guitar lesson number 2

so happy to learn guitar from bobo on tues, sida came n join us, he has gr8 sensitivity to music, thanks to their patience in guiding me, if not i will forever be playing only heart of worship. Learning a new strumming now, n learning bar chords now........so difficult !!
Huili says if we desire to grow, our growth will be like a stock market trend, i pray that God will allow us to grow up like this uptrend straight line( / ) and not the zig zag uptrend as he present constant challenges to grow us :D

aspire to be like bobo to feel the music, thank God for him n sida

Mh

Spiritual Habit of Worship

Hey bros and siss, i just thought of re-capping the things we have learnt during caregroup on Saturday. As i have said before, although the teaching on worship seems "back to basics", there are still insights to be learnt as we re-visit the truth.

What is not worship?

-Slow music
- Happens once a week
- Raising of hands and kneeling down
- Must be singing songs

What is worship?
- Glorifying and Edifying God
- A lifestyle
- WORTH-SHIP: Telling God the worth he holds in our lives

Why worship?
- Worship simply comes out of a relationship with Jesus
- Worship causes us to be more like God

How is your relationship with God recently? Do you have the habit of worship?

How to worship?
( John 4:20-24)

- In spirit (allow our emotions to come alive)
-In truth (in response to the biblical truths in the Scriptures)

In the passage, Jesus was telling the Samaritan woman at the well that worship is not about the location, but IT'S ABOUT THE ATTITUDE.

God is not trapped on the altar or locked in the temple.

Our body is the temple of God, in which the Holy Spirit given by God takes its dwellling. (1 Cor 6:19-20)

I have found a video clip about worship!



Remember, Worship is not what we can gain from God, it's about coming to the cross daily, to cry, to surrender, to laugh, to be humbled, to confess, TO GIVE OUR LIVES BACK TO GOD!

Spiritual Habits: Word of God, Prayer, Worship
These are the habits we have covered so far during caregroup recently. Let us really put action points to follow thru our understanding.

M&M this week . . .
~ Memorise & Meditate ~

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
(John 4:24)

My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
(Psalm 108:1)

everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial and constructive

Haven come here in quite awhile!! :( Partly lazy to post things here... oops... thanks for trying to keep this place alive!!! Haha..kudos to all who blogged recently!! Haha...

I’m so glad to see posts about how people are concerned about each other’s well-being, problems and even spiritual needs. In fact I’m encouraged to read how we are making sense of our lives, growing in our understanding of God, and sharing about burdens for people around us. Truly, I feel so heartened that we are learning to love each other more despite each others’ weaknesses and differences.

Just a reminder, we ought to be sensitive about some of the things that we post on the blog as much as we want to be open with each other in the blog.

Afterall, it’s a public blog.

That means, anyone actually can have access/ read the blog. NOT forgetting, this place can be traced and googled quite easily. Considering there’re many “real names” used here, I’m worried about some of the contents that are posted being read, or worse case MIS-understood or MIS-read by some third parties, or especially by the affected people themselves.

So I shall mercilessly remove and edit some of the contents that are not suitable for posting on such public blog. (if you r wondering, i only edited 2 posts, didnt touch much the rest...)

I do hope all of us have the same understanding that the more that we’ve knowledge of, the more is expected of us in handling such things with much care. So one important thing that we have to take extra extra note is the responsibility to handle these info with care and much sensitivity, especially when it pertains people’s lives. It can be about the struggles in their lives; it can be things that they are concerned with the most at the moment, etc etc. We need to exercise wisdom and care in sharing on such public blogs.

To take it even further, let’s learn to love and protect our beloved community by filtering and exercising control of what to blog here ok?

SO, I'm hereby setting some ground rules...

Please, no language that is not edifying. I dont think colorful languages looks "nice" on a site dedicated to Jesus agree?

We can certainly share our lives, the many things of our hearts or our thoughts here on this blog. But it is certainly not the best to share some of the things, esp concerning the others here. If we want to do so, let's rather share it in a setting that is during CGs, or with trustable bros & siss..definitely not a public blog yes yes yes?

Oh my, AND please don't leave your personal details like HP number here as well. What if some wierd person got your number when surfing through the blogs? :S protect ourselves too kaz...(You know I'm so worried seeing some of the posts as much as I'm happy to see the reflections!!)

“Everything is permissible” – but not everything is beneficial.
“Everything is permissible” – but not everything is constructive.
Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
1 Cor 10:23-24

Current Affairs - Legalise Organ Trading?

In the first place, do we even have the right to sell our organs?

photo from: network.nationalpost.com

Recently i have been quite interested in the debate on whether to legalise the trading of organs.

After the CG we had last week discussing on this issue, i continue to follow the news for the past few days, I was quite disappointed with the response of our Health Minister pertaining to this issue.

Here is part of the article and my inner response to some of the points:

Let's not rule out organ trading yet, says Khaw

The Straits Times - 15 July 2008

(c) 2008 Singapore Press Holdings Limited

SINGAPORE is not ruling out legalising organ trading.

The surprise comment from Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday is bound to re-ignite the fiery debate on the benefits and dangers of allowing the buying and selling of human kidneys, lungs and other organs.

The Government has stood firm so far on enforcing the present laws, which prohibit organ trade.

Recently, five people were taken to court in the country's first kidneys-for-sale deals.

But yesterday Mr Khaw said that organ shortages and a black market in the region made legalising trading an option.

(Is it? Should we compromise our values to go along with the waves/or so call FORCE? Should we keep shifting the position of the goal post, changing the dimensions? This is chaotic man! This is not a matter of multiplication, where -ve x -ve = +ve. If we allow trading of organs in Singapore, we are adding up negatives with negatives, where -ve + -ve = even more negatives! Selfish minds and Bad policies give us a society that we can't live in.)

'I think we should not write off or reject the idea of selling organs. But I think we need to study it carefully,' he said.

There are no immediate plans to change the law, as there are practical reasons why overturning the ban could backfire - like shrinking the current donor pool, he added.

He said yesterday: 'I remain of the view that organ trading is not the way to go, but we should not reject any idea given the reality.'

(OH man! we shouldn't even think about it)

Meanwhile, the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) has come out steadfastly against legalising the organ trade, following an emergency meeting on Saturday.

Its spokesman, Dr Tan Sze Wee, said organ sellers face an array of short- and long-term medical risks. The sellers, almost always desperately poor, could also be abused and exploited.

Mr Khaw said the best approach is still one of prevention, such as better control of diseases like diabetes.

(Of cos right? Who don't agree? Common sense mah...)

Singapore should promote altruistic donations through the Human Organ Transplant Act (Hota).

Mr Khaw added that he hoped to find a solution that protects the interests of the donor and the patient.

'How? I don't know. But if we do not force ourselves to think out of the box, then we will never be able to find a better solution,' he said.

(And what makes us think that we will be able to find a better solution if we force ourselves to think out of the box. Yes, I know, thinking out of the box mah!, we keep hearing it in schools also. However, I believe this issue can be discussed, and MUST be discussed and solved within the 'Morality Box'. Many times, we still need to confine things into a box, or else things will be in a mess! OMG!)

- My thoughts -

Legalising organ trading would mean . . .

Every piece of human body, whether alive or died, becomes a money machine - cheapening the value of human lives.

A leh-long of organs in the 'market place', whoever can match up with the price gets it. The POOR poor patients can only wait til the day of their death. - Sigh . . .

Blood banks need to buy blood from people (at market rates) to deal with demands for blood transfusion during surgeries (accidents, operations, giving birth.). There might be a strike by this greedy generation, trying to create a uproar for blood price hike. - Terrible! You just need blood (that is supposed to be free) to save lives yet some people are demanding for a blood price hike to offset the rise in fuel and oil. OMG!

Having the possibility of you feeling pain when a knife is stabbed into your body while you are walking on the road . . . and you find yourself with only 1 or none of your kidneys left when you wake up... - Pain + Shocked!

Having the possibility that young children are kidnapped by criminals to obtain their kidneys. - Oh no!

Having the possibility that all your family members are left with 1 kidney, and unable to donate their kidney (which is more compatible to yours to obtain higher success rate) to you when you need a transplant. - Desperate!

With only 1 kidney in your body, your kidney will be overworked, and you are more susceptible to diabetics and high blood pressure.
.
.
sorry if it sounded offensive to you. Not my intention. Really. But definitely something that is very possible to happen if we legalise 'Organ trading'
.
I can continue to paint this picture, but it seems too ugly and unsightly and unbearable, EVEN before the full picture is reviewed.

Why tear apart this box and will allow the 'rats and cockroaches' to run wild in this house?

Even movies and drama serials mentioned that a child is a gift from God. Wonderfully conceived at the moment the sperm fused with the egg and continue to form and take shape in the mother's womb.

Since it is a GIFT, what makes us think that we have the right to profit from something that is given to us without a price.

How ungrateful would that be?

fri 13/7

here's my review for the week: was really quite down the entire week, plus I didnt go for the service/unit/cg the week before. During the week, I thought back about my walk/growth in Christ. I couldn't help comparing with others, esp ppl who are spiritually stronger than me. Using them as a yardstick, I felt my own walk with God was alright, but growth was too slow, esp since the cg seems to be quite short-handed. I couldn't wait for my growth, and I couldn't see myself growing. It didn't seem like I was growing right, or at the right pace either.

Basically, for the entire week, my mood was off-the-mark. I was discouraged, self-esteem and confidence took a dive. I thought about how I'm still not disciplined enough to want to read my bible, qt and pray everyday; I have to drag myself to do it at times, and I will honestly forget to do it sometimes and only to realise it the next day or the day after. I also reminiscenced about my past; thinking of how much time I had wasted, how little knowledge/wisdom I had accumulated when I could have made full use of the time that I had in the past to do so. I was apprehensive about how I could contribute to the cg etc.

Thank God for calyn that day. She called, and we talked. Started out quite surface, but as I was bored in my uneventful job, we continued to talk. As the conversation grew deeper, we touched on the topic of my worries and doubts.

I had quite a number of worries on my mind, though many a times the verse "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself" (Matt 7:34) popped up into my mind. Not only was I worrying about how my relationship with God has (not) been growing, I was dan xin for Meiyi as well. She doesn't seem to be receptive to the idea of going to the poly group, and has been avoiding that qn since the beginning of time (just kidding). There are also a number of issues I hope to bring to attention to her, but I do not know how to put them into words, such that they may not hurt her, yet rivets her focus back to these issues, and gravitate her centre to God.

There's also the time problem. I need more time, Lord!! 24 hours for a day, 7 days a week is simply not enough for me! Free time for the both of us seem to be always clashing, what with her CCAs, meetings, school and tuition work. I need to meet up with her to talk regularly, but we cant even find time to talk on the phone anymore. =((

As aforementioned, I worry about the amount I'm able to contribute to the cg. We have phantom members, hotel/hosp/holiday-resort members, visiting members and incoming members. I'm worried for lyndia, simin, meiyi and jasmine, for now. I want to talk to them, connect with them, and hope to see them grow in Christ, but I find it difficult to meet up with them. Now I think I will have more time on my hands, so I'll have truckloads of time for them! However, one-to-one is a bit scary for me, so I need free ppl to come with me --> volunteers pls! =)) Or, if any one of you is meeting up with any of them for unofficial reasons and do not mind me tagging, pls call 9******* and mj will be happy to answer! =) Oh, this applies to any of the freshmen too =)

Oh, I digressed. Hmm, so on fri, calulyn called (love the nickname lily came up with). We talked, and I told her about how I think I've been stagnant. She gave me plenty of examples that showed me how she thinks I've grown, and little by little, I grew less apprehensive, more encouraged, more confident that my walk with God has not been fruitless, more determined to persevere and grow further. =))

Yeap! I think that's what might have sparked the numerous games ideas that I had =D

WWWWHHHHEEEE!!

Okay, I shall end with something God just reminded me about.
[Paul's] Call to Persevere
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another..."
~Hebrews 10:23-25a

Shall end here!
This is MJ reporting live, from NusB2, Hope Church Singapore.

See you guys soon! Can't wait to play the game =DD

for i am weak, then i am strong

I felt an urge to write this post in the middle of the night after seeing my dear sister who has been very busy juggling with her troubles and work to pay for her own expenses and handling family problems. Indeed troubles come to everyone n every person tinks that he or she is in the deepest valley. it is definitely a long story to share and we cannot share it to everybody cos of certain reasons like parents forbidding or too lazy to say (thats me)haha...

We may not know wads going on specifically in one another's issues but we know that we r having some challenges in life, and jus this knowledge alone is enough for us to help n pray for them to overcome wadeva obstacles there mayb ahead.

im worried about 2 sisters....both of them so sweet and helpful(just like every hope member). despite each of them having their own troubles, they wanna help each other out. And I broke off with my gf, with her mum harassing me with her sms every now and then, i feel bitterness and sadness and pain (thnks to calyn hu says i onli use my mind and strength to do tings instead of my heart and soul)breaking up is not as issue but its abt myself, i cannot accept myself to be like that, i wun turn bak to a failed r-ship n yet i feel bitter if she gets together with someone, in short, im selfish....and of cos many other inner strugglesi had with myself da past mth. Whose prob is worse? ALL r as bad, to us ourselves.

we have 2 choices now: either we can indulge in melancholy mood, or choose to pick ourselves up n face all odds. I chose the latter, for i m glad n sad that our bros n sis have been helping me, glad to know they r around, sad to know im imposing on them, esp calyn, hu onli knows how to share swts with me, yet i always give her problems.

so come on sisters, let us pick ourselves up, instead of indulging ourselves in mel mel mode, why not tink of things we can do to bless ourselves n bless ppl. Women are getting stronger these days, stronger than men in fact(just look at our church), and da 2 of u r strong WOMEN rite?wads more we have unlimited help from our bros and sis in christ 24/7 =D if this journey cannot be any easier, we shall and we must get stronger...and all this i pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

ps:can post such tings on da blog? oh well, i already posted it