J'aime vie...

You're the Centre of it ALL ...

"If you want to enter into my Presence; you have to enter into my Covenent."

God spoke these very words to me during Sunday's praise and worship at the Sunday service in Hope of God church, PJ. I remember pausing for a moment to think about what it meant...then the revelation came. A covenent is a 2 way relationship. Sometimes, we focus so much on God's covenent to us that we forget that there is another element in our covenental relationship with God, which is our Covenent to God. I felt God was saying, "It's not just about My covenent to you but also your covenent (promises) to Me. A covenent is 2-ways. It cannot function with only one side being committed to it. It needs 2 sides to come into a covenent." We can't look at these 2 relationships seperately. They are one. If we want God and desire to walk in His presence, then we must also follow His ways and His words. You can't say that you want God and want to be His Child but deny His words and His teachings...And at the same time, you can't say that I accept these things about God but don't accept the others. When you truly love God, then His commands and ways are not burdens to you but a joy! because you see the merit in them and you catch the Father's heart in every command and teaching. If you love God, it will shine through your actions, the way you lead your life...they will reflect the ways, love and commands of Jesus. How can you lead a totally opposite life, but confess to love Jesus. The love comes first...then the surrender / obedience follows.

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A Second Chance...Memories of the Past

I am not one who lives in the past, but today, when I read an article on a magazine, the past came knocking on my door...HARD! The article was about a girl who got involved in a car accident and almost lost her life. Something that sounded chillingly familiar, her face was disfigured in the accident. These were some of her words...

"Of course, I wonder why God allowed this to happen to me. But the accident has brought my family closer and my friends have learnt to treasure life more.

My friends say I've become a much better person since the accident. Many of them find me more positive and happy...I feel like a brand new person and I treasure life more. It's no longer about the fame and the partying but about spending time with your loved ones, making a difference in other people's lives and serving God as best as I can.

It still hurts to look at myself in the mirror because I know I can never look like I did before, but feeling sorry for myself is not going to do anything. Besides, we are all beautiful in our own special ways. I am more than thankful to be living again and doing the things I am able to do while I can."

Reading this article was like writing my own memoirs of an experience that is now almost 12 years past. Suddenly, the taste of the moment feels my mind...I remember the sense of feeling so fragile and so unable to change the reality. Yet thankful. Thankful to be alive and have only skin-deep injuries. Thankful that I have been given a second chance at life....again. I know I could have lost it all...the people I love, the life I now lead, the friends that I love today...But God gave me a second (fourth by then) chance to be alive! I know that He kept me alive for a purpose...and that sense of purpose is slowly entering and filling up my every blood vessel once again.

Having a sense of PURPOSE...The next biggest question is: "What is my purpose?" Why did God keep me alive time and time again? There are many dreams I hope to see fulfilled in my lifetime...but I know that there is only one that matters...I hope that one day, I will be able to look back in my life and sign with contentment as I take my Lord's Hand and enter into eternity with Jesus forever. Sounds far??? It's not so far beyond our reach. Reach out and try....

In the practical sense, I am reminded once again to not take the ones I love for granted. And the fire within to see God's plan for me fulfilled is burning a slight notch brighter...And I can only pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to fan this flame. I know I can't do it on my own but with the support of my God, right beside me, every step of the way as He promised. I know that I will achieve all that my heart has set out to see in my lifetime. Is it possible? YES! But first, I must have the courage to ask for His strength to take the first step...into the water.

"Lord, here I come...Please hold my hands..."

Re-Starting Afresh

My cutie Grandma and I....
When life takes an unexpected turn, hold on tight. It may not necessarily be a bad thing...Wait! There may be a surprise awaiting you just around the corner. Trust God...He won't lead you to astray. He knows the way. Will you trust Him?

Have you ever made a decision only to think, a couple of months down the track, that you have made a mistake because things DON'T turn out the way you expect it to; or when situations turn sour or the condition becomes difficult...unbearable even. Well, you're not alone...Cause I definitely understand what you are going through. Times like this, you start to question what went wrong...Is it something you did? Were you not good enough? Are you a bad egg after all? And you start to look around you for blame. It's not my fault...and we become bitter. That bitterness may not even seem obvious to ourself. We make excuse that we need time to overcome the emotions but in fact, we have not fully surrendered it to God.. We have not 'let go'. Let's not play the blame game. Perhaps there is something more important to focus on......our heart. We're such physical beings. We focus SO much on the externals...the situation, the result, the events before us. But God may have other plans in allowing us to go through these 'breaking' times...He wants to mold us. He wants to develop our character. He wants to challenge our principles and test our convictions. Why? Because he's not just interested with results and numbers, He is interested in Y-O-U, you!

I look back now and I know that God allowed me to be tested by fire so that I will be refined by Him...my pride had to go, my doubts had to go, my unbelief had to go, and my bitterness had to go (1 Peter 1:7). Sometimes, we busy ourself so much with what we need to do for God that we forget that more than anything, God is wanting to change our inner character. He is wanting to sift away the impurities in our life, make us face them and change us. Only then will we be as pure gold...having been through the Refiner's fire. Can pure gold appear without this important stage of being placed into the hottest of fire? The answer......No.

Whatever has been in the past, if you take God afresh, God will restart with us.
The words still ring in my mind - "Whatever you lost, God wants to restart in your life. Even with nothing! God's command is to be fruitful and multiply. This does not ONLY apply to Christians. This command is for all mankind and every living creature living on earth. God desires for fruitfulness. Whatever you feel you may have lost, God is in the business of restarting and kicking it start again and to BLESS it!

Whatever was, let it be. It's time to turn to God wholeheartedly again...laying down everything that may deter you from drawing close...bitterness, laziness, unclean thoughts/habits, selfishness...whatever it may be, God's grace is sufficient to help us to overcome them. Not run away from them, but face them and OVERCOME them. And the New Beginnning will be a prosperous beginnning. God will ensure that we will be fruitful.

Thank God for old friends!

A little side note....Was glad that I have been able to catch up with old friends since coming back to KL. It's a luxury not easily found in Melbourne because most are either living here in KL or half way around the globe in US, UK and Tim-buk-too. But yesterday, i managed to catch up with a friend who goes way back and it's just nice to be able to see how we've evolved and how God has changed us. And this transformation has amazed me...God is able to turn our lives around if we will come to him earnestly and sincerely (Hebrews 6:11b)... ;)



Having dinner at Mr Ho's Fine Foods @ BSC with Chin Hor and his friend, Eugene.

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