The Grace of a Father and a father
No amount of words can express the tremendous gratitude I felt in my heart these few days, towards my Heavenly Father and my earthly father.During bible study on last Tues, I drove to church and did not manage to secure a parking space inside church building. In a hurry, i quickly park the car in the HDB carpark beside our church building and places 2 parking coupons. I was given a penalty ticket of SGD50/- by a traffic police officer as the car park is only for season parking holders.I felt so worried cos SGD50/- is a big sum to pay! The next day I wrote an appeal letter to the HDB. And i call up HDB Jurong branch one week later to check the status of my appeal. Amazingly they decided to waive the penalty! The kind of relief i felt is indescribable!!!!!On this Tues, I drove to church and arrived at 6.45pm. I was not able to arrive early as i have meetings going on in the afternoon. This time i park the car at the multi-storey carpark. Due to my hurry, i forgot to put car coupons!! i did not realise this till i got to church. And i also forgot to take my handphone! (always be careful when u're in a hurry!)Initially wanted to book seats for cg, looks like there's no chance la! I met June at the toilet, felt so happy cos at least i can sms Yanlin and Xiangcen not to look for me since i have no handphone with me. Then i walk sadly to B4 auditorium, look for an usher and ask for a seat. The usher told me this , "FOLLOW ME". Its only in times like this you can really feel so grateful to the usher! They are like your "hero", "strong tower", "saviour"! So i follow the usher and walk down the aisle, thinking that this time i aren't going to sit with my cell group. And suddenly YANLIN grab me by my arms! At that moment, I felt GREAT JOY AND RELIEF. I can feel the TANGIBLE GRACE OF GOD!! Thank u Jesus!During the praise and worship, I was very worried about getting a penalty ticket for not placing car coupon in my car. This kinda took away my focus on God for a few moments. Suddenly i felt in my heart that its a PRIVILEGE to be standing here and I should CHERISH THE MOMENTS with God and stop thinking about the ticket! If i have to get a penalty ticket, SO BE IT!And the result is, i did not get a penalty ticket! ho ho ho ho ho!---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Towards my earthly father, i really feel so grateful to him. On wed, i have to bring the car for servicing at Borneo Motors. Some of the car parts are not good and needs to be change. All these will amount to about SGD800/-.I asked my father if i should go ahead and he told me that its too expensive and he will bring me to the car mechanics at Ang Mo Kio car workshop to change the parts.So i left the car at Borneo Motors and collect the car at 4.20pm. Before i collect the car, i had a conversation with my father regarding the car and it ended up in a quarrel. In addition, he asked me to meet him at a place in Ang Mo Kio, before going to the car workshop, which i dunnno where and ended up again in a not-so-pleasant conversation.When i finally met him at the designated place, he signal to me to follow his car and he will lead me to the workshop. Upon reaching the workshop, guess what is the first thing my father did?He gave me 2 pieces of bread. And the breads are very very delicious.I felt so grateful to my father.The Grace of the Father and a father -- PRICELESS.
Elysian Fields
Elysian Fields
Elements of a blissful day,
Lack of an eternal matter,
Yearning for a quickening pace,
Serenity is the only solace,
Indulging in sand castles,
Awaking in Holy Grace,
Naivete is a strong wall.
Falling into place,
In the dreams of a helpless child,
Eclipsing the former Art,
Lettering the heart, Driven by the only hope,
Surrender is the only joy.Always longing to write a poem with this title. So glad for the inspiration today. This poem is addressed to God -- who hears.Labels: Poetry and Inspiration
Old Wineskin
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.Haha... in the past when I look at this verse, in my heart I know that to live a fruitful life as a Christian, I need to renew my mindset, and not be bound by the "tradition" of this world.Till yesterday when Pastor Kong preached about "The Tabernacle", I have never had such a revelation about THIS VERSE so strongly coming alive from the bible --- almost like its talking to me directly.I feel that I still have certain mindsets I need to change and this leads to my confusion about certain things that happened. When it comes to prayer, I will always pray to God that He will guide my paths and let everything happen according to His Will.However, in the midst of praying for God's perfect Will, I almost forgot to place importance on changing my old mindset.Old wineskin = Not walking in God's Perfect Will.Eph 1:18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints...The daily devotional email I received today
further confirms what God is trying to tell me all along.....
Spiritually Fit - November 01, 2005
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
I recently decided to get into better physical shape because I've been gaining some weight and feeling out of sorts. My body seemed lifeless and there was little spunk in my step. I wasn't sleeping well and day-to-day activities were becoming difficult.
So, I've been working out in an effort to get fit. My routine now consists of drinking lots of water, walking every day and making better choices in the foods I eat. Sounds easy, but it's not. I find myself wanting, even craving foods that are not on the menu. I'm lusting after chocolate-covered pretzels or cake dripping with icing. I would give anything for a big, fat mocha cappuccino with a mound of whipped cream on top. But, it's not on the menu and I have to choose what's best for me. There have also been days that I just haven't felt like walking, especially on a treadmill that doesn't even go anywhere. Sometimes, after drinking ten glasses of water, I feel like my insides are ready to burst.
But, I push on and continue doing the right thing for the sake of my physical wellness.
On the other hand, what about my Spiritual wellness? How is that doing? Have I been "working out" lately and choosing what's best for me? I think about my new fitness routine filled with exercise, water and good food choices. But, when it comes to my walk with God, am I falling short?
Am I being filled every day with the boundless supply of living water that Jesus offers to cleanse my soul and give me refreshment for my Spirit? Have I spent time feasting on the Bread of Life found in God's Word? Or have I satisfied my hunger with other foods not on the menu, stuffing myself with the pleasures of life that offer nothing but a sick aftertaste of its bitter root?
Perhaps instead of walking in stride with my Lord, I have found a pathway of sin filled with crags, obstacles and gaping holes to fall into. Does my body ache from the weight of burdens I choose to carry around? Is my heart beating without joy, feeling weakened from the pain of hopelessness? Have I become content with this routine of waywardness and being Spiritually unfit?
If you are at this place, I'd like to recommend a brand new routine including workouts that will refresh, revive, restore and reenergize your life. It is a workout plan for your mind, heart and soul, and the best part is that it is free. It is paid in-full by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ at the Cross. This workout will give you back life a hundred-fold and place you on a path that is paved with righteousness. It is found in everyone's heart and is called "repentance". It's a place where you can find rest and forgiveness. You can drink from the wellspring of living water and be sustained forever by God's truth and love.
If you're wondering where to find this valuable, life-changing manual to help you get Spiritually fit, I have good news for you! It is found in God's book of life: the Bible. It's all there waiting for you to read, learn and put into practice. It's a new routine for the rest of your life that will never grow old or monotonous. It will give back your smile, your joy, your hope and a satisfying everyday workout with our precious and gracious God, the ultimate fitness instructor.Labels: Sermons and Revelatns
