Enjoy!
Part 1:
Part 2:
Bloopers:
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Distressing News
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20tragicks/Article/index_html
I am distressed as I read this story and it brought back memories of the Canny Ong case (if I am not mistaken it also had something to do with BSC). Not saying that BSC is only filled with bad stuff happening. Just saying that goodness the place one too many upsetting news.
Anyway to all my friends, please do be careful k.
I am distressed as I read this story and it brought back memories of the Canny Ong case (if I am not mistaken it also had something to do with BSC). Not saying that BSC is only filled with bad stuff happening. Just saying that goodness the place one too many upsetting news.
Anyway to all my friends, please do be careful k.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Genuine Faith
Sent to me by a dear friend. I thank you for the sweet reminder.
By Micca Monda Campbell
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” Titus 3:5 (NKJV)
Devotion:
Today if you were to ask someone what a genuine Christian is, you might hear something like this: “They are someone who is at church every time the doors open. They serve on committees, teach Sunday school, sing in the choir, feed the hungry and pray for the needy. They never get discouraged, never doubt, but have little time for fun. They’re too busy working for the Lord.”
I think Satan has deceived us with the illusion that a busy Christian is a genuine Christian. It’s just not true. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying these are not good things to do, but I fear we’ve turned our walk with God into a frenzied pace by adding to our faith a lot of extra baggage that we don’t need. We need to get back to real, genuine faith.
The trouble is we are no different than the Galatians. They started with faith, but then added works as well. In Galatians 3:3, Paul asks the people this question: “Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?” (NLT). Good question. I can’t tell you how long I lived doing that same thing. I tried to live for God by my own efforts instead of allowing Him to live in and through me by faith.
Genuine faith is not about doing. It’s about believing God. It’s a relationship between us and God that begins by faith, is lived by faith, and ends in faith. It’s that simple. Everything else - such as good works - flows from the source of this relationship.
However, some Christians fall into the trap of organized religion instead of practicing simple, genuine faith. This kind of oppression is growing in our world today because nothing is simple anymore, especially our faith. We do a lot of extra stuff for all the wrong reasons, such as impressing others or trying to win God’s approval. It’s not that we shouldn’t do good deeds, but we need to ask ourselves, “Why am I doing what I’m doing, and who am I doing it for?”. We just might surprise ourselves with the answer.
Life is heavy enough with the responsibilities God has given us. I’m finding that people today are burned out from trying to do it all and then feeling guilty because they can’t. I know. I was a lot like the The Little Engine That Could. Do you remember that children’s story? At some point in my life, I adopted the engine’s motto as my life’s purpose. “I think I can, I think I can…” Whenever someone asked me to do something - especially at church - I quickly responded, “I think I can!” Only to discover, I can’t do it all.
I had the same problem that plagued the Galatians. I was practicing religion instead of relationship.
Genuine faith is not a long list of performances we do to try to impress others or even God. It’s about maintaining our relationship with God. This is the secret to the Christian life. If you and I will daily stay connected to our source, then the natural outcome will be a simple life of genuine faith.
Dear Lord, I humbly lay all my works, efforts, and life before You today. I long to pursue You. Draw me closer to You, Lord. Teach me to live by simple, genuine faith in You alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
By Micca Monda Campbell
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” Titus 3:5 (NKJV)
Devotion:
Today if you were to ask someone what a genuine Christian is, you might hear something like this: “They are someone who is at church every time the doors open. They serve on committees, teach Sunday school, sing in the choir, feed the hungry and pray for the needy. They never get discouraged, never doubt, but have little time for fun. They’re too busy working for the Lord.”
I think Satan has deceived us with the illusion that a busy Christian is a genuine Christian. It’s just not true. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying these are not good things to do, but I fear we’ve turned our walk with God into a frenzied pace by adding to our faith a lot of extra baggage that we don’t need. We need to get back to real, genuine faith.
The trouble is we are no different than the Galatians. They started with faith, but then added works as well. In Galatians 3:3, Paul asks the people this question: “Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?” (NLT). Good question. I can’t tell you how long I lived doing that same thing. I tried to live for God by my own efforts instead of allowing Him to live in and through me by faith.
Genuine faith is not about doing. It’s about believing God. It’s a relationship between us and God that begins by faith, is lived by faith, and ends in faith. It’s that simple. Everything else - such as good works - flows from the source of this relationship.
However, some Christians fall into the trap of organized religion instead of practicing simple, genuine faith. This kind of oppression is growing in our world today because nothing is simple anymore, especially our faith. We do a lot of extra stuff for all the wrong reasons, such as impressing others or trying to win God’s approval. It’s not that we shouldn’t do good deeds, but we need to ask ourselves, “Why am I doing what I’m doing, and who am I doing it for?”. We just might surprise ourselves with the answer.
Life is heavy enough with the responsibilities God has given us. I’m finding that people today are burned out from trying to do it all and then feeling guilty because they can’t. I know. I was a lot like the The Little Engine That Could. Do you remember that children’s story? At some point in my life, I adopted the engine’s motto as my life’s purpose. “I think I can, I think I can…” Whenever someone asked me to do something - especially at church - I quickly responded, “I think I can!” Only to discover, I can’t do it all.
I had the same problem that plagued the Galatians. I was practicing religion instead of relationship.
Genuine faith is not a long list of performances we do to try to impress others or even God. It’s about maintaining our relationship with God. This is the secret to the Christian life. If you and I will daily stay connected to our source, then the natural outcome will be a simple life of genuine faith.
Dear Lord, I humbly lay all my works, efforts, and life before You today. I long to pursue You. Draw me closer to You, Lord. Teach me to live by simple, genuine faith in You alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Where is my heart?
It has been many, many years. And I can't remember the last time I had the time nor the peace to re-evaluate who I really was. The funny thing is technically speaking when those around looked at me, they saw a girl that was passionate and went all out to achieve much. The ironic thing is whilst I was serving others, whilst I was working hard, whilst I was trying to find a sense of balance, it was when it finally hit me that I had lost myself and what truly mattered to me.
I had been a cell leader for 11 years and a youth worker for more than that. I had what church leaders would call as "moving forward" yet from where I am standing now, I realised I cared less and less cos I was so focused on the task at hand, the next outreach event, the committee runnings, the next outreach lunch, my exams, then came my audit deadlines, and the list goes on and on.
It was also this time I had this question which I'd asked myself whether it mattered to me if today I was not chairman, if I were not a cell leader, if I were not in everything which someone else dictated as important, would I still serve, would I still care when the world did not see it? Would Meng Yoe, or Kenneth, or Josh still be my brothers/ good friends if I were not all these? Would I be loved any less? Would I be more of myself? Would God be pleased with me? Tons of questions running through my head in the last 8 months prior and throughout the time I had stepped down.
Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that one should not serve in a capacity, or one should not be a cell leader but more than the position, personally for me, there were all these questions running through my mind and I desperately wanted to know the answer for my own sanity and to face the truth.
Many have been answered and the testimony of God's goodness in my life is something I hold very dear. I guess this time of stepping back was a good break from the usual hustle and bustle. It has also been a very faith challenging time and a pride breaking process.
I am grateful that God had given me the chance to step back to re-align myself with His purposes. This year I've spend more time to with some of my closest friends eg Pritam, Li-Ann (pre wedding times....we seriously need to catch up), had time to run around and do the things people should do visit the sick, teach those who require help, attend friends' loved ones funeral, talk to my grandma, do grocery shopping, share the gospel, be there for friends' on the important times and most of all, to find myself again. To remember that the things that should matter in life do matter -integrity, love, passion, and Jesus.
"Purpose serves as a principle around which to organize our lives." - Anonymous.
"Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds." - George Elliot.
"We were not sent into this world to do anything into which we can not put our heart." - John Ruskin.
May we always have the "heart" element in the things we do.
I had been a cell leader for 11 years and a youth worker for more than that. I had what church leaders would call as "moving forward" yet from where I am standing now, I realised I cared less and less cos I was so focused on the task at hand, the next outreach event, the committee runnings, the next outreach lunch, my exams, then came my audit deadlines, and the list goes on and on.
It was also this time I had this question which I'd asked myself whether it mattered to me if today I was not chairman, if I were not a cell leader, if I were not in everything which someone else dictated as important, would I still serve, would I still care when the world did not see it? Would Meng Yoe, or Kenneth, or Josh still be my brothers/ good friends if I were not all these? Would I be loved any less? Would I be more of myself? Would God be pleased with me? Tons of questions running through my head in the last 8 months prior and throughout the time I had stepped down.
Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that one should not serve in a capacity, or one should not be a cell leader but more than the position, personally for me, there were all these questions running through my mind and I desperately wanted to know the answer for my own sanity and to face the truth.
Many have been answered and the testimony of God's goodness in my life is something I hold very dear. I guess this time of stepping back was a good break from the usual hustle and bustle. It has also been a very faith challenging time and a pride breaking process.
I am grateful that God had given me the chance to step back to re-align myself with His purposes. This year I've spend more time to with some of my closest friends eg Pritam, Li-Ann (pre wedding times....we seriously need to catch up), had time to run around and do the things people should do visit the sick, teach those who require help, attend friends' loved ones funeral, talk to my grandma, do grocery shopping, share the gospel, be there for friends' on the important times and most of all, to find myself again. To remember that the things that should matter in life do matter -integrity, love, passion, and Jesus.
"Purpose serves as a principle around which to organize our lives." - Anonymous.
"Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds." - George Elliot.
"We were not sent into this world to do anything into which we can not put our heart." - John Ruskin.
May we always have the "heart" element in the things we do.
Monday, August 03, 2009
Do I Make You Proud?
I've been watching for some time now. Looking at him find his place in this world. And although many a time, I know he has much room for improvement, I also see how very little attention and sensitivity he gets from the very people who claim to care about him.
My latest observation was the irony of seeing him having to be part of something, declaring to the world his love for his parents and asking them, whether he makes them proud in front of a crowd of 800+ persons is not what I had in mind as therapeutic for anyone who has been through what he has been through.
I was told he was "encouraged" to be involved at the very last juncture. (This last minute habit confirms the right decision to walk out cos they never seem to learn so as long as it isn't some important persons' cell member. Sigh). And so there he was to sing to his dead parents whilst the world never cared an ounce of his feelings.
Today I look at him with more admiration than the day before, for I see someone who has braced through much insensitivity and wasn't given much 2nd thought.
For some are called leaders for positions bestowed to them. For others, they are leaders for they battle to live the best they can in the worst of conditions. They make a difference in their own little way though they are not committe members nor popularised by others nor hold fancy positions. They are the unsung heroes.
Whoever is providing leadership needs to be as fresh and thoughtful and reflective as possible to make the very best fight. - Faye Wattleton.
His brother and I are very proud of him.
And I am sure his parents are VERY PROUD of him
For all of us, the question should not be about whether we hold a position or not but whether we are worthy of our call.
p/s: the irony of the song chosen is that it was the very song his brother dedicated to his mother when she had just gone to heaven.
http://halomango.blogspot.com/2006/11/little-dedication.html
My latest observation was the irony of seeing him having to be part of something, declaring to the world his love for his parents and asking them, whether he makes them proud in front of a crowd of 800+ persons is not what I had in mind as therapeutic for anyone who has been through what he has been through.
I was told he was "encouraged" to be involved at the very last juncture. (This last minute habit confirms the right decision to walk out cos they never seem to learn so as long as it isn't some important persons' cell member. Sigh). And so there he was to sing to his dead parents whilst the world never cared an ounce of his feelings.
Today I look at him with more admiration than the day before, for I see someone who has braced through much insensitivity and wasn't given much 2nd thought.
For some are called leaders for positions bestowed to them. For others, they are leaders for they battle to live the best they can in the worst of conditions. They make a difference in their own little way though they are not committe members nor popularised by others nor hold fancy positions. They are the unsung heroes.
Whoever is providing leadership needs to be as fresh and thoughtful and reflective as possible to make the very best fight. - Faye Wattleton.
His brother and I are very proud of him.
And I am sure his parents are VERY PROUD of him
For all of us, the question should not be about whether we hold a position or not but whether we are worthy of our call.
p/s: the irony of the song chosen is that it was the very song his brother dedicated to his mother when she had just gone to heaven.
http://halomango.blogspot.com/2006/11/little-dedication.html
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