Heart of God church is my Ramah.
Going to malacca from today till monday afternoon... Gonna miss church this weekend man... Ughhh...
Friday, 5 June 2009
Saturday, 30 May 2009
You are special (:
THE WEMMICKS
The Wemmicks were small wooden people. Each of the wooden people was carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village.
Every Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village.
And all day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking stars or dots on one another.
The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots.
The talented ones got stars, too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs.
Everyone gave them stars. Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got another star.
Others, though, could do little. They got dots. Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots. Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people would give him more dots. He would try to explain why he fell and say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots.
After a while he had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He was afraid he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and give him one without reason.
"He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would agree with one another. "He's not a good wooden person." After a while Punchinello believed them.
"I'm not a good Wemmick," he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of dots. He felt better around them.
One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lulia. It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick.
Some admired Lulia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn't stay either.
'That's the way I want to be, 'thought Punchinello. 'I don't want anyone's marks.' So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it.
"It's easy," Lulia replied. "every day I go see Eli."
The Wemmicks were small wooden people. Each of the wooden people was carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village.
Every Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village.
And all day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking stars or dots on one another.
The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots.
The talented ones got stars, too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs.
Everyone gave them stars. Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got another star.
Others, though, could do little. They got dots. Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots. Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people would give him more dots. He would try to explain why he fell and say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots.
After a while he had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He was afraid he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and give him one without reason.
"He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would agree with one another. "He's not a good wooden person." After a while Punchinello believed them.
"I'm not a good Wemmick," he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of dots. He felt better around them.
One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lulia. It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick.
Some admired Lulia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn't stay either.
'That's the way I want to be, 'thought Punchinello. 'I don't want anyone's marks.' So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it.
"It's easy," Lulia replied. "every day I go see Eli."
"Eli?"
"Yes, Eli. The woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him."
"Why?"
"Why don't you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He's there."
And with that the Wemmick with no marks turned and skipped away. "But he won't want to see me!" Punchinello cried out. Lulia didn't hear. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. "It's not right," he muttered to himself. And he resolved to go see Eli.
He walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big shop. His wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm. Punchinello swallowed hard. "I'm not staying here!" and he turned to leave. Then he heard his name.
"Punchinello?" The voice was deep and strong. Punchinello stopped. "Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you." Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman.
"You know my name?" the little Wemmick asked.
"Of course I do. I made you." Eli stooped down and picked him up and set him on the bench.
Hmm," the maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray circles. "Looks like you've been given some bad marks."
"I didn't mean to, Eli. I really tried hard."
"Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, child. I don't care what the other Wemmicks think."
"You don't?"
"No, and you shouldn't either. Who are they to give stars or dots? They're Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn't matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special."
Punchinello laughed.
"Me, special? Why? I can't walk fast. I can't jump. My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"
Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders, and spoke very slowly. "Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me."
Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this-much less his maker. He didn't know what to say.
"Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained.
"I came because I met someone who had no marks."
"I know. She told me about you."
"Why don't the stickers stay on her?"
"Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them."
"What?"
"The stickers only stick if they matter to you.”
"I'm not sure I understand."
"You will, but it will take time. You've got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care."
Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground.
"Remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door. "you are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."
Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, "I think he really means it." And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
teammmmm
teamTeamTEAM...
Do you know that the word 'together' appeared 419 times in the bible!
God sure does have a lot to say about teamwork...
Lets rise up to be God's dream team! (:
Love.Connect.Growth! <3
Monday, 23 March 2009
go bye monday blues!
Had a GREAT day yesterday! (:
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Though it was quite a crappy morning cos Prof postponed our presentation till next week meaning we chionged on Sunday night for nothing.... The rest of the day was pretty awesome!
You know when school really sucks the life out of you... It is always so great to see church people in school! Met shuyi, bong and weili for lunch... While walking down a slope.. I saw daniel! and then i was walking out of school... I saw kel, glenn and yilun's computer! hahaha so cool... Love been able to see church people in school! God is good!
After that, went over to Cathay to meet Jamie! haha it was awesome (: Shes really someone with loads of buzz and warmth overflowing out of her! So much to work together with her and learn! Garrett and Maryse came along after that... We really crapped alot together.. hahaha
Went down to Yishun after that to meet E2... hahaha it was really good fellowship man! Did everything together... Played some finger number game... Laughed alot... Got entertained by Jeremy Chan alot and Yongkok has a tempora
ry christian name --- JEREMIAH! hahah cool right?
The girls of E2 :)
Also, we caught a movie with Sam, Shermaine, Fedora, Weijie, Nick, Xing, Bernard after that... Oh man.. The legend of Chun Li is really quite bad... Was too tired and just decided to get some sleep and forego the movie.. hahaha.... too tired...
So that was my exciting monday! (:
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Trying to stay awake and alive in financial accounting class... ZzzzZzzzzzz....
1. Pastors and Rinnah left for Gold Coast (but they are coming back today!! :D)
2. I got my driving license and drove darren's vios to blk 85
3. Was impacted by what Charleston shared during pastoral meeting... Sometimes we just gotta put our hands through the plough and God will move...
4. Sister got attached and she plans to marry her boyfriend (!!)
5. Dreamt of dad last week.. the dream was soo real man..
6. Sam became my driving instructor to prepare me for driving test the following day... Stayed over my house and sent me to driving school early in the morning.. Thank God for great friends!
7. Ate the best bar chow meeee :D
8. Went to the gym with Kesia, Peckhoon, Jolie, Xinyi... haha great great time!
9. Had tons tons tons of project work this week.... It was crazy!
10. Looking forward to Saturday! I miss Pastor how's preaching.. ahhh
okay... Im just being quite lazy to write in prose form.. So here you go! (:
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Victory Over Adversity
Alice Smith
"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Rom. 8:37)
Once there was a farmer whose old mule accidentally fell into the farmer's dry well. The farmer heard the mule braying (or whatever mules do when they fall into dry wells). After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule but decided that neither the mule nor the dry well was worth saving.
Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
At first the mule was hysterical. But as the farmer and his neighbors continued to shovel the dirt into the well, a thought struck the mule. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel of dirt landed on his back he should shake it off and step up! This he did, blow after blow.
"Shake it off and step up ... shake it off and step up ... shake it off and step up," he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows or distressing the situation, the old mule fought off his panic and just kept right on shaking off the dirt and stepping up.
You're probably ahead of the story by now. It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of the well. What was intended to bury him had actually buoyed him—all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity!
All of us are going to face life's hardships. When we do, we can either cave in or we can climb out. We can either submit to anxiety—which is to call into question the integrity of our God—or we can face our problems positively and refuse to give in to panic, worry or self-pity. Life's adversities, rather than burying us, will actually serve to benefit us!
Within the burden you now carry lies the seeds to your kingdom destiny. The greater the burden, the greater is the potential for your kingdom purpose to be fulfilled.
I know it's hard to face the painful situation you are in without seeing yourself bruised and buried. However, if you are willing to step over the pain and step up to new levels of victory, then you are on your way to the fulfillment of your destiny in Christ. It is in carrying your burdens that you will find your destiny.
If you never press into the throne of God in prayer to address your greatest pain, then you will live an unfulfilled life. Sadly, many Christians are running from their burdens. God, however, is not asking us to run from them but to shake them off and step up each time the blows of life come. He's asking us to wrestle victory out of defeat and to allow the problems of life to become our stepping-stones rather than stumbling blocks.
The apostle Paul was certainly troubled with bad days. He once said, "When we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears" (2 Cor. 7:5). Wow! Paul was familiar with life's problems. This godly man was troubled and fearful. In fact, at one point it seemed that all of Asia had turned against Paul. He wrote, "the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved" (2 Cor. 12:15).
To be sure, our troubles and burdens are nothing compared to what Paul endured. But Paul never gave in to his feelings of despair and temptations. He expressed his pain but pressed on beyond it. In his most difficult time he testified, "I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Cor. 7:4). And he continued by saying, "God ... comforts the downcast" (v. 6). Perhaps one reason that Paul was speaking was to exhort himself to do the right thing.
Although your burdens may seem at times as if they will bury you, they could forge the path for your greatest victory. Your adversity is your opportunity to shake it off and step up. As you do, you will eventually step out of the grave of despair just like the old mule did. And better still, you will step into the realization of your kingdom destiny.
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