my heart and my mind into His hands. And for the next 2 days of convention, things began to change - especially my heart.

I began to surrender the desire to see Tunisia come to pass to God and instead asked for God's will to come to pass. And I began to feel a sense of freedom come into my heart - "Lord, wherever you send me, even if it is not Tunisia immediately, I will go. But I am willing...and I am offering my life, most importantly, to You". Not my will, but Yours be done.

I am blessed by the pastors that I spoke with...

Ps Bernard (Hope Aukland) related to me his knowledge that Tunisia is very open ground. Many Chinese people are going there and even Singapore's Prime Minister visited and is encouraging people to go there to work...

Picked up Ps Denis Lu (Hope Kuching, Malaysia) today from the airport. And incidentally, he met a friend 2 weeks before coming to the convention, who is a member of the International Missions org and somewhere in the conversation, he mentioned that Tunisia is very open ground at the moment.

God Speaks...
For a while now, I have been seeking God for confirmation and comfort and in the convention He reassures me...More important than the information I have obtained, it is the Words of Encouragement from God that has strenghten my heart in Him...that He is with me and walking with me every step of the way.

God reminded me that I was held in His hands...when I was fearful.

God reminded me that I AM His bride that He is preparing...when I doubted myself.

God reminded me that I will be OK...when I felt the world could crumble over me.

God refreshed me in His love...

It's Official...
Tunisia is officially on the "Seeking a Team" list. Returning to Nudgee College for the convention has been very significant for me. Because it was 5 years ago that God spoke to me about Tunisia right in that same hall...And it was 5 years ago in 2001, by faith, when I wrote down "2006" as the year that I will venture out to land in Tunisia. And looks like it is happening. Chances are, I will probably go in a team led by Pastor David. If not, then I'll just follow my original plan, go there on a holiday for 2 weeks and just get a feel of the place...find out about job opportunities and visa requirements.

I have the Hope Movement to thank that I will have Ps Simon, Cara, Ps David and many experienced pastors to ask advice and help from in regards to this matter of preparing myself and when to go and how I will get there. It's a blessing that Hope churches have this mega vision to saturate the world with the gospel because of the desire and desperation to see people from all over the world, of different people group, language and culture, come to Christ!!!! And to see the leaders labour tirelessly and relentlessly is such an encouragement and motivation to continue to look to Jesus and ask for His strength and wisdom to complete the task He has given to each of us.

So here goes, I am holding onto Jesus' Hand and that is all I need...

...

Photo memories....

Photos...13 April 2006...A day of many memories...

Isn't the bear cute?? Farewell prezzie from Renee

Mac Geek No. 1, Adrian DeWitts, CEO of Mindjar...

My teddy...from Renee!

Good Bye CSBC....

Today was my last day at work...very sad!

A colleague gave me a Patchbear teddy...Cute!...as a farewell present. I'm gonna miss everyone here so much! Will meet them for dinner next Wednesday.

The next time I'm gonna come back, this office would no longer be MobileMoney but someone else would have occupied it (cause transferring offices) and the people would have changed. Don't know if I'll come back and work for Rael. The offer is always open. But we'll see.

Everyone's gone and I'm sitting here on my own...backing up files and stuff I will need to bring back with me to KL and also packing up the final bits and pieces in my food drawer.

Post some photos later...

* sniff *

...

Technorati link...

Technorati Profile

Sweetness...

Thanks Robby!!! Great photo once again!!! - http://www.pbase.com/svenstar.

Dessert Night, CCM, Caulfield Campus - 07 April 2006

Holy Who????

Expect the Holy Spirit to Work in Your Life
Bayless Conley
Answers with Bayless Conley

While there are many volumes written on the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, I want to focus your attention on four things you can expect Him to do in your life.  Things you may not have thought about, but things Scripture makes clear.

1. We can trust the Holy Spirit to anoint and to inspire our words.

While there are a number of passages I could point to, I want us to look in the book of Acts.  In Acts 4:29-31, we read about the work of the Holy Spirit in inspiring Peter and those with him to boldly proclaim the gospel.  Here is what they prayed:

“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”  And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

There are several things I want you to notice here.  They prayed…they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…and they all spoke the Word with boldness.  When you speak the Word with boldness the way Peter did, people are going to take note that you’ve been with Jesus.  The Holy Spirit will inspire your words and give you a boldness you have never had before.

2. We can trust the Holy Spirit to direct ministry activity.

We have a great example of this work of the Spirit in Acts 13:1-4:

Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.  As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”  Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.  So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

Through the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, Saul (who would become Paul) and Barnabas went on their first missionary journey.

We don’t know exactly how the Holy Spirit said, “Separate to Me Barnabas and Saul.”  Maybe He spoke it through prophetic utterance.  Maybe He just spoke to their hearts.  But they knew what the Holy Spirit was communicating.  They had already been in the church at Antioch for about a year teaching the disciples when the Holy Spirit said, “Now it is time to separate them.”  And they went out.

Now I’m all for the marvelous strategies that are going on in the church today and for the terrific programs.  But you know what?  Let us not program the Holy Spirit out of His church.

Let’s not strategize the Holy Spirit out of our lives.  Because at the end of the day, “It’s not by might, it’s not by power, but it’s by My Spirit,” says the Lord.  My point:  The Holy Spirit should be directing ministry activity.

3. We should expect the Holy Spirit to help us as we pray.

Romans 8:26-27 is a powerful passage assuring us of this work of the Holy Spirit in our lives:

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

When we don’t know what to pray for, we can lean upon the Holy Spirit who knows the exact will of God concerning every situation.

In fact, when it talks about “the Spirit helps in our weaknesses,” in the Greek language, there is actually a compound word that literally means “to take hold together with/against.”

When we don’t know what we should pray for, the Holy Spirit takes hold together with us against our weaknesses or against our inabilities to produce results, and He prays the perfect will of God.  What an incredible work of the Spirit!

4. We should expect the Holy Spirit to work the miraculous.

In Romans 15:18-19, Paul tells us this:

For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ.

Signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God…God is still a miracle-working God.  He will work miracles in your life as you trust Him.  We need to step out and trust the Holy Spirit and expect Him to do the miraculous!

---

Bayless Conley pastors Cottonwood Christian Center, a thriving church located in Orange County, California. His television program, Answers with Bayless Conley, airs in over 100 nations worldwide.

.....

Honey, I'm Back!!!

March of the Penguins is GREAT! I love it! I love it! I LOVE it!

Went to Village in Knox City to watch "March of the Penguins" with Ivana. Must admit. I was a little skeptical at first. I've heard amazing reviews about the documentary-movie, especially the French-narrated version, but I was still a little 'hmmmmm' about watching a doco about penguins at a cinema. But it was the very few good movies to watch. So, we decided to watch it. And boy! I didn't regret it one bit! It's amazing!!! Ivana and I were "aww"ing the whole movie cause the penguins are so cute! And these Emperor Penguins really are as amazing as people say they are. Every 5 years, the Emperor Penguins will make the long journey back to where they are born to find a mate and bring a new life into the world. Unless your heart is as ice cold as the icy weather in the South Pole, your heart will melt as you watch how they make the 70 miles journey to their birth place, almost all at once and immediately get about finding a mate...and it's so obvious when they do cause they become meshed together for good for the next 9 months of mating / birth season. The females will fight for the relatively fewer males and about 1-2 weeks into this age old ritual, the penguins settle into lovey dovey antics and mating...So cute to see penguins huddled together 2 by 2 all over. Then the egg finally comes and the female passes the egg to the male penguin so that it can travel back to the see, which is now even further because of the winter cold, to feed and bring food back for the new born. And for 2-3 months, the male penguins will weather ice cold winter storms and blizzards to protect the little eggs by shielding them in a pocket of skin and fat at the bottom of their body...

After bearing crazy weather for up to 125 days and not eating any food, the males penguins are so hungry that they will have no choice but to return to sea and leave behind the little baby penguins if the female penguins didn't return soon. And just when the male penguins look like they can't take it anymore, the female penguins appear and the greatest commotion begins as each male penguin calls out to his mate...and in that sea of sqwuaking and cawing...

"Honey, I'm back!!!"
"About time. What took you so long?!"

hahaha!...All the mates eventually find each other and exchange parenting duties...the mother feeds the little ones almost immediately. Then the father will communicate with the little penguins one last time to recognise their voice so that they will be able to recognise them when they come back...and the dads are off. Now, the winter season is not as harsh and the little penguins begin to grow stronger. But still...some of the little ones may die of the cold and some of the mother penguins become to overcome by anguish that they will try to steal a baby from one of the other mother penguins. But the whole group will not allow it and will defend the mother whose baby is being threatened by another female. It's interesting how these penguins have like a law between each other...

When the dads finish feeding, they return to look for their young. By now, the little ones are old enough to be left alone and some of the mother penguins even leave before the father comes back and heads back to sea for food. The parents will keep this up for the next few months as the little penguins grow stronger each day. At the end of 9 months, it's time for the mates to bade their final farewell to one another and this would be the end of their 'relationship'...And the little penguins are left on their own for the first time. And they would probably never see their parents again. When they are strong enough, they too return to sea...AWWWWWW!!!

About their quirky but heart warming courtship - "It's obvious that they are looking. But we don't know what they are looking for. But when they find it, you will know." They may only be penguins but it is so sweet to see the penguins going about trying to find the suitable partner for one another to mate with...And they are so tender and sweet to each other. The amazing thing is to see parenting split 50-50 between the parents. Because it is the females that lay the eggs, they get to go back to sea first while the males are the ones that actually nurture the eggs in the middle of the harshest time of winter till they hatch. Then the mums will return to see their little ones for the first time and take over from there. It's so cute when the female penguins would find their mate after sqwuaking and cooing for what seems like yonks and they would stare down at the little penguin between the father's feathers and layer of skin under him...

God, the world you have created is SO amazing! Everything you have created, even that vicious lion, is so so adorable and amazing! It's like your plan from the start was to create this beautiful and amazing world for us to live and enjoy dominion over...This world and all that is in it is so amazing that it takes my breath away sometimes. And sometimes, it takes little penguins to remind us what an amazing and loving God you are...If you would care for those penguins, you would care for us! hahaha! Love ya, Lord!

Watch the "March of the Penguins" trailer online...

....

It's begun....Crossroad journey

I've finally started packing and am 1 step closer to going home to KL end of April. Today is the first day of April...Was just December when I decided to take this trip home and to go on a journey of faith. Back then, I thought...lots of time left. 4 months! Now, it's just around the corner. Time flies indeed!

As I was packing, it was really memories overload! Came across SO MANY things that reminded me of events and incidents and people in my life over the last 8 + years that I have been here in Melbourne. A little too much nostalgia for me to handle in one day...Little notes, photos, books, sermon notes, little encouragement cards, MEMORIES littered almost everywhere as I packed and tidied up my stuff...Pangs of good and bad memories flooded my mind. Have you ever felt those moments when you know that you are at a Crossroad in life. About to turn from a little lane into the highway, but which highway. Either way will lead you full speed in seperate directions. You wait and wait and wait to decide which way to take...then suddenly, something pushes you in one direction. You do not know where this direction will take you...you do not know what lies ahead in this highway that you have been kinda shoved onto. And your heart panics and becomes anxious. What if I had taken a wrong turning? But, as I drive, I see something that reminds me of the greatest Map and Compass I have in my life...I see a RAINBOW!!! And I am reminded of the "promises of God" in my life...

"I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you"..."ALL things work for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)"..."Do not be afraid. For I am with you"...""For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD (Jeremiah 29:11-14)"...

Reading Jeremiah 29:11-14 again, I learn something new about this powerful verse that we always use to claim God's goodness over our life...There is something more to it that I did not realise immediately before, when I was a younger Christian. Israel was in exile in Babylon. And they would have wondered why they were in such a situation and would have tried to resist this situation and perhaps thought of running away from Babylon's capture. But God spoke to them and told them to settle down as it will be a long period that the Israelites will be there before God will bring them back to Jerusalem. And He surely will. But in the mean time, the Israelites need to trust that even as exiles in Babylon, they were in the "good plan" of God...And when God's timing comes, then the Israelites will call upon God and God will answer them and bring them back to Jerusalem. But until that time comes, they are to live and be faithful in Babylon...even to seek for the prosperity of Babylon - "...seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper (Jer 29:7)." The people were in exile and will surely leave Babylon one day. Why did God speak to them to seek peace and prosperity for Babylon? Because God works for the good of those who love Him and this is not circumstancial. God ALWAYS works for the good of His children. He does not stop doing so even when we may disobey him, as did the Israelite exiles as recorded in Jeremiah, or when we take wrong turns, or when we are in a place that doesn't seem like the perfect situation, God is still there for us and wants to bless our life. Hence, He encouraged them to seek peace and prosperity even in Babylon...to settle down and not be anxious or unsettled, as it will not do them any good. The Israelites, however, did have to learn from their disobedience...being exiled to Babylon was a result of their own disobedience. Yet, God was assuring them that it was not permanent. God is always wanting to restore us to His plans...to bring us back to the best plan that He wants for us.

Promises of God

"God may not have promised skies always blue

Flowers strewn pathways all our lives through

God may not have promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God has promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labourer, light on the way,

Grace for the trial, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy and undying love..."

I remember when I first came to Melbourne and the expectations I had ... God's taken those expectations and turned them 180 degrees! As I return today, there is a new found dream that wouldn't have been possible without God. I wish I could post a photo of me from long long time ago when I first came here but my hard drives just got killed and I will need to dig through all my CD collections to find those old photos - if there are any left. My advice to you...backup on a spare hard drive and backup on DVD and backup on your computer...sigh!

Back to packing......tidying.....dusting......remembering......

May 2001...

21st Birthday...6 August 2001...

Memories of old church van...many happy moments in those vans...Keith and Chew up their usual no good...

1999...hahahaha! When I first joined CCM...Jane and Pei Sze's house...the ministry house of those days...

Still 1999...Jet Kie. We were like 2 peas in a pod in church in those days. She was the closest friend...Jet's sister.

1999 October...Photo with Phylice. My housemate for 2 years! She's getting married soon...Thank God for our friendship till today.

2004...Chairing Hope Anniversary with Eric. Was first time chairing major event...fun but very nervous.

Dec 2002...Hope Sports Day. Almost a yr since meeting Chin...

Of course cannot leave out the classic! 2002 convention in Phillip Island, Melbourne...Was an amazing convention.
.......

...

I CHOOSE...

I CHOOSE LOVE...

No occassion justifies hatred;
no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.
Today, I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY...

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances.
I will refuse the temptation to by cynical...
the tool of the lazy thinkers. I will refuse to see
people as anything less than human beings, created by God.
I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than
an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE...

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE...

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of
cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so.
Rather than complain that the wait is too long,
I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist
at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind,
for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...

I will go without a dollar before
I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast.
I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...

Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not
question my word. My wife (husband/friend) will not question my love.
And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If i raise my voice may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only for myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...

I am a spiritual being...
After this my body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal.
I choose self control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek his grace.
And then, when this day is done,
I will place my head on my pillow
and rest.

MAX LUCADO
When God Whispers Your Name

....