I've had this awesome thought of how my heart would beat without any assistance, no power supply or battery operating, but it beats alright. And because it beats, blood carrying oxygen is being pump into all my organs so I am still kicking(alive). Now, who keeps my heart beating??? None other than my Creator God, for in Him I live and move and have my being! Praise God!! :)
Tell me who make these teeny weenie hearts pump....
No clue?
Our Creator God, of course~ ：）*Philip took these pics at our rooftop garden
The children from the upper primary of the Children's Church Sunday School presented a very lively worship song: Every Move I Make.
At the start of the music, everyone was like "Wow... so hot!". Okay, maybe that's just me, haha! It has been a long, long time since there's such a lively, fast beat song being presented in our church. Even my little 2-year-old couldn't resist joining in the dance moves! The dance choreographer, Sarah Tan, had to literally drag Thaddea out, and of course, she cried so loud in protest! I was like, "OH NO! Please don't ruin the presentation!" I held her so tight in my arms and "dance" to the music on the spot at a corner trying to distract her, hehehe... We all enjoyed the presentation~
I'd like to think that the children did very well, remembering the steps and all. And thank you, Sarah Tan, for getting them to do this. May God continue to make you an inspiration!
Look out for my 2-year-old barging in at 0:14 and then cried the loudest, haha! :P
I went home singing "na-na, na-na-na-na-na..." in my head for many days! Then I went on Youtube to look for this song, there are so many clips of people dancing to this song! I found one which I like the best, watch the lady dancing with such gusto! And watch again the uncle dancing next to her, very cute!
I like the part which looks like they were "brushing off bugs from their heads" at 0:15, so cute! haha!! :)
Lyrics: Every move I make I make in You, (You make me move Jesus) Every Breath I take I Breath in You Every step I take I take in You, (You are my way Jesus) Every Breath I take I Breath in You Chorus: Waves of Mercy Waves of Grace Everywhere I Look, I See Your Face Your Love has captured Me Oh My God this Love, How can it Be!
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na (x4)
Acts 17:24-29 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man(Jesus Christ) he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."
Ezra, by now is a charming 9-year-old(8+, to be exact), has victoriously gone through a year of chemotherapy, and now onto his maintenance phase. I wrote about how Ezra was diagnosed with first stage Leukemia in one of my post Not for Us Only... back in October last year.
When Make*A*Wish people came to Ezra and asked him what did he wish for, these were what he wished for:
1. To be a (successful) businessman. 2. To ride in a Lamborghini. 3. To play lots of games and win many prizes. 4. To be a Pilot.
Hey hey, that's more than a wish, haha! 5 wishes to be exact because Ezra wanted to open his own shop and sell things too as a businessman.
WOW! WOW! WOW! We were very impressed how Make*A*Wish people fulfilled every-single-wish of Ezra... to the point of flying a plane!
First, they tailor-made for him a business suit. Then on Wish Day, he went to "his" newly open Roti-Prata shop and then to "his" Car Showroom where he "closed" a deal worth US$1 million dollars... then, Ezra was given a ride in a Lamborghini before being sent to Suntec City Convention hall for his party... cool!! See the following video clip for the full story:
Can you see Ezra in "his" Lamborghini??
Ahh... that's better!
*Waves*
The youngest successful businessman & his Lamborghini~(Wish #1 & 2)
See Uncle Chris buzzing off...
Make*A*Wish flags
Poster outside the Party Room
Ezra's Wish Party!
Happy Wish Day, Ezra!
Interviewed by the "press" and giving out his "name cards"
Ezra's collections!
There were Wii and racing cars games.(Wish #3)
The party ended with Ezra winning many BIG prizes from the racing games, his little friends were in total awe as they kept hearing the announcement that "Ezra has won again!"
Ezra's thankyou speech and a song special；
Wish #4 was fulfilled on the following weekend when Ezra would fly a stimulated airplane! How cool~
I am very thankful to God for blessing Ezra with this Wish Party. What a memorable day Ezra's Wish Day was!
Thank God for Make*A*Wish Singapore! The fact that they didn't just fulfilled one of the 5 wishes that Ezra made even though it was suppose to be "Make A wish".
Thank God for all the sponsors(Temasek Holdings and some other which I didn't get it, but am truly grateful!) who made this event possible!
Thank God for all the wonderful volunteers! Their dedication is amazing!
The following Sunday after his maiden flight(as a pilot), Ezra, dressed in his business suit(which was given to him FOC), gave glory to God during Sunday Service in church.
We prayed through that one whole year of Ezra receiving treatments for his ALL condition. We have a Prayer Band in our church where we would receive SMS on prayer requests of members who need emergency prayer support. I have lost track of how many times the Prayer Band was activated to pray for Ezra, but I do remember some of the requests were quite frightening at times if not heart-breaking... beside the usual side effects of being nausea, vomiting, having poor appetite, there were occasions when Ezra had high fever(increased risk of infection caused by white cell abnormalities) and he cannot be given paracetamol(Panadol) because he has an allergy to it. So, imagine you having high fever and nothing you could take to lower the fever, nothing to relief your pain and nothing to ease your aches!
There were life-threatening occasions too when Ezra's blood platelets count drop to the lowest of the lowest... But, PRAISE BE TO GOD who heard and answered our earnest prayer for this little boy and preserved his precious life!
The most heart breaking to me was when we were called to pray for a procedure where a chest tube is inserted into Ezra's pleural space permanently for the administration of chemo treatments.... What can I say, thank God for seeing Ezra through every-single-day for the past year!
God will definitely carry Ezra in His Mighty Arms and bring him through this year - the last phase of his treatment. We are praying for a complete deliverance from blood cancer for Ezra. We are believing God for His complete healing touch upon Ezra Lim! Amen! And Amen!!
An extract from Tong Hak's(Ezra's mummy) testimony - Forever Grateful:
"Though this journey was tough, with much pain and tears, but with Christ in the vessel, we can sail and smile at the storm. With much loss, too, (financially, emotionally, socially, mentally and physically) - but nothing compared to the gain that we have achieved.
He increases our faith in Him. He brings us to a greater height in our trusting Him. He strengthens us emotionally and mentally. He provides our finance. His continual shower of grace and mercy has taught us how to praise and thank Him even more. He enriches our life experiences.
Once again, "Forever grateful, forever thankful to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!" "
Psalm 103:1-6 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy
If you have been reading my blog from the beginning, you may have read this post "I Will Carry You".
Angie Smith, a mother who discovered at 20 weeks that her baby Audrey would not survive, chose to carry her to full term and gave birth to her, only to lose her shortly after 2 1/2 hours....
Angie, her husband, Todd and baby Audrey
She wrote a book on her grief, and most unbelievably, her joy too. You can get her book now @ amazon.com!
Ever since I found her blog Bring the Rain, I have been checking back and to my pleasant surprise, she is DUE for another child!
What actually makes me write this post is her recent entry: PERMISSION TO HOPE. Please click on that to read and do look out for the picture at the end of her post!! ;)
An amazing piece of sharing, God gave her courage and permission to hope that the little life in her right now at 10 weeks, is going to make it! Amen!!
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may Overflow With Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I have always love this song written by Angie Smith for her baby, Audrey Caroline. And the video featuring memories of the life of baby Audrey:
I Will Carry You
There were photographs I wanted to take Things I wanted to show you Sing sweet lullabies, wipe your teary eyes Who could love you like this?
People say that I am brave but I'm not Truth is I'm barely hanging on But there's a greater story Written long before me Because He loves you like this
So I will carry you While your heart beats here Long beyond the empty cradle Through the coming years I will carry you All my life And I will praise the One Who's chosen me To carry you
Such a short time Such a long road All this madness But I know That the silence Has brought me to His voice And He says...
I've shown her photographs of time beginning Walked her through the parted seas Angel lullabies, no more teary eyes Who could love her like this?
I will carry you While your heart beats here Long beyond the empty cradle Through the coming years I will carry you All your life And I will praise the One Who's chosen Me To carry you
Job 1:21 "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
And I will praise the One Who's chosen me... to carry you...
"God made the cat to give man the pleasure of petting the tiger." ~~Fernand Mery
If you haven't know me yet: I LOVE CATS!
Sorry for shouting, hehe! I really, really think cats are the coolest animal God ever created! Since I was a little girl, I like to play with the strayed cats in our void deck, pet their heads and tickle the chins, play "catching" with their tails while they sleep!
I don't understand how some of you are afraid of cats, haha!
Now that I'm a grown-up, and know that strayed cats are actually dirty as they sleep everywhere they go, I seldom pet them anymore... I even stop my girls from touching them :P
I do hope to meet someone who keep cats as pets... so I can always visit them and play with their cats!
I have been visiting this blog created by a Japanese girl who has a pet cat named Maru. He is a Scottish Fold and he is so, so cute! He likes to play, sleep and play some more! And just like my friend, ANgie, he has just published his very First Book, Title: "I am Maru."
He is so COOL~
I found this blog in early April and was glued to it! There is update almost everyday which I totally enjoy! The owner has also started to put in English subtitles for the readers. The little dialogue which she posted with all the fun pictures of Maru has always made my day! Just like this one:
ぴったりですよ。 This is fit for me!
Also, you get to see videos of Maru in actions! And my favourite of them all is this:
"I like Maru's folded forefoot before jumping."
Too cute!!! Oooooooh, he is quite a popular guy and got himself a trophy of YouTube Video Awards Japan 2008!
The trophy~
I shan't write any further... just go check him out: MARU
"Umm.. why not?"
Genesis 1:24-25 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Philip, remember this song "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman?
12 years ago, today, you told me that you actually secretly practiced this song and wanted to sing for me on our wedding day... but you were not confident enough and instead, played the song on CD when we marched in for our dinner reception... Thank you, Philip, I was touched and still am... the fact that you had this thought of doing something for me and the fact that you had tried, I'm touched!
This song just melt my heart, I know that you mean ever word of this song, even till now.
12 years of marriage, you have always been here for me, even when the laughter turns to crying during my darkest moments; through the winning, losing, and trying, we have been together, you have always been here for me, thank you for loving me(it's not so easy, I know... :P) and I love you too :)
As sure as seasons are made for change, our lifetimes are made for years. Give us another 12 years, and I know that we'll still be together... 'cause you will be here.
I thank God for you, Philip - my dear, dear husband :)
Found this video uploaded by a mom dedicating the song to her children, the pictures are so beautiful! Except that it ended abruptly which might be a little distasteful to you who dislike abrupt ending of any song, hehe :P Anyway, it's still very nice~ enjoy!
Tomorrow morning if you wake up And the sun does not appear, I will be here.
If in the dark we lose sight of love, Hold my hand and have no fear, 'Cause I will be here.
CHORUS I will be here when you feel like being quiet; When you need to speak your mind, I will listen. And I will be here when the laughter turns to crying; Through the winning, losing, and trying, we'll be together, 'Cause I will be here.
Tomorrow morning if you wake up And the future is unclear, I will be here.
As sure as seasons are made for change, Our lifetimes are made for years, So I will be here.
CHORUS I will be here, so you can cry on my shoulder; When the mirror tells us we're older, I will hold you. And I will be here to watch you grow in beauty, And tell you all the things you are to me; I will be here.
I will be true to the promise I have made, To you and to the One who gave you to me.
As sure as seasons are made for change, Our lifetimes are made for years, So I, I will be here.
We'll be together and I will be here.
I found another clip which embedding was disabled by the user, he dedicated this song to God. The interesting thing is, he uploaded pictures of benches, read BENCHES, many-different-types-of-benches, for the entire song!
Reminds me of the benches I placed in my FarmTown Maze Garden, haha!
I have always wanted to walk with you in the park, sitting on the benches, basking in the sun, listening to the bird singing, watching the ducks in the pond, and talking till the sun sets! Maybe we can do that when "the mirror tells us we're older" and when Mrs. Empty-Nest-Syndrome comes knocking on our door, haha!
Our wedding verse: Song of songs 8:7 "Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned."
Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."
Gain IQ Stage 3 Growing Up Milk Powder 1.8kg – Checked
Abbott 3+ Grow Up Milk Powder 1.8kg (Vanilla) – Checked
SMOO Packet Milk (Vanilla and Strawberry Flavor) - Checked
St Dalfour Spread – Pineapple & Mango – Checked
Kellogg’s Cornflakes – Checked
Nestle Baby Brown Rice Cereal Tin – Checked
Samba Chili Lemon Tapioca Chip – CHECKED!
ALMOND GOLD Milk Chocolate Bar by Whittaker's – CHECKED!
I LOVE groceries shopping!
I dislike the fact that I have less than an hour to get it done, plus carrying heavy FairPrice plastic bags in both hand, though.
98% of the stuff I get are all for my lovely girls, and I guess you know which 2% is for Daddy and Mommy – me.
Once a week I’ll have to make a trip to NTUC FairPrice which is about 5 minutes walk from my office, rain or shine, hot or cold, without fail. Sometimes I may need to make 2 or 3 trips there!
No complaint. I'm SO loving it! Ooooooooooh, the purpose of this post are these:
Check out the plane! Love the clouds!
Aren't they awesome?? I saw those beautiful sun rays while walking back to the office after my grocery shopping. I had to put down the bags of groceries on the pavement in order to take these pictures... so glad I captured it! :)
I love looking up into the sky. I got really excited when I see the sun bursting through the clouds! I've forgotten how many pictures I took of such sighting.. and it always ring a "song" in my mind :)
I was so glad to find this on YouTube, it has sooooooooo many nice pictures of the sun behind the clouds with rays shining forth.. awesome!
Even when you feel dark and gloomy, the sun above the clouds is always shinning. It never changes.
God never changes! He is Faithful and True! God's love for us is great, higher than the heavens and deeper than the ocean! Praise the awesome God!
Psalm 108:4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
And this Truth never changes and it happened some thousands of years ago, when the Son of the Living God, suffered and died and shed His blood and satisfied God that sins got its right punishment!
My sister used to have a T-shirt that she likes for the longest time! It has a print on it that read:
I asked Jesus how much He loved me He answered, "This much" Then He stretched out His arms and died for me.
Whatever trials you might have gone through, persecutions, tragedies, whatever difficulties or anxieties, Jesus understands and He is waiting for you to run into His arms of LOVE~
My deepest desire is that e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e, from the youngest child to the oldest man/woman, embraces this Truth~
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Today is the day my Firstborn - Tiffany, has her Kindergarten Graduation photo shooting. We buzzed around like the honey bees just to get her ready for the big SNAP, which will have her dressed in a graduation gown and cap!
I woke up early to get Tiffany washed and changed into her school uniform. Tied up her hair into 2 phony tails, combed her bang, and all the while teaching her how to *S*M*I*L*E* :)
Then I remembered my own graduation photo, so I went digging into my file and was so happy to see it in the very first plastic holder, I saw myself(some 30 over years ago!) holding a scroll and looking ever-so-smart in my graduation gown and cap!
Lydia @ 6 years old!
Looking Smart~
Check out that bandage on my index finger, lol!
Check out my ear rings, hehehe ;)
I'm so touched that my mom kept this for me, and I'm so glad that I'm keeping it too... it brought back memories and it warms my heart just looking at this pic... I'm gonna keep Tiffa's and make sure 30 years later she'd be able to see her Kinder's graduation photo like I did today.
Looking at myself in that pic, especially my eyes, I see such confident! Wish I have been that confident in all of my life :P
Check out that bandage, no Tinkerbell's print on it, haha! Just a simple plain brown plaster... Oh, looking at my left index finger now, there's this long scar round the finger tip... I remember it was quite a deep cut when I tried peeling a sugercane with a kitchen knife! Nearly lost my finger :P Thank God for preserving me!!
I was nearly drown in a swimming pool when I was in Primary school, still remember that vividly! God took care of me even before I came to know him some 10 years later from there... COOL~
Jeremiah 1:4 The Call of Jeremiah The word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
God may not have appointed me as a prophet.. but He did choose me to be His child before I was even born! That said, before I was being formed in my mother's womb, God already knew me and loved me... YAY!! *Happy*
Hey... YOU too! God knew you before you were being formed in the womb... do get to know this God who loves you so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, for you ;)
Ahh... I hope my Firstborn gives her best smile today!
"Growing in Grace" was the theme of our Church Camp this year. We didn't make it to the chuch camp because of obvious reason: "$ No Enough" :P
Still, thank God that we get to learn about the theme when sharings were overflowed from the camp into the prayer meetings and subsequence Sunday services.
Also, some campers were called to present the theme song and here they are:
edited for protection of members' privacy...
except for Desmond, haha!
Theme Song: "Grace that is Greater than All Our Sins"
Heavenly!! (Recorded and uploaded by Pual Chua)
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
Chorus Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.
Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, Threaten the soul with infinite loss; Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
Dark is the stain that we cannot hide. What can we do to wash it away? Look! There is flowing a crimson tide, Brighter than snow you may be today.
Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, Freely bestowed on all who believe! You that are longing to see His face, Will you this moment His grace receive?
Some of the brethren in this group were joking that they can be called the "100 Years Old Choir" as the age of all of them would add up to more than a 100, haha!
Pastor shared a humbling experiece about how he thought he had covered all the bases on the grace of God through Jesus Christ and was very happy with his work, but he came back from the church camp to discover that he has totally left-out the gracious God - our Abba Father!
The verse which Pastor used to greet the campers throughout the camp mentioned about grace from God our Father, which he totally skipped and only focused on the Lord Jesus Christ... quite a humbling experiece I must say so for our dear Pastor, but glad that he is humble enough to listen and learn from the Holy Spirit :)
Galatians 1:3-5 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Above all powers, above all kings Above all nature and all created things Above all wisdom and all the ways of man You were here before the world began
Above all kingdoms, above all thrones Above all wonders the world has ever known Above all wealth and treasures of the earth There's no way to measure what you're worth
Crucified Laid behind a stone You lived to die Rejected and alone Like a rose Trampled on the ground You took the fall And thought of me Above all
Song presentation by Daniel Lau, our church Elder's one and only son :)
Gave a short exhortation before he sang...
Once again, Daniel played and sang so well... Praise the Lord!
That was a short clip I took with my humble-handphone. See below for the full version of the song, a LIVE worship with Michael W. Smith which interjected with photos that compliment the song. It helps to bring out the impact of this beautiful worship song:
Jesus is above all
and He loves us above all~
Enjoy!
Jesus... Like a Rose Trampled on the ground You took the fall And thought of me Above all
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Dear Lord Jesus, You became poor for me, thank You. Please help me to love You always. And forever! Amen!
I received an invitation from Sarah Tan, who happened to be my sister and the one who led me to Christ, to sing a beautiful song!
Pastor has been asking around for people to give song presentation, he even invited a Jew who visited us twice, to give a song special! Let's hope that he won't be frightened off, haha!
Anyway, this beautiful song is entitled "祢爱永不变", which means "Your Love Changes Not".
And, WOW, I found a video clip on YouTube which was very nicely done. It uses scenes from "The Passion of Christ", which is a controversial movie full of violent and has a very strong Catholic background, which I am NOT for it, but I'm amazed at how it portrayed the sufferings of Christ. It rend my heart watching how my Saviour was willing to suffer for me in order to save me from hell.
Romans 5:6-8 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thank You God for Your Great Love for us. You loved us when we were still sinners, ugly, sinful and undeserved.
Thank You Jesus for Your Sacrificial Love for us. You took our sins upon Yourself and died on the cross for us!
Thank You Holy Spirit for opening my eyes and heart to see and receive the Love of God!
Update: This song was later suggested by my dear hubby to let Peter and Tong Hak sing instead... because they have known what is "经沧海历桑田" and will definitely present it well.
I agreed to even though I have kind of "fallen-in-love" with this song, haha! Sarah even thanked me for "releasing" this song to be sung by Peter and Tong Hak... Hey, she really didn't have to, 'cos I truly agree with what hubby said: With they younger son, Ezra, fighting against Leukaemia, they really have been through storms~
I'll certainly take a clip of their presentation, but it would be next year then. Almost all Sundays until the end of the year were taken up by song presentations from the Music Dept. to teach us new worship songs and also by some special one like yesterday's Communion Special by Daniel Lau(started solo on "阿爸天父") who sang "Above All". I will write an entry on that this week, stay tuned! :)
Last Sunday was Father's Day. When I was in the church, the term "Abba, Father" was mentioned extensively throughout the worship.
During testimony, someone stood up to thank God for her earthly father, and at the same time she wished God - her Heavenly Father, a blessed Father's Day too. How sweet was that, I thought.
The senior Youth gave a Father's Day song special: 阿爸天父(Abba, Father). It was a lovely song and I was touched by it... 阿爸天父~ 阿爸天父~ 从我心深处呼求你名字~
My thought were brought back to when I just accepted Jesus as my Saviour. That was the time when the Almighty God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, became my Abba, Father! Awesome!
This word "Adoption" came to my mind when I was pondering on the awesome truth of being able to call God my Abba, Father. I was being adopted by God when I opened my heart to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm so glad that out of the multitudes, God chose me and saved me and brought me into His wonderful light. Through faith in His Son - Jesus Christ, I have received the Spirit of adoption and become a child of God. And I can call Him: "Abba"! WOW!!
Romans 8:15-16 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Abba is an Aramaic word which means "daddy" or "papa". What Paul is saying is when we accept Jesus as our Savior we are adopted into God’s family. We become His children and He becomes our heavenly Father. The relationship is so deep and so personal that we can call him "daddy".
Some pics and clips from the special:
Daniel starting solo
The Senior Youth
Daniel played and sang so well~ (Hear Thaddea harmonizing in the background, haha!)
The group~
Hmmm... Thaddea didn't allow me to take a decent video of the presentation, so here's a clip of the whole song by SOP that I found in YouTube, enjoy!
The song that captivates my heart:
Thank You God that I can talk to You intimately, to have You as my Daddy, my Papa, One Who is merciful and loves me unconditionally.
Blessed Father's Day to my Heavenly Father ~ Abba Thank You for loving me and taking care of my everything!
Blessed Father's Day to my earthly father ~ Dad Thank you for loving me and taking care of my earthly needs!
Also...
Blessed Father's Day to my spiritual father ~ Pastor Joseph Thank you for loving me and taking care of my spiritual needs!
Hey... I have 3 daddies! Yay!!
To all my friends: God can be your "Abba, Father" too~
Philip sent me an eCard with the following message:
"Dear Lydia, blessed birthday. One more year and you'll be turning into a flower. Woman 40 is a flower. However, beauty is fleeting and charm deceptive but the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Though we are losing our outward beauty as time passed, may we grow inwardly to be more like Jesus. Lastly, just want to say that you'll always be beautiful to me. I love you. Muah! From someone who'll love you always, Philip, your lover."
Sweet~ Didn't know I'll be turning into a FLOWER next year, though!
Anyway, Philip wanted me to copy the message and paste it in a link which has a cat who can talk! (Choose a male voice and preview!) Very cute! The part when it goes "Muah!" was too funny!
If you have time, try it out!! You may like to type in other message instead. I type in the following, chose a female voice(Valerie!), preview it and it was hilarious!
"Aww... thank you Philip, you are so sweet! Smoochie! I love you toooooo!"
I look forward to what God has instored for me as I step into the last year of me being in the thirties. I hope to do something exciting for the Lord before I enter into the BIG four-zero... something that will make me smile whenever I look back at my 39, something that would be sweet and savoury :)
I remembered when I turned 35, I was feeling sober by this verse in Psalm 90:10 - "The length of our days is seventy years — or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away." If my life span is 70 years like what the Psalmist said, then I would have lived(used up) half of it... what am I going to do with the other half left??
I wonder would I have the same sentiment again when I hit the big 40 next year, being sober thinking of having left with another half of my entire life span if I were to have the strength to live a neat 80 years... hmmmm...
ANYWAY, if God called me home today, then all these thoughts are but just a waste of time! Being SOBER is GOOD, as long as I move on and stop dwelling on it and rot, that is, nope!
I neeeeeeeeeeeeed to LIVE LIFE to the fullest by LIVING LIFE FOR MY GOD! What have I been doing with my past 38 years huh? HUH??
Seize the year, Lydia!
Seize the time!!
Seize the moment!!!
My prayer, O God, on this my 39th birthday, according to Psalm 90:12 onwards:
Teach me to number my days aright, that I may gain a heart of wisdom. Have compassion on me - your child. Satisfy me in the morning with your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days. May your deeds be shown to me, your splendor to my children. May the favor of the Lord my God rest upon me; establish the work of my hands for me — yes, establish the work of my hands.
In Jesus' gracious Name I humbly asked.
Amen and Amen!
Blessed 39th, Lydia!
Have fun in the Lord with your dear husband and children today :)
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." ~ 1 Thess 4:16-18
Titus 2:13 says "while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,"
"You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Luke 12:40
The Rapture, which is the Second Coming of Jesus is an established fact. It is a promise that Jesus gave us when he said in John 4:1-3 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
I may not have the priviledge to be at His First Coming which had happened some 2000 years ago when Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem, Israel, but I have the greatest definite priviledge to participate in His Second Coming! Glory!!
Even if I were to died before the Rapture takes place, I would still be a participant, in fact... "the dead in Christ will rise first!"
Totally Awesome! =)
The Imminent Return of my Savior, my Lord Jesus Christ, means that He could return at any moment, at any time, it is even at the door!
Perhaps today is the 2nd Coming! While there is no "Perhaps" in regards to the event of His return, the "Perhaps" here is refering to the TIMING~
Following is a super-nice poem written by J. Danson Smith. I SO love it! Hope you like it too :)
PERHAPS TODAY (The unedited version)
Today? Perhaps! Perhaps today! The Lord may come and catch away His ransomed Church, His blood-bought Bride To take her place at His blest side, When dead and living saints shall share One trumpet summons to the air.
Perhaps today! Yes! He may come And call us to our Heavenly Home, That wonderous place beyond compare Which He, in love, doth now prepare-- Our Father's House! How sweet! How blest To be forevermore at rest!
Today? Perhaps! Tis true! Today! Ere nightfall we may be away, Transported Home! How blest! How grand! Transported Home to Gloryland! One twinkling moment, then to be With Him for all eternity.
Perhaps today! Then why the fear? Tomorrow we may not be here! The thing so dreaded may not come Till we are safely gathered Home! The threat'ning storm-cloud may not break Till, in His Presence, we awake.
Perhaps today! Oh, lonely soul, Thy heart shall reach its longed-for goal; The fellowship, the joy, the bliss, Which now thy heart doth sorely miss, Perchance may be thy heart's delight Ere closes in another night.
Perhaps today! Then much-tried saint, Look up, nor let thy spirit faint; The stretching road thine eyes may see May never be traversed by thee-- One moment's space and then above, To find thyself in cloudless love!
Perhaps today, afflicted life, Thou shalt be taken from the strife, From all that hatred to thy word Which comes as thou dost please thy Lord. And then, ah then, how shall the pain Compared with all thou then shalt gain!
Perhaps today the fight will cease, And then, eternal wondrous peace! The evil hosts which rage and roar Shall reach us there? NO, nevermore! O blessed hope, to them be free For ever through eternity!
We'll meet again - perhaps today The dear ones who have passed away-- The loved ones who now softly sleep When Jesus now doth safely keep, Oh wondrous joy to meet them There At that blest union in the air!
Perhaps today this mortal frame With all enfeebled nature's claim Shall be exchanged, and we shall own A "temple" where shall not be known A sense of weakness or decay, Or strength that surely ebbs away.
Perhaps today we all shall stand At Christ's tribunal, wondrous grand-- There gathered through redeeming love, All ransomed, yet to have Him prove Life's service, and to gain reward Where life or labour pleased the Lord.
Perhaps today! He'll come most sure! This hope He means to keep us pure-- To have us watching, ready, free, Untrammeled with iniquity, That we may meet Him without shame Or conscious sense of guilt or blame.
Today perhaps! Perhaps today! Yes, He may come! Then watch and pray! This "blessed hope" keep much in view, Nor deem it dead, though taught by few. And be as urgent as you may In winning souls, while 'tis "Today"!
~ Written by J. Danson Smith~
Published in the book, Maranatha Bells, by Arno C. Gaebelein, Copyright 1935
I SO look forward to meet the Lord in the air and the transformation of my lowly body to that of Christ's glorified body at the Rapture!! Can't wait~
We are called to be ready at all times for we do not know when Jesus will return for us. What is known is that He promised to return. The Lord keeps His promises.
May we be ever ready to meet the Lord Jesus in the air.
May we expectantly await to meet the Lord in the air.
May we pray fervently from our hearts, "Come quickly, Lord Jesus."
ぴったりですよ。
"Umm.. why not?"
Luv you~
哈！哈！
聚餐照片：老爸，老妈，和阿boy
I received an invitation from Sarah Tan, who happened to be my sister and the one who led me to Christ, to sing a beautiful song!
Last Sunday was Father's Day. When I was in the church, the term "Abba, Father" was mentioned extensively throughout the worship.
Philip sent me an eCard with the following message:
Today I celebrate my 39th birthday~