Loneliness - A Curse or is there something more to it

I happened to 'bump' into this website and somehow it caught my attention. The content inevitably spoke into a part of me and I really took some time to think about it. Here are some of the things I have cut-and-paste from the article:
(original website: http://www.actsweb.org/daily.php?id=409)

"Ron Clarke of Tasmania shared how "one of England's great poets, Rupert Brooke, who died in 1915, wrote the following note: 'I felt a trifle lonely before I left Liverpool; everybody seemed to have people to see them off. So I went back on shore and found a dirty little boy who was unoccupied, and said his name was William. 'Will you wave to me if I give you sixpence, William?' I said. 'Why, yes,' said William. So I gave him sixpence and went on board. When the time came he leaned over the railing on the landing stage and waved. So I got my six-pennyworth and my farewell—thanks to William.'"

"How very sad. Karen and Richard Carpenter in one of their popular songs some time ago sang with deep meaning, "Loneliness, it's such a sad affair … and I can hardly wait to be with you again…." How true these words were for Karen who starved herself to death because of her own loneliness and the feeling of not being loved. Being popular and in the limelight can never compensate for the need for close, loving relationships. I believe it was Janis Joplin, another popular vocalist, who said that the only time she felt okay was when she was on stage. The rest of the time she suffered from deep loneliness. She, too, took her own life with an overdose of Heroin in 1970. Even though "her career lasted only a few years, she has been hailed as the greatest white female blues singer who ever lived."

"The fact is we were created for relationships and while it may not be the most desirable, we can live without romantic love, but we cannot live healthily without close, loving relationships. Within the Holy Trinity God is in relationship, and one of the first things Jesus did when he commenced his ministry was to choose the twelve disciples "that might be with him." And while he never married, he certainly had close friendships with Mary and Martha as well as with their brother, Lazarus. And if Jesus needed close friends, how much more do we? "To be, is to be in relationship."

I guess there are times when we do feel that loneliness, as if no one is there, no one understands you, no one cares for you, you are nobody. I feel that too! But i choose not to believe because that's what Satan wants you to believe. I'm not saying that we should deny our feeling of being lonely but rather we should not be so deep into feeling lonely that we shut ourselves from the world. Satan wants to shut you from other people so that you will have no ways to receive help from others and slowly, you will be disillusioned and before you know it, you are gone! Don't just sit there and cry over our sorrows but stand up, face it and learn to deal with it.

And another lesson I learn is that when we have no one close with us, we feel intense loneliness, misery, sorrow, ..... (fill in your own blank). If i would take a step further, how much more pain, sorrow,... will we feel if we are alone without God. God has created us so that we can have a relationship with Him. Even before we were created, God has always believe in relationship. He Himself existed as 3, the Trinity. 1 is alone, 2 is a couple and 3 is a crowd. He had always wanted to relate to one another and we created in His image will desire to be in a relationship. And most importantly, be in an intimate relationship with God.


(taken from: http://godonline.co.za/Article833.html)
"We’ve all experienced some form of loneliness, but there are some who experience such deep loneliness that it feels as if it has permeated the heart and soul. You are not alone! Your Father knows you completely and understands your loneliness better than anyone else- AND – there is absolutely nothing you can hide from Him!

He created you and He loves you more than human understanding. Grasp that with your whole being and know that He is with you always!"

And here something I believe it's a hope for us. Our Father knows how we feel and He definitely can sympahtise with us. He definitely has not abandoned nor forsaken us. He is always with us, ALWAYS!

After reading all these and you want to make a differnce, here's some help:
(taken from:
http://www.backtothebible.org/
lifeissues/relationships/what_you_can_do_loneliness.htm)
"God can use the pain of loneliness to move you into a deeper relationship with Himself and others, as an opportunity to learn, grow, deepen, develop and mature. What Satan has designed for evil, God can use for good. We can become more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37). But where do we start?

First, seek fellowship with God. Thank Him and praise Him for His person, His promises and His lovingkindness. That's what David did in Psalm 142. Pour out your heart to Him in prayer. Share your concerns, hurts, fears, frustrations and discouragements.

Second, notice what you are telling yourself about your loneliness. On a sheet of paper, complete the phrase "I am lonely because . . ." ten times. Are you blaming yourself, God, other people, fate or circumstances? These may be excuses to keep you from trusting God and risking growth. On the back of that paper, write ten specific promises from God's Word regarding His love and His plans and provisions for you.

Third, develop some creative options. What are the possibilities? Thank God that you don't have to suffer from chronic loneliness. Take another sheet of paper and complete the phrase "With God's help I can. . ." ten times. What haven't you tried? What have you tried that you can try again? Talk to others who have overcome loneliness and find out what worked for them. "

"Most lonely people have inadequate communication skills, which make reaching out even more threatening. A valuable fourth step for lonely people is to work on increasing your communication skills. John Powell, in his book Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? lists five levels of communication.

Level 1: Circle Conversation. Small talk is safe because there is no real sharing of ourselves.

Level 2: Reporting the Facts About Others. This is also fairly safe for lonely people. There is little risk involved in reporting the ideas of other people. Approximately 90 percent of the communication of those who suffer from chronic loneliness takes place at Level 1 or Level 2.

Level 3: Sharing My Ideas and Judgments. Here we begin to take some risk. As I tell you some of my opinions, I will be watching you carefully to see your reaction. If you respond favorably, then we can probably go to the next level. If not, then I will play it safe and stay at Level I or 2.

Level 4: Sharing My Feelings. When we share our feelings, we tell another person a lot about us. Because of the fear of rejection and failure, sharing feelings can be risky. But it provides a unique opportunity for growth. If we don't take the risk and share, we are guaranteed failure.

Level 5: Peak Communication. This involves complete commitment and trust. We know we are safe, so there is no need to held back. Powell compares Level 5 communication to two musical instruments playing in perfect harmony.

Now it's time to take action. Sitting around feeling bad and waiting for something to happen is not what the Bible means when it talks about "redeeming the time." Don't ignore your feelings, but do take your eyes off yourself and your problems and focus on specific things you can do. If you have followed my suggestions so far, then you already have a number of options. Make a list of the ideas you came up with and put them in order, starting with the easiest and least threatening task first. Start the change process by taking some small and safe steps.

Since our patterns of thinking and responding have taken years to develop, they won't change overnight. In fact, an overnight transformation is probably only a surface or cosmetic change. Meaningful change involves a series of small steps and takes time. The process is usually simple, but it is rarely easy.

Also remember that, although you often feel alone, you are not alone. God designed us to be in relationship. One of the many effects of the Fall was the creation of a barrier between God and man and between man and other men. One of the results of the cross was to provide a basis for restoring our relationship with God and with one another. We don't all have to become extroverts, but we all need some companionship and a few close friends. What God has promised, He will accomplish--if, with His help, we are willing to set aside our fears, trust Him, and by faith take some new steps."



Cursed? I have my doubts. Loneliness is very much alive but it is not a terminal illnes. In fact, it draws me to the point that I am not meant to be a lone ranger but one who needs companionship of close friends and most importantly a relationship with God. And even when man fails, God is still faithful. Let's put our faith in God.

Scripture Verse 12

25 July 2005 (Monday)

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

John 14:2-3

In this passage, Jesus was talking to His disciples. It is clear that Jesus told them that there are many rooms prepared for them and after He left(die), He will come back to bring us there. This is a promise of Jesus, that He will come back for us. Isn't that wonderful, to be living under the same roof with Jesus. But from this, we could see that when God created us, He has everything in mind for us. He had already prepared many rooms for us. He gave His one and only Son to redeem us. And now He is just waiting for that day when His Son will bring all of us to our promised room. Isn't God wonderful and great. Praise be to God

Scripture Verse 011

24 July 2005 (Sunday)

Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

Psalm 23:6

This Psalm is written by David. Indeed it shows that David is a very positive person when it comes to deal with his life. He said 'surely goodness and love will follow him ALL the DAYS OF HIS LIFE'. I'm not sure if I'm ready or even convinced to say this. Life is like a box of chocolate. There are so many flavours. Life can at this one moment be happy but then the next, one with trials and tribulations. But I have learn something. Even at such bad times, I always remind myself, things could be worse and surely the Lord will deliver me through. As i look in this light, definitely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.

David added saying that he will dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER because he knows that all the goodness and love is from Him and he wants to be as close to Him to experience all these. Do I want to dwell in the house of the Lord? Definitely.

Scripture Verse 010

23 July 2005 (Saturday)

In him and through faith in him we may approach God

with freedom and confidence.

Ephesians 3:12

When we didn't know God, we were far away from Him in our sins. We were enslaved by sins and we had no rights to go to God. But when we believe in Jesus and that He died for our sins, our gap with God has been bridged. We no longer are distanced away from God. As we come before God, He does not see the 'filth' in us but He sees Jesus. We can now freely approach God through Jesus Christ.

21-23 July (Thur- Sat)

21 July (Thursday)

My mum slipped in the toilet and had knocked her right knee against the toilet bowl the day before. And now her knee is in such pain that she has to limp around. Seeing that it was worsening, we persuaded her to go for an X-ray and see a doctor. So this morning, I brought my mum to Tampines Polyclinics with my Dad tagging along. At the end of the check-up, I thank God that there were no fractures or major issues. It is just simply because that such knock at her age may be more painful for her and will take longer to heal. So got her painkillers, my dad went back with her while i went over to Tampines Central to get some stuff.
So i went to Tampines Mall NTUC. It has just been renovated and honestly, everything was in a mess. At one corner, you can find tinned food mixed with other non-edible stuff. And I just simply couldn't find my stuff. After one round of quick glancing, I was frustrated and becoming impatient because i simply can't find my stuff. So I left with much irritation. So i decided to go to Simei, East Point Mall NTUC instead. Took a train down. Then when reached there, i got all my stuff with little effort. The tricky part was that all the queues were pretty long. So i spotted this queue with only 2 person but with many stuff. But i didn't mind since only got 2. Shd be quite fast. So i took the queue. And guess wat. SOme technical problems. Den end up waited like about 10 minutes before my turn. ARGGGHHH! NVM!
After paying up, i went to one of the coffee shop for lunch. The shop sell chicken rice and economic rice but different counter. At first, i queued at the chicketn rice stall but the queue was not moving so i jumped to the shorter queue at the economic rice. But guess wat, as i changed, the queue on the other side grew longer while the chicken rice stal was getting shorter. I was pretty annoyed. And then the queue stop moving. So fickle-minded as i am at times, i changed back to Chicken rice and then the queue at the Economic rice cleared. Haiz.... Pretty annoyed. But eventually got my chickent rice and sit down to eat. Then i start to think about the 3 incidents that happen. All similiar in nature and i dun believe that it is so coincidental. As i came to the Lord, i feel that He was telling me that I got to be more patient and not to rush into doing things simply becoz it looks like a better choice at that moment. And i guess i tend to do things in this way. Got to be more patient and not so haste in making unnecessary changes. Really thk God for His valuable lesson.

Another lesson that I learn today. As you know my mum is injured, so nobody is doing dinner. I offered to. OK! DUN GIVE ME TAT LOOK! I CAN COOK! (My rationale is that nowadays girls dun do or rather do minimal house work. Having said this, how can i depend on them in this area. SO best is that at least i'm independant in this area) It's something that I'm proud of and i see it's something worth investing in since i always see that when i do get married, houseworks have to be shared between the spouses. So i always tell myself that i will do housework, cooking, washing when i get married. But this day, the Lord impressed upon me this. Why not do it now? Why wait until only when i'm married? If i start now, it is preparing me and not until I get married den i figured out how to go about doing it. And really thk God for helping me see it in such a way. And as i do the cooking, i do it with so much joy.

22 July (Friday)

NO class today. MUAHAHHAHAAHA! Went to church to look for Eleanor and Lydia but they all not in. On course. So i went to Chapel and played the piano. So nice. How i wish i had taken keyboard lesson when i was young. Really love the piano. But since i'm such a beat-deaf person, i'll most probably shortened my teacher's life span. Den in the evening, went over to Novena to meet Claudia. Going to see the restaurant where the Youth Ministry is organising this "Dinner under the stars" dinner for the youths. It is meant to mark the end of our recent programme For Men/ For women and also the start of abstinance, remaining pure for God and our future spouse. The place looks splendid but need to finalise further details. So after that, decided to drop by Claudia's cell. For the last 3 yrs, i have been out of cell because I was with the Youth Cell (THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT) And i really miss the times when i was in cell where i just sit there and do nothing and enjoy the fellowship and God's word. SO that nite was really enjoyable and brought back a lot of memory. Though i struggled with my Mandarin, I tot it was a good practise to 'retrieve' back my mother's tongue (no intention pun in it) and also to know God's word in another language. And the best part is the makan session. Got glutinous rice ball, rice dumpling, 'kueh', vegetable pao, bombay toast, and durian. Muahahahaha.

23 July (Saturday)

Had a worship practise with Si En and Xin Ling in the early afternoon. Den followed by Bass practise with Yvonne. After tat we had our NO Apologies, session 2. Then after that, went to TM to celebrate Joanne's birthday. Went Genki Sushi. WOah! 7 of us but eat until 100 plus. Thkfully got discount, end up onli 86 bucks. After that went home.
One thing i just want to thk God and also to the people involved (no name mentioned) TOday need some rearrangemet of chairs in the church MPH for next day's service. I didn't really bother to rally people to help. I just tot tat if the youths really understand the meaning of servanthood, without me asking, they will take notice and come and help. And true enough, a few of them, came and help. Not just the guys but the girls also. I won't mention names but i'm sure you know who you are. If you are reading this, I want to affirm you and say a well-done to you.
When we offer ourself to help out, i always see 2 aspects of it. 1st is Service and the 2nd is Servanthood. Service is offering ourself to do things that we are able to do becoz either we have knowledge in it, skilled in it or trained in it. For eg, if you are able to play an instrument or can sing, you will provide the Service to the music ministry. As for servanthood, it's beyond just doing what we are good at. It's doing things that may not even be within our area of work. For eg, like the rearranging of chairs or even other small things like clearing up or throwing rubbish bag. We may not have the 'skill' or the 'strength' to do such things but that does not mean we can say it's none of our biz. As those girls who help out in the chair arrangement, I'm proud to say that this is called servanthood. I know to remove the chairs from the stack is not easy and 'dangerous', and that could be your best reason to excuse yourself from doing the job. But you all did not. Though you didn't help with the removing from the stack (which is understandable), you all help to rearrrange the chairs. And all these are done with your own initiation. That's another part of servanthood. Own initiation, without people asking, not under any obligations but purely becoz you choose to you. Good job and keep it up. I can guarantee that if your life is a life of servanthood, God is going to do great things in your life. Just like Jesus, He came not to be served but to serve.

Scripture Verse 009

22 July 2005 (Friday)

I know that my Redeemer lives,

and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

Job 19:25

As Christians, we know that God send His one and only Son to come to earth and that the Son died for our sins on the cross. And after 3 days, he rose from the stone grave. Indeed our Redeemer lives. We do not worship a dead God but one who had love us so much that He died for us and eventually, revealing His great plan, rose again. And we know that we are victorious in Jesus and that at the end of the world, He will come again to earth to bring His people to their promised land.

Scripture Verse 008

21 July 2005 (Thursday)

Teach us to number our days aright

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

When every day of our life is planned with a purpose, I believe we will not stray away from God. In every day of our life, we should ask God to teach us to make it aright. So then we will know what to do and be more focus and less likely to be distracted and in turn, do something that is wrong. As we constantly everyday ask the Lord to teach us, we will begin to understand and know God better and our heart will be in tune with His. That's heart of wisdom. A heart that chases after God. So let's number everyday aright.

Scripture Verse 007

20 July 2005 (Wednesday)

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased

with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and

with honest intent.

1 Chronicles 29:17

If we look into context, this words are spoken by David. He and the Isralites had built a temple for God and the 'funds' for building the temple were from them. But David choose to acknowledge that the funds they have come up with comes from the Lord. And he used the word abundance which signifies that God had given not just sufficient but above what they need. (v16). And David wanted to testify of the faithfulness and the sincerity of the heart of the Isralites and ask God to test their heart. And David boldly declared that all the people had given willingly with an honest intent.
I truly believe that we should be like David. Man of great faith, thanksgiving and with great love for God. As he give unto God, he gave in faith, believing that God had given them more than enough. Then as we tithe and give offertory unto God, do we give with such faith and joy? (2 Corinthians 9:7 - God loves a cheerful giver) Why do I say David is a man of thanksgiving? I feel that when he used the word 'abundance', firstly, I see that He acknowledged God's providence and secondly, a way of thanksgiving for the 'extra' providence. So next time when we give, let's not just quickly dispose the offertory into the offertory bag, but take some time and really see the goodness and blessings the Lord is doing in your life. Lastly, David is a man of great love for God. To be frank, sometimes when I have more, I do feel a bit heart-pain to give more. But David did not see it that way. He was more willingly to give the 'extra' back to God. And I believe he did it out of his love for God. If we truly love God, we will give Him the best and also trust that He will give us the best.

NOT ANOTHER CHINESE SONG!

一千年以前

心跳乱了节奏
梦也不自由
爱是个绝对承诺不说
撑到一千年以后
放任无奈淹没尘埃
我在废墟之中守着你走来
我的泪光承载不了
所有一切你(需)要的爱

因为在一千年以后
世界早已没有我
无法深情挽着你的手
浅吻着你额头
别等到一千年以后
所有人都遗忘了我
那时红色黄昏的沙漠
能有谁
解开缠绕千年的寂寞

Scripture Verse 006

19 July 2005 (Tuesday)

Do not let your heart envy sinners,

but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.

There is always a future hope for you,

and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17-18

Sometimes when people do wrong things, get away with it and worst, they end up getting credit or being 'praised' for the actions, it keeps you wondering if there is justice at all. And honestly, I would most probably be tempted to follow that guy's footsteps. But in these verses, God clearly instructs that we should not envy the people who had done wrong. In 2 Chronicles 19:7 - "Now let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery." In Ezekiel 33:20 - "But I will judge each of you according to his own ways." From these 2 sets of verse, we know that our God is impartial and just and He will judge every one according to his ways. (You can read Scripture Verse 003) Even though that person may get away from his acts, he still will have to account it to God and be judged. So there isn't anything to envy about that person but let us be zealous for the fear of the Lord. Sounds a bit funny dun you think so. Be passionate about fearing the Lord. I always choose to fear God out of respect and awe and not just merely because I'm afraid. And if you eager to show respect and awe, you will not do things against the Lord. And lastly, God promised us that if we choose to honour Him, He has a future for us and He will definitely cut us away. Isn't that a good news. Praise the Lord!

Scripture Verse 005

18 July 2005 (Monday)

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

This is a simple sentence but honestly, I find it quite difficult to comment on it. To put it in simple terms, it means that everything that is to happen, will happen in its due time appointed by God and no one can alter it. And if you read on to verse 9 it talks about 'What does the worker gain from his toil?' This verse talks about man trying to make things happen by their own effort when it is not God's will. And eventually they work in vain. But if you see the other side of it, it is actually telling us that if we work according to the timing and season of God, we will see enjoy our work and the blessings that comes along. But having said all these, I'm not just talking about good things and activities. It could come in forms of calamaties, trials, painful experience and etc, things that are not 'nice' in its nature. But if you fully understand this verse that everything happens in God's timing and that God's purpose for us is to prosper and not harm us (Jeremiah 29:11), even when times are bad, you will still trust in God that He is in control and He will deliver you through. So my brothers and sisters, if you are in any hard times, dun give up on yourself and nvr give up on God. He will definitely see you through.

Another Chinese Song (童话) including my version

童话 by 光良

忘了有多久 再没听到你对我说你最爱的故事
我想了很久 我开始慌了 是不是我又做错了什么
你哭著对我说 童话里都是骗人的 我不可能是你的王子
也许你不会懂 从你说爱我以后 我的天空 星星都亮了

我愿变成童话里 你爱的那个天使
张开双手变成翅膀守护你
你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里
幸福和快乐是结局

你哭著对我说 童话里都是骗人的 我不可能是你的王子
也许你不会懂 从你说爱我以后 我的天空 星星都亮了

我愿变成童话里 你爱的那个天使
张开双手变成翅膀守护你
你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里
幸福和快乐是结局

我要变成童话里 你爱的那个天使
张开双手变成翅膀守护你
你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里
幸福和快乐是结局

我会变成童话里 你爱的那个天使
张开双手变成翅膀守护你
你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里
幸福和快乐是结局
一起写我们的结局
(This is the original version which talks in the perspective of the girl not feeling compatible to the guy and the guy is actually willingly to accept her and wants to protect her)

(I have took the song and changed some of the lyrics. I have changed the perspective to the guy liking this girl but not sure if she likes him. Even if he can't tell her that he loves her, the least he want to do is to be near her and give her happiness)

童话 by ME

忘了有多久 再没听到你在钢琴弹你最爱歌曲
我想了很久 我开始慌了 是不是我已错过了什么
我哭著对我说 童话里不属于我的 我不可能是你的王子
也许你不会懂 从你出现那一刻 我的天空 星星都亮了

我愿变成童话里 你爱的那个天使 张开双手变成翅膀守护你
我很渴望 渴望我们会像童话故事里 幸福和快乐是结局

我哭著对我说 童话里不属于我的 我不可能是你的王子
也许你不会懂 从你出现那一刻 我的天空 星星都亮了

我愿变成童话里 你爱的那个天使 张开双手变成翅膀守护你
我很渴望 渴望我们会像童话故事里 幸福和快乐是结局

我要变成童话里 你爱的那个天使 张开双手变成翅膀守护你
我很渴望 渴望我们会像童话故事里 幸福和快乐是结局

(但愿)我能变成童话里 你的神秘的天使 张开双手默默一旁守护你
每分每秒 无时无刻守在你的身旁 幸福和快乐是给你
也许我只是个回忆

Scripture Verse 004

17 July 2005 (Sunday)

And we pray this in order that you may live a life

worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:

bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the

knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power

according to His glorious might so that you may have

great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks

to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the

inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:10-12

Paul is writing to the people of Colosse. He mentioned that he had heard about their faithfulness and that he and other brothes and sisters-in-Christ were praying for them. Praying that 1) bear fruit in every good work 2) grow in the knowledge of God 3) strengthened with all power according to His glorious might

I think as Christians ourselves, we shd pray this prayer as well. Even more for those who are serving in ministry. Every work that we had done, we are just simply sowing seeds. Whether the seeds grow and bear fruit, that is the work of God. So in order to see the fruits, we have to commit our work into God's hands.

We also need to grow in the knowledge of God. How? Well i guess there's only one way. The bible. The bible is His word, His knowledge that He want to impart to us. By reading and medidating on His Word, we will grow in wisdom and we will be able to know God and His will better.

And we need the strength from Him. Our energy is limited and there is only a distance that each of us can go. By our strength, we will accomplish nothing. Nothing! Until we learn to draw strength from Him, we will soon be a dried-up well.

As we allow God to bear the fruits, and we ourselves, constantly rooted in God's Word and drawing strenth from Him, we will cultivate greater endurance and patience. Why? Becoz we are not striving towards our goals by our own effort but with our God in control.

And lastly, like what Paul mentioned, to joyfully give thanks to God who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints of the kingdom of light. Let us never forget that it's our Father in heaven, who has graciously and mercifully, drawn us back to Him and to be able to share in all His heritance. Praise be to God!

Scripture Verse 003

16 July 2005 (Saturday)

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgement,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Fear God not becoz we are afraid but out of respect and awe. And we keep His commandment becoz we know that these laws are good and beneficial. And one of things that is very clear in these verses, is that every deed will be judged. We can never run away from our actions. There is no running away from consequences. One day, every body will have to come before God and account for everything, big, small, right or wrong, all deeds. So let's really consider our actions before executing it. However one point not to mix up with is that Salvation is not by deeds but by faith. As long as you believe that Jesus is God and had died for you and was risen again, your salvation is secured. But that doesn't gives us the liberty to do whatever we want. That's why coming back to the top of these verses, it says, Fear God and keep His commandments. We still have to follow the rules of God. People often mentioned that there are too many rules in Christianity and all these make it boring and dull. But I think otherwise. In any game, there must be rules and regulation. So that every player will know what they can do and cannot and what is their roles and responsibility. That's when everybody knows their roles, then can the game be played and played in a regulated and enjoyable way. Imagine a soccer match that has no rules. I can imagine chaos. So likewise in our walk with God, we need to know the commandments so that then our walk with God will be enjoyable. The commandments are not meant to tie us down but help us to know how to have a closer and intimate relationship with our Father.

Scripture Verse Day 002

haha! I think it's better to call this Scripture Verse than Memory Verse. Some of the verse are real long. Dun think can memorise everything. But if you can, i still encourage you to memorise.

Today's Verse:

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life,

to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its

deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of our

minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God

in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

Yes! Unless the old is removed, the new cannot be received. Our old self has been tainted, corrupted, destroyed by our own evil desires. No matter how hard we try to change by our own effort, it is pointless and in vain. But this does not mean that we are hopeless and doom for sure. We do have hope. The only way to put away our past behind is to accept Jesus becoz He is the truth, the way and the life. (John 14:6) As we accept Him, we have to also accept and learn His attitudes, His teachings. It simply means transforming our old self into the likeness of Jesus. And this verse specifically mention the changing of our attitude in our mind. It means to change our way of thinking. Not to think like the world but to think of what is right and holy in God's eyes. It may sound tough and impossible but it's not. There's a chinese saying, "If there's perseverance, a rod can be filed into a needle." So have faith and dun give up.

Memory Verse Day 001

Hi to all, I guess I had always wanted to do this but just seemed like I never had the chance nor the time to really sit down and materialise it. But thankfully due to a coincidental incident, I'm able to do it. Oh! Yah! I think you all must be wondering what I am talking about. I'm talking about having a daily scripture verse being put up. Cool! Then everybody will get to learn the Word of God!

So today, is the first day that the verse will be put up. And the verse is:

"Honour the Lord with your wealth,

with the firstfruits of all your crops;

then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

and your vats will brim over with new wine."

Proverbs 3:9-10

Bless the Lord and you will see the floodgate of blessings opening and pouring into your life. Don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about prosperity gospel. The blessings I'm talking about can be in any form from material to emotional to spirtual to physical blessings. So let's not be just be blinded that the only blessing is money, wealth, materialistic stuff. Our God knows our needs and He will give us the best. I think the point here in this verse is to really love our God that we are so quick and sincere to honour Him with our best. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Just For Fun 17

Your EQ is

153 50 or less: Thanks for answering honestly. Now get yourself a shrink, quick! 51-70: When it comes to understanding human emotions, you'd have better luck understanding Chinese. 71-90: You've got more emotional intelligence than the average frat boy. Barely. 91-110: You're average. It's easy to predict how you'll react to things. But anyone could have guessed that. 111-130: You usually have it going on emotionally, but roadblocks tend to land you on your butt. 131-150: You are remarkable when it comes to relating with others. Only the biggest losers get under your skin. 150+: Two possibilities - you've either out "Dr. Phil-ed" Dr. Phil... or you're a dirty liar.

What's Your EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient)?

Just For Fun 16

You Are Strawberry Pocky

Your attitude: fresh and sweetComforting, yet quirky ... quietly hyperYou always see both sides to everything

What Flavor Pocky Are You?

Just For Fun 15

You Are a Peacemaker Soul

You strive to please others and compromise anyway you can. War or conflict bothers you, and you would do anything to keep the peace. You are a good mediator and a true negotiator. Sometimes you do too much, trying so hard to make people happy. While you keep the peace, you tend to be secretly judgmental. You lose respect for people who don't like to both give and take. On the flip side, you've got a graet sense of humor and wit. You're always dimplomatic and able to give good advice. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul, Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Just For Fun 14

Your Dominant Intelligence is Logical-Mathematical Intelligence

You are great at finding patterns and relationships between things. Always curious about how things work, you love to set up experiments. You need for the world to make sense - and are good at making sense of it. You have a head for numbers and math ... and you can solve almost any logic puzzle. You would make a great scientist, engineer, computer programmer, researcher, accountant, or mathematician.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Just For Fun 13

You Have A Type B Personality

B You're as laid back as they come... Your baseline mood is calm and level headed Creativity and philosophy tend to be your forte Like a natural sedative, you have a soothing effect on people Friends and family often turn to you first with their problems You have the personality to be a spiritual or psychological guru

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Just For Fun 12

You Are A Realistic Romantic

You are more romantic than 70% of the population. It's easy for you to get swept away by romance...But you've done a pretty good job keeping perspective.You're still taken in by love poems and sunsetsYou just don't fall for every dreamy pick up line!

Are You Romantic or Realistic?

Just For Fun 11

Your Brain is 66.67% Female, 33.33% Male

Your brain leans female You think with your heart, not your head Sweet and considerate, you are a giver But you're tough enough not to let anyone take advantage of you!

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Ok this is interesting and embarrassing as well. Haha! Hmmm! They dun call me Jie Jie Kor Kor for nothing i guess. Haha!

Just For Fun 10

You Are a Drama Princess (or Prince)

(You are more dramatic than 30% of the population.) You're not over the top dramatic, but you have your moments. You know how to steal the spotlight... And how to act out to get your way. People around you know that you're good for a laugh. But at times, your drama gets a bit too much for everyone. Tone it down a tad, and you'll still be the center of attention.

Are You a Drama Queen (or King)?

Just For Fun 9

You Are A Good Friend

You're always willing to listen Or lend a shoulder to cry on You're there through thick and thin Many people consider you their "best friend"!

What Kind of Friend Are You?

Just For Fun 8

You Were Actually Born Under:

Resourceful and practical, you are a quick thinker. You are very observant - and it's hard to get anything past you! A total perfectionist, you are especially picky about looking your best. You're a big dreamer - such a big dreamer that reality can disappoint you. You are most compatible with an Ox or Snake.

You Should Have Been Born Under:

You are totally loyal, faithful, and honest. However, you don't trust others to be as ethical as you are! Straight forward and direct, you really aren't one for small talk. You are a great listener - and an agreeable companion when you're in a good mood! You are most compatible with a Tiger or Horse.

What Year Were You Born Under?

Actually this one is really just for fun. Dun believe in horoscope or zodiac sign.

Just For Fun 7

You Are Not Scary

Everyone loves you. Isn't that sweet?

How scary are you?

Just For Fun 6

Overall, Your Observation Skills Get: C-

You tend to notice the big things in life... But the details aren't exactly your forte

How Observant Are You?

Funny Stuffs

Haha! These are some of the funny video clips that i come across on the net. Something to share with you all.

http://www.slacko.net/media/movie/5521.wmv
An advertisement on Ford.

http://media2.dumpalink.com/media/ycDE4QAjnXi2/yMf8wEKKPkWj.wmv
Ok! This is for Simpson's fans! 2 men mimicking the voices in Simpsons. Fantastic!

http://media.yourdailymedia.com/files/jK2fsB5S2xnV.wmv
Stand-up comedian! Hilarious!

http://media.yourdailymedia.com/files/Uu96Rc3bj9yz.wmv
This is what inspire the first cannon.

http://media.yourdailymedia.com/files/qZr9LsVatH45.wmv
This guy is splendid with mimicking sounds and voices but most of the time I dun get the jokes and his accent. But den he is still reall funny.

http://media.yourdailymedia.com/files/G3yeF1mdpsg8.wmv
http://media.yourdailymedia.com/files/9SVzRrL4K8ME.wmv
Ok! This is one of the most hilarious and in fact disgusting one. Watch the first clip first. Then watch the 2nd one. Haha!

Well i guess that's all i have for now. Hope you all enjoy it!

Sunday 10 July

Woke up early this Sunday. 7.15am I was awaken. Today I am leading worship in the church svc. Took a bath, change, ate breakfast and left for church. Reach there by 8am. The rest of the team reached shortly after. Gary on the drum, Kevin on the bass, Amelia on Clavi and support singing and me on the guitar and mike. Today the theme is abt Praying in the Spirit. I specifically chose songs that talks about the Holy Spirit. But i didn't know exactly what i had to say or pray. I tried thinking up something to say the nite before but i was just too tired. So I told God that He will tell me what to say. And really thank God because somehow or rather, He gave me confidence even though i dun know wat to say. And as the worship flow, He just bit by bit revealed to me and i just speak. Though there's still for improvement in my language and how i express my self. As for the worship itself, I thank God tat even though with minimum musicians, we were able to carry off and lead the people into God's presence. Though I still not proficient enough to play and lead. Just too hard for me to focus on the guitar, the singing, the leading at one time. And somemore, i'm such a beat-less person. Haha! But still i thank God for His grace. And also thank God for Gary and Kevin who are so professional in their instruments which help to lift up the worship. And also i want to thank God for bringing Amelia into the team. At such a young age, she is already so confident and so motivated to want to worship God. And I'm definitely proud to have her in the team. She is so serious and committed in her role. When she couldn't hear herself in the mike, she will insist with good attitude that she wants to be heard. Praise the Lord!
Then our Senior Pastor, Rev. Wong, touched on today's theme, Praying in the Spirit. To summarise everything, it means to be connected to God 24 x 7 thru the Spirit. In everything tat we do, we keep ourself link with God. It can be done in words, tongues or even silence. We pray to God with our knowledge of language. However there's a limit to our expression in our language and that's when praying in the tongues help us to be more free to express our feelings to God. And also there are times even in our silence we can be connected to God. Just a sign can also be an expression to God if our sign is directed to God. Then there was a time of ministering where Rev Wong brought the congregation before God and encourage them to pray to God with words, in tongues. And many people were touched to tears which somehow brought joy in me (not that i enjoy seeing pple crying but rather joy in seeing God's hands at work) And many people have encountered a new experience with God. Praise be to God!
After 2nd svc worship session, the team and some of the youths went to CGH to makan. Then after meal went back to church and when the svc ended, me and some of the youths (Joanne, Si En, Xin Ling, Jamie)went to Tampines Subway for a snack. Bought 3 cookies for myself and a large drink which we share. And while chatting with them, I can see that the girls are very mature in handling certain issues. I thank God that they could be sensitive in certain issue and dun just brush the issue aside but rather wanting to change the situation. After that, we went our separate ways. I went home and sleep.

6 July 2005

And today was definitely quite a sad day for many, i suppose! A fren has just left Aus for studies. Well I guess it is more than losing a fren temporary for many others. To the Youth Ministry is losing a valuable key role model. To the Church is losing her service and her presence. To the girls, it is losing a Jie Jie. Well i guess people come by and goes away and one thing i learn is that nobody is indispensable. So even as the Church and Youth Min look like have lost a valuable resource but I rather think that she has to go somewhere else for God to mold her and at the same time, God is going to raise up people to fill in her space while she is away. And as for the girls (listen carefully), yes, it may take time to adapt to the new situation where the Jie Jie is no longer there. But I think it is also a good time that you all to start to follow the footstep of your Jie Jie. And that is to be a Jie Jie to the other younger girls. I guess this 1 and 1/2 yrs that when she is away, you can choose to either to wait for the "Return of the Jie Jie'' and be comfortably in her embrace or to rise up and take up the responsibility (which ur Jie Jie did) and do exactly to the younger girls as what ur Jie Jie had done to you. A shepherd boy will never become a true shepherd if all he ever does is to follow behind the shepherd master. Until the shepherd boy starts to shepherd the sheeps by himself, then will he ever become a full shepherd. And i believe that is also the wish of your Jie Jie. So we shall see at the end of the 1 and 1/2 yrs, how much you all have grown without the shepherd master.

Well this event also reminded me of my own opportunity to go Aus to study. I think it was abt 3 yrs ago. But eventually i didn't go. I guess i'm just too afraid to leave my comfort zone and go into an unknown ground all by myself. I'm just a person who is not comfortable or even have phobia of changes and uncertainties. I just dun work well with all these factors. It freaks me out to be alone, initially no frens, unknown to the surroundings, different culture, different people, this and that. As you can see, i'm a worrying freak. I think i will most prob be crying everyday. Haha! Yay! I'm a cry baby too! But i guess one or i would choose to believe to be the reason is that GOd nvr wanted me to go. He intended me to stay behind. And this 3 yrs were very crucial for me. I joined church for a year and thru this service, i learn many things. And also in these last 2 yrs, i see the youth ministry growing and i'm glad to be part of it. When you see and experience growth and revival, it has an impact on your own life.

Hmm! I still want to go Aus! But for a leisure trip. But at the same time I would like to go for a short trip of 3 mths to Cambodia as well. I'm in a dilemma. I will most probably go for either trip after my studies which is like beginning of yr 2007. And most probably i will have onli enough resources to go for one of the trip. Haiz! Why i worry now. Still like got 1 and 1/2 yrs to go. Haha! Worry-Freak. But i still most prob will choose Cambodia. I just love that place. Somehow i feel that i was born in tat country. Haha!

Chinese SOng

曲：吴克群 词：吴克群 编：

一分钟唱阿杜的声音 就算花心 你都会变痴情
你不在 我学谁飙高音 周杰伦的歌一放 大家都开心

刘德华 愈唱会愈伤心 不如来首 One Night in北京
这些只是凡人的歌曲 我只不过想唱首歌给你听
只是因为你 Babe

我只不过想唱歌给你听 用我的声音
一首歌 只是希望你能听得进去
我只不过想唱歌给你听 谁给我回应
拍拍手 切歌之后 下一个继续 才发现 我不是陈奕迅

唱阿杜 唱到沙哑没力 费玉清 你家人最爱听
我可以做你的点唱机 只是希望你说一句
I Believe 只想告诉你 Babe

我只不过想唱歌给你听 用尽我全力
一首歌 只是希望能够让你动心
我只不过想唱歌给你听 就算没反应
没关系 我会唱完这最后一句 我知道 我不是陈奕迅

我的名字叫做 吴克群
(playin the song in the background)


Suddenly, feel very attached to this song. Dun know why? Haha! Some how the lyrics may speak something in my life. Hehe. Well! That's between me and my Creator. Well! I dun have the link to the song yet becoz the website is down for the moment. (most prob banned fr displaying the songs! haha) If the website ever recovers, I will put up the link.

Just for Fun 5

You Are Vanilla Ice Cream

Your personality is anything but "vanilla" You're a risk taker, who's up for anything new. You go well with anyone and fit into any situation. You are most compatible with rocky road ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Just for Fun 4

Your Dominant Intelligence is Logical-Mathematical Intelligence

You are great at finding patterns and relationships between things.Always curious about how things work, you love to set up experiments.You need for the world to make sense - and are good at making sense of it.You have a head for numbers and math ... and you can solve almost any logic puzzle. You would make a great scientist, engineer, computer programmer, researcher, accountant, or mathematician. AND DEFINITELY YOU ARE NOT JUST A SMART GUY BUT ALSO ONE WITH GOOD LOOKS! Hmmmm! I like the sound of that. Don't you!

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?>