GIVE TO OTHERS

Hi People, I got this link through Sharon whose fren Jason Ting, whom some of you might know, wrote this:

Give to Others

When we were young, my parents brought us up to always think about the less fortunate during our happy moments. He always said that while you are happy, there are alot of people in the world who are suffering and not able to enjoy what we have. When there is a happy occasion you should try to do some donations.

Me and my bro have lived with this principle and we are actually practice it even today. That is the reason why I always scold Amy for not finishing her food that she ordered. When we were young when my dad would screw us for not finishing our food because there are people in Africa and even in our country who do not have enough food to survive. Till today I still practice that and I would actually pay more to order less so that I would not need to waste food.

I met Yvonne Foong about 2 years ago when I come to discover she was doing some fund raising for her Surgery in the US. If anyone of you do not know who Yvonne Foong is, she had neurofibromatosis or NF for short. It is a genetic disorder which could be harmless or may cause serious damage by compressing nerves and other tissues. Unfortunately for Yvonne, she has the serious type.

I decided to buy 2 shirts from her. She was and is still selling t-shirts to help raise funds for all her surgery and if there are any left overs she will donate them to other NF patients. You can check out some of her t-shirts through this link here. It just amazes me how this little lady fights to survive and the first time I actually met her face to face was when I went to pick up the T-Shirts.

I found out that she lives in SS15 near Sri KL and instead of her having to send it via post or delivering it to my house, I decided to go to her place and pick it up. I meet her and her dad and unfortunately due to her condition she wasn't able to speak much. I was so grateful that I bought the shirts, unfortunately it doesn't fit me anymore. Yes I was way thinner back then.

Yesterday I was surfing Facebook and I came across this a post by Yvonne Foong
"Yvonne Foong Ming Niang Challenge to raise RM50,000 in 1 week! An uncle in church told me not to give up. I said, "If I give up, God will be dissappointed". Indeed, no giving up after we have come so far."

I looked her up on her blog which I have not visited in the longest of time and decided to do my bid to donate some money to her challenge. You can also do the same by going to her link. You do not need to donate a huge sum but every little bit counts. While you are sitting in the comforts of your house or office in the AC. Think about people who are less fortunate and try to do something about it. You can start by donating to Yvonne who will be going for surgery on the 3rd of August 2010.

However do not stop there, I always feel that while we are fortunate enough to live a good live, there are others who do not have the opportunity. However with our fortune we are able to give happiness to others who are less fortunate. I always donate when I have a happy occasion or when I a bonus or increment. It is a principle I hold dearly and will continue to practice as long as I can.
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Let's do our part to help others in need : http://www.yvonnefoong.com/online-store/

Sharon and I will be ordering, so if you guys are interested, u can pass your money to me on Fri with your orders. Buy t-shirts for your family, loved ones, friends and do your part for charity.

Learning to listen

THE BRICK

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!

He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"

The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother" he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.

Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message:

"Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!"
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

He sends you flowers every spring.

He sends you a sunrise every morning. Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Read this line slowly and let it sink in...

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Best Job In the World

Early this year, there was a big Hoo Haa over a job at Great Barrier Reef, Australia, where applicants all over the world who are interested to spend 6 months in the Great Barrier Reef for a salary of $150,000 (RM450,000) have to make up a 1 minute video explaining why they think they deserve the job and what they know about the GBR. A short description of the job as copied from their brochure:

"Tourism Queensland is seeking applicants for the best job in the world! The role of Island Caretaker is a six-month contract, based on luxurious Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a live-in position with flexible working hours and key responsibilities include exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to discover what the area has to offer. You’ll be required to report back on your adventures to Tourism Queensland headquarters in Brisbane (and the rest of the world) via weekly blogs, photo diary, video updates and ongoing media interviews. On offer is a unique opportunity to help promote the wondrous Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

Other duties may include (but are not limited to)
Feed the fish - There are over 1,500 species of fish living in the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t worry – you won’t need to feed them all.
Clean the pool - The pool has an automatic filter, but if you happen to see a stray leaf floating on the surface it’s a great excuse to dive in and enjoy a few laps.
Collect the mail – During your explorations, why not join the aerial postal service for a day? It’s a great opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the reef and islands."

For RM450,000-00 in the span of 6 months, now who wouldn't try right? (other than me la of course, otherwise hv to miss facial for 6 months). So out of 34,000 applications from all over the world, they limited to 100, then 50, then top 16, then finally THE CHOSEN ONE. Now, I'm not too interested about the chosen one, but if you like, check out the website. One that did catch my eye when he was shortlisted to top 100 was this guy from Canada, Mitch Moffit with this video clip:

Well, sad to say, he did not make it to top 16, BUT he:
1. was offered to go to Melbourne, Australia for 6 months to write on his blog about it (sigh, I miss Melbourne);
2. was honoured in Canadian schools with a Mitch Moffit day; and

3. made another video after failing to be chosen, which I discovered yesterday and enjoyed tremendously. I have decided to put this up for your entertainment purpose, and I hope this also cheers up your day as it did mine.

2 Nuns

There were two nuns...

One of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM) and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL). It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.SM: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for the past thirty-eight and a half minutes? I wonder what he wants.

SL: It's logical. He wants to assault us.

SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes at the most! What can we do?

SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster.

SM: It's not working.

SL: Of course it's not working. The man did the only logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.

SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one minute.

SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and I'll go this way. He cannot follow us both.

So the man decided to follow Sister Logical. Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is worried about what has happened to Sister Logical. Then Sister Logical arrives...

SM: Sister Logical ! Thank God you are here! Tell me what happened!

SL : The only logical thing happened. The man couldn't follow us both,so he followed me

SM: Yes, yes! But what happened then?

SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.

SM : And?

SL : The only logical thing happened. He reached me

SM : Oh, dear! What did you do?

SL : The only logical thing to do. I lifted my dress up.

SM : Oh, Sister! What did the man do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. He pulled down his pants.

SM: Oh, no! What happened then?


SL: Isn't it logical, Sister? A nun with her dress up can run faster than man with his pants down.

And for those of you who thought it would be dirty, I'll pray for you!

Let's Start at the Very Beginning, a Very Good Place to Start

Someone sent me a link to this interesting video, taken at the Central train station in Belgium. It is times like this where I feel happy happy, because it is in direct contrast to an act of terrorism. As I play the video over & again, I wished to myself that we lived in a time when it is absolutely normal to just stand up, dance and sing in front of everyone who's busy rushing to his or her next destination, and it will be the most normal thing in the world. I also wish, in times like this, that we lived in a more reasonable country, where this act might not be deemed illegal because there's a gathering of more than a certain amount of people for one purpose.

After the whole thing, I love how everyone just got up and go about resuming their walk and purpose as though what they did was just the most normal thing. I hope this makes your day as it made mine. Make sure you keep your speakers on.

How well do u know me?

On facebook lately, there has been so many quizzes with other ppl's results showing at my homepage... the latest one that I have done, is of course the craze now, which transformer are u? Well, needless to say, I am who my favourite character is, Bumblebee. Then, the next rage that I noticed, was this "How well do u know........." quiz, a quiz which you create and test your friends to see if they are genuine with you (they truly know u la) or not so genuine (they fake fake know u). As more and more notifications pop up on my newsfeed, I thought, why not check it out to see what the fuss is about, and maybe sit and do some questions so that my closest frens can see how well they know me.

I chose today, AFTER lunch (pray hope boss doesnt read woot page) to come up with questions. As there were quite a number of sample questions, they weren't too difficult and quite fun in fact, to create questions & answers. Quite a number of questions were done with my fellow wooters in mind, and I have invited all of you to take this quiz (please forgive me if i unintentionally forgot ur invite..too many names to click).

http://apps.facebook.com/quizdoyouknowme/quiz.jsp?q=14541090&p=721803823

Anyway, to cut a long story short, my bf only knows me at 66%, my best friend Sam knows me at 83%, my other best friend Sharon has not taken this quiz yet (she has not yet seen her invite, but I will just pretend that she has not taken it only because she's chicken shit).

The other ppl worth mentioning is of course, our dear SH, who told me to prepare a chocolate cake with lots of chocolate sauce topping because he is going to score 100%. Sadly, he scored a 41%, 2nd lowest and 9% lower than his sister, Wei Na, whom I probably have socialised with less than 20x in the span of these 10yrs...

Now...what more is there to say?

An Interesting Poem, to light up your day.

THE WASHINGTON POST ASKED FOR A TWO-LINE RHYME WITH THE MOST ROMANTIC FIRST LINE, BUT THE LEAST ROMANTIC SECOND LINE. THIS IS THE WINNING POEM.

My darling, my lover, my beautiful wife,
Marrying you screwed up my life.

I see your face when I am dreaming,
That's why I always wake up screaming.

Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;
This describes everything you are not.

Love may be beautiful, love may be bliss,
But I only slept with you because I was pissed.

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead, the sugar bowl's empty and so is your head.

I want to feel your sweet embrace;
But don't take that paper bag off your face.

I love your smile, your face, and your eyes --
Damn, I'm good at telling lies!

My love, you take my breath away.
What have you stepped in to smell this way?

My feelings for you no words can tell,
Except for maybe 'Go to hell.'

What inspired this amorous rhyme?
Two parts tequila, one part lime

4-1 Good Defeats Evil

Chin Chung says (2:19 PM):
no, ManU only me. the true fan, the true blood
Chin Chung says (2:20 PM):
4-1 is the battle but we have already won the war
there is no pride in losing the war?
Leonie says (2:20 PM):
dun worry about it...4-1 is a disaster...
we totally understand ur denial
Chin Chung says (2:21 PM):
we did not lose 4-1, 4-1 is just a number, insignificant and has no importance at all
Leonie says (2:21 PM):
AHAHAHAHAH
so philosophical
Chin Chung says (2:21 PM):
ManU is the King and we will Reign!!!!!
Leonie says (2:21 PM):
oklah
i give u that
Chin Chung says (2:21 PM):
yay
Leonie says (2:22 PM):
since ur obviously in mourning
ppl who are mourning their losses (3x!!!) always have the right to think anything they want....i totally understand
there there
Chin Chung says (2:22 PM):
this is not mourning, this is awakening
Leonie says (2:22 PM):
hahahaa
pls ah
im working
ppl will wonder y im looking at the screen and laughing out loud
Chin Chung says (2:23 PM):
this is the way of life
the zen of good (manU) and evil (liverpool)
good always prevail
we will reign
Leonie says (2:23 PM):
there there...its ok...*pat pat shoulder*

Experiencing God Day to Day - 1

SOWING SEEDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

I realized that I have "fate" with devotions in my walk with God with topics having the words "Day to Day" in them. I am currently reading in the mornings a devotional booklet called "Experiencing God Day to Day" instead of the common Daily Bread. This is because, I have to admit, I sometimes forget, or am too busy to follow the dates in the Daily Bread and therefore, I miss out, so Sam gave me the booklet to read without worrying about the dates.

Today I read about being righteous. Being holy. I learnt that every area of our lives should reflect the holiness of God so that our thoughts and actions do not demonstrate any other thing than serving a holy God, so that we must walk the path of God.

However, do we really sow holy thoughts and walk the righteous walk? I know I am not doing it wholeheartedly. I have evil and sinful thoughts. When I am driving and I see an idiot speeding through without letting me pass, I curse them and hope they end up in a ditch. When someone does not put on his indicators and forces his way into my lane, I refuse to let him pass. When my opponent lawyers are arrogant and hard to deal with, I hope they lose their practicing certificates. I still do. I am far from being able to walk in holiness. What do I do?

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Seek first God's kingdom, seek first His righteousness. And people will let me pass when I put on my indicators.

The Bible also states in 1 Peter 1:15 "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do", that we must be holy in all that you do. Holiness is very difficult for me. It is very difficult to be white and pure. But if Jesus can sacrifice and cleanse me with His blood, I too, should be able to sacrifice something in return.

Do you have enmity, jealousy, bitterness and unforgiveness in your life? Or are you instilling righteousness in your activities so that your life is above reproach? If you want to harvest righteousness in your life tomorrow, you must plant the seeds of righteousness today.

DAY TO DAY LIVING - COMMANDMENT NO. 9

Welcome to the ninth and final commandment of Day to Day Living. Researching this topic has been an eye-opener as I realized that I took the simplest things for granted, and have conveniently forgotten about the basics of how to live in God's way. I hope this sharing has been enlightening to everyone as well. I hope also that as I try hard to walk in these ways, you will also be fighting this battle alongside myself and run this race with me.

See you tomorrow.

COMMANDMENT 9 - TO BE HONEST WITH YOU

Have you ever had someone assure you with these words, "I'm telling you the truth" or, "I wouldn't lie to you"? What do you think when you hear those words? It means that they think you are thinking that they might be lying. To me it also means that they must lie a lot. Any time you have to reassure people that you are telling the truth there is a problem with your honesty.

Matthew 5:37: "Simply let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No” be “No”. Anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

If you tell the truth all the time then there is no need to say anything other than what needs to be said. People that have known you for a while will believe you because they will have never heard you lie. People who don't know you may choose not to trust you, but that is their problem. All you have to do is tell the truth.

Verse 16 says, "in the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Honesty is a light shining in a dark world. It is part of walking in holiness.

Verse 15 says, "Neither do people light a lamp, and put it under a bowl, Instead they put it on its stand; and it gives light unto all that are in the house." If you lie only a little now and then you are putting a basket over the light each time. Lies poison your mind and poison other people's minds when they find out.

There is never any good excuse for lying. It is imperative that we, as Christians, NEVER lie nor should we even hint that we would lie. We must let our lights shine. Notice, we must let our light shine, not just glimmer. We are setting an example to the rest of the world of how everyone should be behaving. We are being watched and evaluated by the unsaved. What do they see?

DAY TO DAY LIVING - COMMANDMENT NO. 8

COMMANDMENT 8 - WATCH YOUR MOUTH

A riddle for you - What looks soft and harmless yet, can cut someone else and make a wound that doesn't bleed and may never heal?

Answer - --your tongue.

The Bible mentions the tongue in a few places.

James 3:5 and 8 say, "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. But no man can tame the tongue; it is an restless evil, full of deadly poison."

1 Peter 3:10 says, "For he that will love life, and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech."

What can I do??

1. Pray that I only speak the words that God wants me to speak.

2. Shut my mouth and resist the temptation to be "right" to be "smart" or whatever I think might be gained by saying something I shouldn't.

3. Apologize immediately for the things I shouldn't have said or for the tone of voice I used to say something that was OK to say.

Now, back to our scripture. "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3

The words you say are like the firebrands tied between the tails of the foxes. The foxes take off running and spinning in all directions lighting things on fire as they go. The destruction is unpredictable and probably widespread. Imagine your words ripping through a person, doing damage as they go. You know that they are hurtful when they leave your mouth, but you really have no idea how badly your words are hurting as they go.

God doesn't want you speaking things you shouldn't. He will help you. You have to be willing to accept the help and, more importantly, you have to be willing to stop saying the things you shouldn't. Pray each morning as you get out of bed that you would only speak the things that God wants you to speak. Keep your mind on Him all throughout the day. He will warn you when something you are about to say is not right. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. (If you have a relapse just do #3 above and keep trying.)

DAY TO DAY LIVING - COMMANDMENT NO. 7

COMMANDMENT 7 - ARE YOU LUKEWARM?

Usually being lukewarm about something is pretty safe. If you take a middle road then you are usually able to please everyone. Well, it seems that there is something about being lukewarm that the Lord doesn't like. It's important to make sure that we aren't lukewarm.

Revelation 3:16: "So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

You say “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor blind and naked" (vs 17)

Are you comfortable in your relationship with God? Do you know exactly what He requires of you? Do people know that they have been in touch with God after they speak with you or spend time with you?

"I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you can become rich and white clothes to wear so that you can cover your shameful nakedness and salve to put on your eyes so that you can see." (vs 18)

Jesus is saying to buy gold from Him in order to be rich. What gold? It is something you need to find out from Him. He doesn't want us to decide on our own what we will do, say, or think. He is our source. Notice that the gold is referred to as refined in the fire. That probably means that if we are in a comfort zone we haven't had our gold refined in the fire. Perhaps what we have isn't gold at all.

Then it goes on about getting white clothes. It seems to me that it continues on as to also buy white clothes from Jesus. White signifies holiness and cleanness. The only way to being holy and clean is through Jesus. There is NO OTHER WAY.

Are we being blind? Do we need that eyesalve so we can see? Notice that Jesus didn't tell them to let Him anoint their eyes with eyesalve... we must choose to do it ourselves. He will allow us to be blind if we want. Again, are we in a comfort zone where we know exactly where God wants us to be? Have we determined that our service to Him is being completely fulfilled? Are we doing things for God without consulting Him first?

When we only think about God when we need something or when we are in church is being lukewarm. Not being interested in reading our Bibles is being lukewarm. Not looking to Him for direction each and every day is being lukewarm. Being content to learn about Him from teachers and ministers and not confirming those things with Him is being lukewarm. Thinking that going to church is all He requires of us is being lukewarm.

Let's choose to put on that eyesalve so that the blind spots can be removed. The blind spots include our own opinions and our areas of ignorance about God and His Kingdom among other things. There is no comfort zone with God. There is no easy road. There is no easy to follow path. If we aren't seeking His direction every moment then we are probably not heading in the direction He has chosen, we are probably lukewarm.

DAY TO DAY LIVING - COMMANDMENT NO. 6

COMMANDMENT 6 - DO YOU CHOOSE DEFEAT?

Psalm 3:1 "LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him”. Selah." Not quite what you'd expect to hear are they? Trouble trouble trouble.... and not only that, they say that God can't help. NOT TRUE! God is our shield! He will lift up our heads when they are bowed down! He is our strength when we have none. He is our peace when we have none. He is our source of all that we need. We don't have to feel alone. We don't have to feel hopeless. Psalm 3:3 "But you are a shield around me, O Lord, you bestow glory on me and lift up my head."

If we want to feel crushed and beaten then we can. If we want to feel hopeless then we can. If we want to look at the circumstances surrounding us and decide that we can't take any more then that is a choice we are allowed to make. What will you choose? Will you choose to let God shield you from your circumstances and lift up your head? It is your choice. There are lots of times when we find we are choosing to feel defeated. Sometimes we felt unloved and betrayed. We were choosing to focus on the bad things. We were deliberately choosing not to let God lift up our heads. We were a victim of other people's choices and we needed to wallow in that feeling so we could feel sorry for ourselves. After all, if we didn't focus on it, who would? We didn't have to stay there. God had better things for us to be thinking about and doing. If we choose to let God take control, our circumstances are still not different than before we chose God's control. But our attitudes toward it will be. It is our choice to let God be our strength and shield. We should to look at Him instead of what our eyes of flesh see. The view is much nicer =)

DAY TO DAY LIVING - COMMANDMENT NO. 5

COMMANDMENT 5 - DWELLING IN UNITY

When people dwell together in unity, they are as a unit in a state of oneness. They are not acting as separate people but as a group.

Psalm 133:1-3: "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity. It is like precious oil poured on the head running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing even life for evermore"

Being in unity is contagious. It is like when you pour oil on something, the more you pour, the farther it spreads. At Woot, I tried explaining that oil running down the beard is a good thing, because when Aaron was consecrated High Priest, the oil was poured on him, whilst on the other priests, it was only sprinkled. For an account of this ointment, also see Leviticus 8:10-12.

When the dew comes it forms on everything. It isn't selective on where it settles. That is how unity is. When there is an atmosphere of unity it settles on everything and keeps spreading.

People living in unity are doing so because they have chosen to do so. Each one of the people has made a choice to be in unity with the others. In order to be in unity with others it is absolutely necessary to stay totally away from the "what about my needs" mode. Each person must be focused on the needs of the others in the group. Each person must choose to be kind to the others. If one person chooses disharmony over unity then the entire group will probably be infected and the unity will fall apart.

This scripture pertains to two or more people. It refers to married couples (i.e. LSQ) as well as nations. The unity is based on the decisions and choices of every single person in that group. Unity truly does begin with one person at a time.

When we choose unity then others around us will feel it. They will be infected with it. Most people will respond very well to expressions of unity. Unfortunately, some people will not choose to reciprocate with deeds showing kindness and caring towards the others in the group. Most of the time it is pure laziness and selfishness. However, they probably will make an effort to keep the peace and will modify their speech to contribute to the atmosphere of unity. It really doesn't take much effort when everyone in the group is doing the same.

The best benefit of choosing unity is God blesses the efforts. It is His desire that we make every effort to live as one rather than as individuals. That is the concept of the Body of Christ. Each part provides for the other parts.

You can't force others to choose unity, but the unity can begin with you. It certainly is in your power to choose it for yourself.

DAY TO DAY LIVING - COMMANDMENT NO. 4

COMMANDMENT 4 - FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHERS

When I’ve been separated from other spiritual encouragers, I also found I was spending less quality time with the Lord. I was having difficulty focusing on Him. I was having difficulty hearing that "still, small voice" that is His. By not being around the people that caused me to get into conversations about the Lord I was spending more time in worldly pursuits and thoughts. I didn't pull away from God, but His and my relationship was not the best. I was slowly, but surely, floating in the other direction.

Hebrews 3:13: "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."

It is important that we encourage other Christians. It is important that we spend time talking about God and the things He's done and going to do with other Christians. It is with the help of other spiritual people that we grow faster in our own spiritual walk! God shows each of us things that we are supposed to share with others. We are supposed to be teaching each other the things He teaches us.

Hebrews 10:25 says, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

This is important. Seek out the fellowship with other spirit-filled Christians. Spend time edifying each other in the Lord. It is well worth it!!

DAY TO DAY LIVING - COMMANDMENT NO. 3

COMMANDMENT 3 - IS SOMETHING ROTTEN?

Galatians 5:9: "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough."

To make bread you need to add yeast to the flour mixture. The yeast causes the dough to increase in size by fluffing the dough up with air. It only takes a small amount of yeast to cause a large amount of dough to rise. Try putting a rotten apple into a bag that contains fresh apples. Do you know what will happen? The rottenness of the rotten apple spreads to the others and they all will become rotten. You are probably thinking by now, "And your point is?" The things that we do and say are like rotten apples or yeast. One small thing can become a very large out-of-control thing. Our behavior often hinged on what type of friends we had. It is a common thing for kids to get involved in a bad activity as a group when as individuals, the kids would never have become involved in that particular activity. Often, it is only one kid's idea to participate in that activity. If the kid is a persuasive individual or has assumed a leadership position then the others tend to follow along even if they know they shouldn't. The one "bad apple" causes the entire group to become "rotten." The "rotten apple" process can also take place in the life of an individual. Have you ever noticed what happens when you allow yourself to do something you know is wrong? We think one tiny discretion won't make a difference. Then we find ourselves doing the same and more once we have opened the door to that temptation. If one tiny one is OK then what difference does it make to do another tiny one, then another, then a larger one ?? That process can also be applied in a reverse fashion to the things we should do and we don't. I have found that if I deviate from a pattern of reading my Bible every day it becomes easy to not read it for two days in a row, then three, etc. We need to continually examine our lives for rotten apples that need to be removed. We also need to be careful not to allow any to enter our lives in the first place! So can we do it? You bet.

DAY TO DAY LIVING - COMMANDMENT NO. 2

COMMANDMENT 2 - HAVE A PRIORITY LIST

What do you think about when you first get up in the morning? Do you think about appointments you've got scheduled? How about what you are going to wear? Do you not think about anything but that first cup of coffee? Throughout the day, what are you thinking? Are you thinking about the concerns you have about money, health, or family? Are you thinking about current projects, bills, or repairs needed on your car?

Have you ever thought about what things are important to you? What if you had to make a list of those things in order of importance? How would you start that list? If you were able to become better at something, in what area would you choose to improve? Those are some ways to help make an "importance list." You may want to make such a list. If you are afraid of what you might find then you definitely should make that list.

Matthew 6:24 states " No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money".

God wants you to place Him and your relationship with Him first on that list. Once you do that then you will be surprised to find that you still have time to do the other things you enjoy. You will be surprised to find that you become a more loving spouse, parent, friend, co-worker, and person. You will cut down on conflicts that used to take up unnecessary time. You will find joy in doing the things you used to hate to have to do. You may even lose interest for things that you shouldn't have been doing in the first place. You will be sure that your time is spent doing worthwhile things. The things you do while serving God will come back at you as blessings. Making that "importance list" may be the most important thing you have done in a long time.

Colossians 3:1-2: "Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things".

God knows what you need to survive in this world. He knows the things that are on your heart and mind. Remember, Matthew 10:30 tells us that God has "the very hairs of your head numbered." Verses 30 & 31 tells us “not one sparrow will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father”, so we are not to fear because we "are of worth more than many sparrows." He loves you and knows all about you and what you need. If we only set our minds on Him instead of the things in this world that seem so important, He will take care of us. Who is more capable of taking care of you? If you said it was yourself, think about the fact that God created the entire universe.

Think about how perfect each plant and animal is made. Think about how the air we breathe is formed. Think about how each snowflake is different. Think about how each person is different. Now, answer that question again. The answer is - God is more capable.

DAY TO DAY LIVING - COMMANDMENT NO. 1

My topical talk last Friday 19/9/2008 was entitled Day to Day Living. As I was researching on what to talk about, I realized that I could not even grasp the very root and foundation of living a Christianity life. As such, I was in no position to give a talk or sharing on an even bigger topic, until I at least convinced myself that I knew I was going in the right direction, from the basics.

As I researched more, I further saw that there were many many basic rules (which I hereby proclaim as "Commandments") as a Christian, however, I tried to narrow it down, from 27 to half (15), and then to 13 and then to 10 (since 10 commandments would be appropriate), but then I saw that 2 of the commandments were linked, and so, it became...
The 9 Commandments.

CC suggested that I put up on this blog all that I have mentioned during cell, for the benefit of those who were unable to come, and for those who (like me) forgot commandments 1-8 as I reached 9. Therefore, I decided to blog each commandment on a separate day, so that we can all have a longer time to absorb each one and to think about and ponder on our position on it.

COMMANDMENT 1 - DO EVERYTHING FOR GOD

If you were doing something and your boss was standing next to you looking over your shoulder, would you make doubly sure you did the best job you could? Would you do your job any differently when nobody was looking?

Colossians 3:23-24 states "And whatsoever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

In many circumstances we do things differently depending on who is looking and depending on who will benefit from what we are doing. We do things because we are obligated to do it, not because we do it out of love. We do not always give everything our best effort. Many times we do things unwillingly and with a grumbling spirit. Try doing as the scripture suggests and do everything as if you are doing it for God and not for men.

If you feel you never receive the recognition and appreciation you deserve that will change. God always sees what you do and always appreciates the fact that you are doing it for Him. You will be rewarded in some way. Your most immediate reward is you will lose the angry and grumbling attitudes that you might have had. You will enjoy what you are doing because you know it is appreciated. Remember, it goes for whatever you do. . .making meals, shoveling doggy poo poo, cleaning toilets, taking out the garbage, scraping gum off the sidewalk. . . everything! What will it hurt to try it?

Post 22 - Christmas must be Something More

CL

As I was looking at the Christmas posts below, I know one thing is for certain. I would never understand how years and years of tradition can be canceled...just like that.

Christmas just isn't Christmas without the carols, the good food, the fellowship, the boxes wrapped in ribbons, the lights on the Christmas trees.

As one by one of us slowly learn to rediscover Christmas, I still hung on to my belief that would never change....Christmas NEEDS carols, needs presents, needs fellowship, needs trees.

And then, today, as I was listening to my current favourite artist Taylor Swift, I heard the lyrics. It was a song I have heard many times before, but have never listened to properly.

And I realised, everything that I needed for Christmas is not enough. Christmas must be something more. Its about the birthday boy who saved our lives. That's what Christmas is all about...

What if ribbons and bows didn't mean a thing

Would the song still survive without five golden rings

Would you still wanna kiss without misletoe

What would happen if God never let it snow

What would happen if Christmas carols told a lie

Tell me what would you find

You'd see that today holds something special

Something holy, not superficial

So here's to the birthday boy who saved our lives

It's something we all try to ignore

And put a wreath up on your door

So here's something you should know that is for sure

Christmas must be something more

What if angels did not pay attention to

All the things that we wished they would always do

What if happiness came in a cardboard box

Then I think there is something we all forgot

What would happen if presents all went away

Tell me what would you find

You'd see that today holds something special

Something holy, not superficial

So here's to the birthday boy who saved our lives

It's something we all try to ignore

And put a wreath up on your door

So here's something you should know that is for sure

Christmas must be something more

We get so caught up in all of it

Business and relationships

Hundred mile an hour lives

And it's this time of year

And everybody's here

It seems the last thing on your mind

Is that the day holds something special

Something holy, not superficial

So here's to Jesus Christ who saved our lives

It's something we all try to ignore

And put a wreath up on your door

But here's something you should know that is for sure

Christmas must be something

Christmas must be something

Christmas must be something more

There's gotta be more

There's gotta be more

I am now going to get ready for my first ever woot meeting since coming back. See you guys soon.

...

CL

Seriously....how much bigger must the gates be opened?