Tuesday, September 11, 2007
back to reality, oops there goes gravity...
so i promised i'll write about ymlc. to be honest i went with an expectant heart, i really just wanted to encounter God. i think if you ask me about retreats, i can think of a million thing as my expectations. but i think one thing i learnt from the cs retreat was that He'll encounter me the way He wants to. sure i admit i was really alright with getting slain, hey that's quite an experience of firepower alright! and even more towards what i call firepowerish stuff. i didn't mind getting an emotional high, taking on such a ride as long as God takes me on it (here's coming from the more likely skeptic than enthu az). i had 2 things in the back of my mind at the beginning, they were perhaps the 2 things i desired to know, but above all i desired most to encounter Him. i shared the first with my mentor group, it's about purpose and ambition, and to be honest i truly believe He's guiding me in that even right now. as for the 2nd one, wow wow that got answered, definitely a highlight of ymlc.
i realised that God seems to speak to me not at the usual things. like when everybody got prayed for the anointing of the Spirit, when the pastors and mentors would come up to you and just pray for you. well... more people had their ymlc 'breakthroughs' and highlights then. and that was only 'okay, alright' to me. i definitely felt the Spirit's presence, heart beat faster, but that was about it.
there are some things when i, a natural cynic and skeptic just have to believe that this is something more than psychological. that these experiences transcends into something Spiritual. and i, am just in awe of God. that's why they say faith needs to be exercise. God usually gives you enough room to doubt... or to believe. He, being the gentleman that He is values (i cannot emphasise this enough) our free will. He allows US to make the choice, to choose Him, or not.
looking back, although i felt my group was a bit quiet. and that my stomach really wasn't feeling too well on the first 2 days. it was a great 3 days spent away, enriching, fulfilling. i crashed another mentor group for dinner, and i met someone in the same zone as me! new asgl for 'the ark'. and coincidentally my unit mate (2 rooms in a room) was also in that group.
back to the real world now though. i pray that all that new-found knowledge and increased conviction won't leave. instead to be convinced each day of your unlimited power in this life, and in the lives around me.
found love beyond all reason
You gave Your life Your all for me
and called me Yours forever
caught in the mercy fallout
i found hope found life
found all i need you're all i need
the time has come
to stand for what we believe in
so i for one am gonna
give my praise to You
today, today it's all or nothing
all the way the praise goes out to You... - the time has come (this song has really been replaying in my head)
but i probably shouldn't end with a hillsong song. should be proud of the wonderful songs entered to the songwriting competition.
by Your unlimited power
unlimited grace
unlimited hope for us in this place
with the unlimited truth
Your promise remains
unlimited love that we can't contain
by Your unlimited power - theme song for ymlc
the song that came in 2nd place really touched me even before the conference. and the songwriter's from wesley! hoorah! what struck was his verse of 'the world cannot touch me when i'm down on my knees', and 'running with the victory'. diametrically opposite in imagery, but how true, how true! prayer is the strongest sword we have, yet so often overlooked. we talk about fighting it's with guns and brute force, who thinks of going down on your knees? in fact the latter would even seem weak or resigned, but no that's where all strength comes from.
(nearly lost this post, yes this long long post, but it's still here, saved as drafts. and that usually doesn't really happen with blogger when my window just closes)
so i promised i'll write about ymlc. to be honest i went with an expectant heart, i really just wanted to encounter God. i think if you ask me about retreats, i can think of a million thing as my expectations. but i think one thing i learnt from the cs retreat was that He'll encounter me the way He wants to. sure i admit i was really alright with getting slain, hey that's quite an experience of firepower alright! and even more towards what i call firepowerish stuff. i didn't mind getting an emotional high, taking on such a ride as long as God takes me on it (here's coming from the more likely skeptic than enthu az). i had 2 things in the back of my mind at the beginning, they were perhaps the 2 things i desired to know, but above all i desired most to encounter Him. i shared the first with my mentor group, it's about purpose and ambition, and to be honest i truly believe He's guiding me in that even right now. as for the 2nd one, wow wow that got answered, definitely a highlight of ymlc.
i realised that God seems to speak to me not at the usual things. like when everybody got prayed for the anointing of the Spirit, when the pastors and mentors would come up to you and just pray for you. well... more people had their ymlc 'breakthroughs' and highlights then. and that was only 'okay, alright' to me. i definitely felt the Spirit's presence, heart beat faster, but that was about it.
there are some things when i, a natural cynic and skeptic just have to believe that this is something more than psychological. that these experiences transcends into something Spiritual. and i, am just in awe of God. that's why they say faith needs to be exercise. God usually gives you enough room to doubt... or to believe. He, being the gentleman that He is values (i cannot emphasise this enough) our free will. He allows US to make the choice, to choose Him, or not.
looking back, although i felt my group was a bit quiet. and that my stomach really wasn't feeling too well on the first 2 days. it was a great 3 days spent away, enriching, fulfilling. i crashed another mentor group for dinner, and i met someone in the same zone as me! new asgl for 'the ark'. and coincidentally my unit mate (2 rooms in a room) was also in that group.
back to the real world now though. i pray that all that new-found knowledge and increased conviction won't leave. instead to be convinced each day of your unlimited power in this life, and in the lives around me.
found love beyond all reason
You gave Your life Your all for me
and called me Yours forever
caught in the mercy fallout
i found hope found life
found all i need you're all i need
the time has come
to stand for what we believe in
so i for one am gonna
give my praise to You
today, today it's all or nothing
all the way the praise goes out to You... - the time has come (this song has really been replaying in my head)
but i probably shouldn't end with a hillsong song. should be proud of the wonderful songs entered to the songwriting competition.
by Your unlimited power
unlimited grace
unlimited hope for us in this place
with the unlimited truth
Your promise remains
unlimited love that we can't contain
by Your unlimited power - theme song for ymlc
the song that came in 2nd place really touched me even before the conference. and the songwriter's from wesley! hoorah! what struck was his verse of 'the world cannot touch me when i'm down on my knees', and 'running with the victory'. diametrically opposite in imagery, but how true, how true! prayer is the strongest sword we have, yet so often overlooked. we talk about fighting it's with guns and brute force, who thinks of going down on your knees? in fact the latter would even seem weak or resigned, but no that's where all strength comes from.
(nearly lost this post, yes this long long post, but it's still here, saved as drafts. and that usually doesn't really happen with blogger when my window just closes)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
retreat
and it's a blog y'noe!
finally got the retreat venue settled for lightsticks' retreat. kudos to hannah, and zy.
i realised it's going to be an awfully busy period from the 7-15 of july. packed with retreat-foc-retreat-geri's birthday party. not only are they back to back, but for the last 2, they kind of clash.
des is back finally. will not bug her by phone tonight, i am a nice buddy (not that she'll read this anyway, maybe i should force her to read my blog as part of getting to know her buddy better).
quite abstract the next line, but i can't help but say in my own very not subtle way (it's a blog y'noe) that God's grace is so amazing, overwhelming... i'm lost for words. a gentle whisper, that gentle whisper. it's never the big things, it's the small things.
i do realise i like to talk in riddles. like i said, it's a blog y'noe!
and it's a blog y'noe!
finally got the retreat venue settled for lightsticks' retreat. kudos to hannah, and zy.
i realised it's going to be an awfully busy period from the 7-15 of july. packed with retreat-foc-retreat-geri's birthday party. not only are they back to back, but for the last 2, they kind of clash.
des is back finally. will not bug her by phone tonight, i am a nice buddy (not that she'll read this anyway, maybe i should force her to read my blog as part of getting to know her buddy better).
quite abstract the next line, but i can't help but say in my own very not subtle way (it's a blog y'noe) that God's grace is so amazing, overwhelming... i'm lost for words. a gentle whisper, that gentle whisper. it's never the big things, it's the small things.
i do realise i like to talk in riddles. like i said, it's a blog y'noe!
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is great than all our sin!
- Grace greater than our sin
Labels: faith
Sunday, April 29, 2007
posting because...
i think i haven't posted in a long while. nothing much to say really, except to thank God for being truly present in my exams even. no, i'm not saying that i'm going to ace every paper, that's not the point (and no i don't think i'm going to ace every paper lest you're wondering). the point is i guess i'm discovering for myself that it's really the process that's important as well. it's sad that society robs the pleasure of the process in almost everything we do. ie, you can love studying for a subject, love learning it, but the exam grade robs you off your love, and even solely determines your capability for it. i remember i used to argue with tania about this. how the process isn't important, although we know it should be, it isn't because of what the world sees- results. i'm learning, and it's seeing things and believing them. i'm a slow learner, can't help it lah, not very bright i am!
have to write about CS, because i think the whole process has helped me to discover so much more about God, myself, my walk. it was a gradual process of first adsorbing, and then absorbing the truths that were presented. still learning, but this isn't learning by the head, by route-processes, it's learning with the heart- conviction from the heart. thanks for this opportunity, for CS, despite me thinking whether i should go for something like this (the word healing got me a bit scared). but don't we all need healing and restoration in this world that seeks so much to tear down than to build up?
better snooze, so here's my post! many a times i do wonder whether what i post affects the people reading them. because these words portray me (or at least a part of). if you ask me why i blog, there are different reasons for different occasions. for this instance, it'll be gratitude that i want to share with you folks. in case you're wondering, that's me. i think quite a bit, don't just type type type and click 'post'. i can't because i know everything said has consequences- big or small.
and it's the same with any prose.
i think i haven't posted in a long while. nothing much to say really, except to thank God for being truly present in my exams even. no, i'm not saying that i'm going to ace every paper, that's not the point (and no i don't think i'm going to ace every paper lest you're wondering). the point is i guess i'm discovering for myself that it's really the process that's important as well. it's sad that society robs the pleasure of the process in almost everything we do. ie, you can love studying for a subject, love learning it, but the exam grade robs you off your love, and even solely determines your capability for it. i remember i used to argue with tania about this. how the process isn't important, although we know it should be, it isn't because of what the world sees- results. i'm learning, and it's seeing things and believing them. i'm a slow learner, can't help it lah, not very bright i am!
have to write about CS, because i think the whole process has helped me to discover so much more about God, myself, my walk. it was a gradual process of first adsorbing, and then absorbing the truths that were presented. still learning, but this isn't learning by the head, by route-processes, it's learning with the heart- conviction from the heart. thanks for this opportunity, for CS, despite me thinking whether i should go for something like this (the word healing got me a bit scared). but don't we all need healing and restoration in this world that seeks so much to tear down than to build up?
better snooze, so here's my post! many a times i do wonder whether what i post affects the people reading them. because these words portray me (or at least a part of). if you ask me why i blog, there are different reasons for different occasions. for this instance, it'll be gratitude that i want to share with you folks. in case you're wondering, that's me. i think quite a bit, don't just type type type and click 'post'. i can't because i know everything said has consequences- big or small.
and it's the same with any prose.
Labels: church, faith, thoughts
Thursday, February 22, 2007
what's your theological worldview?
never thought quiz farm had such quizzes. to be honest though, not very sure what the other theological worldviews really stand for. see tan i'm NOT that theological ah!
take the quiz here
never thought quiz farm had such quizzes. to be honest though, not very sure what the other theological worldviews really stand for. see tan i'm NOT that theological ah!
 | You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.
created with QuizFarm.com |
take the quiz here
Labels: faith