Lasts...

I finished my last weekend duty for my NSF stint. Decided to take a nap in the converted store room instead of booking out immediately. I had the whole building to myself. Wanted to blog earlier but somehow the cookies thing was not working in camp.

Surprisingly I had an enjoyable weekend duty. All the superiors were very nice especially the 2nd Lieutenant who was so funny. Really made the weekend duty fun. Praise God for favour.

I also took my last "army" haircut last Friday. Considering growing out my hair. Maybe something like this? (Minus the apron.)

*shrugs* Can't really think of anything else. I've had the same hairstyle for as long as I can remember. Other than shaving my head for BMT last time I've always kept the same length of hair and never thought of changing it.

Two weeks ago was my last time being involved in Direct Enlistment. I still remember conducting my first briefing for the new recruits. I remember telling them to relax and I think some of them felt better (it's their first day of army and it can be quite nerve-racking) and I saw some of them sink back into their chairs and sigh a breath of relief. Then I suddenly said, "ON YOUR FEETS UP!" loudly at them. Boy, did they jump out of their seats. Thinking back it was quite mean so I refrained from doing that ever again. [>_<]

Even as I walk around the island and see how they train I would see flashbacks of my own time on that island resort. Nostalgic. I remember hiding under the beds of my section mates and scaring the toe nails out of them by grabbing their feet. Ah, those were the days. Haha.

Ah, much has been happening. Sometimes I feel like blogging when I'm outside and there's something blog-able but then I forget about it when I get home. Shall consider bringing around a journal or something.

Arrow October 18 Pre-Service and Picket Fence

"You're not a face in the crowd. He sees you..."

Last Arrow's pre-service speaks for itself. Only recently did I begin to see the significance of pre-service. Aside from the cool gimmicks and cool designs if even one person could be impacted and brought closer to Jesus then I believe it is worth all the hours spent planning and setting it up, even if it will only be up for a few minutes - it is worth it!

My awe and thanks goes out to the Idea Makers Team that made it all happen. May God bless each and everyone of you as you continue to serve in this wonderful ministry.

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For some time I have been wondering at why I was hesitant to do it. I acknowledge that the gift of writing which I believe I have received by grace is really that - a gift received by grace. I began to think why I was so hesitant then to do it.

I only realized recently what it really meant to acknowledge this gift as something that is not my own. At first I was afraid of what people might think about what I write. I was afraid of criticism. Slowly I have been learning that it matters not what other people think but what is important is what God thinks of me.

If this gift was really from Him then whatever is written is not mine to guard or to be ashamed about. I thought I was being humble by trying to hide it but that was the exact opposite. By trying to hide it I was only showing that a part of me believes that it is me who has the gift. If it is His in the first place then He will be faithful to put his grace and favor on it.

Slowly I am changing how I see this gift and as a first step I am putting up this link: http://www.overflowcentral.com/picketfence

It is a collaboration between me and my parents and I hope it achieves its purpose. It is partly a dream come true for me, partly because if I remember correctly I only contributed 3 articles.

"Even if a book only has one reader then it is worth publishing." I forgot the exact quote but some author I forgot supposedly said that. Haha.

The Wedding

Coach Tammie and Kelvin's wedding was held at RJC. It was such an unconventional place to hold a wedding so much so that it was unforgettable.

It was my first time attending a wedding that is officiated by our church and I realized an irony because of the different way it was done.

Conventional weddings, usually held in churches, have the normal structure where the bride walks in and then the pastor, priest, minister, etc will start the ceremony. However in yesterday's wedding, after the bride walked in, the whole ceremony was started off with worship to God.

As I watched the couple in the front faced away from the crowd, hands holding each other and the free hand raised up in worship it struck me that God was in the wedding. It was like a formal invitation. I never once even thought about God being in the picture for other weddings even weddings held in a church! How ironic is that? Talk about having a party at some one's house and not even inviting the owner of the house.

It was then that I realized that the marriage had God as the centre. Even as the couple worshipped God together they were declaring to God that He will be the one that will hold the marriage and that it will be blessed.

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Anyway, turns out that I really was wearing my left-eye contacts on my right eye and vice-versa. That is why I was "crying" so much, I'm not overly-sentimental.

Seeds

I remember the times when I gave up speaking over my life because the manifestation was just taking too long. Too long that it seemed like there were no results.

I was so blessed to really understand why God's Word is likened to a seed.

Seeds need time to take root. Seeds do not grow into trees overnight.

As we keep hearing God's Word in our situations and as we speak over our situations it is like developing the seed; watering it, feeding it, nurturing it.

The illustration of how a certain type of bamboo (Chinese bamboo if I'm not wrong) takes a very long time to grow. Although the seed is planted it takes years before even a shoot is seen. But even as the years pass, even when it seems that nothing is growing on the surface, it is actually taking root.

Sometimes on the surface it seems like nothing is happening in our lives but actually God's Word is taking root into our lives. It is digging deep and the roots spread out.

When Chinese bamboo finally grows out, it grows high and strong. It shoots out! It is as if all the times spent on nurturing the seed is released in such an amazing manner.

When God's Word has taken root in our lives the manifestation will also be so amazing. The blessings will just shoot out and it will be abundant!

All it takes is time. God's promises and blessings that are in the Word are always true. They might take time to manifest but they WILL manifest. If it is a promise then there is no doubt about it.

Even as I continue to see the blessings in my life begin to manifest I believe that I will receive so much more and everything that I declare over my life based on God's Word will come to pass.

Lesson for me: Do not be discouraged when things do not seem to happen in the surface. God's Word is true and if He said it in His Word it will surely come to pass.

His Love is Stronger

You are stronger
You are stronger
Sin is broken
You have saved me
It is written
Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all...

Its very easy to think that the things of the world are too overwhelming. Its very easy to just roll over and let things happen just because it seems "natural".

Sometimes trouble has a way of rearing it's ugly head and I forget that no matter how ugly things can get God loves us so much that He will take care of the trouble. Sometimes I feel that troubles will only be solved if I do something without even remembering that only God has the real answers. Often I come to the conclusion that God can solve the problem only after I have reached a point where I have done every human way I can think of and still have no answer to the problem.

Often we care too much without realizing that He cares even more.

If He feeds the birds of the air how much more will He take care of us? Are we not of more value than they?

He so loves the whole world, enough to send His only Son, will He not with Jesus also freely give us all things?

Though I still think about it I know that the matter is in His mighty hands.

Tuna Rice

Been bumming around the whole day...

Had one wisdom tooth plucked out because food always gets stuck on it and it is quite irritating.

What's more irritating is that now food seems to get stuck on the gums where the tooth was supposed to be. [-_-]'

I took back the tooth as a souvenir. It looks so cute and pearly... "It's like an angel," says one of my colleagues. I wish I could take photo of it. Haha. It's really, really cute. Teeth actually look bigger when they're plucked out nicely. Did not know the root could grow so long.

It was interesting the way it felt when the dentist was plucking it out. I felt the struggle and I actually thought she was having trouble taking it out but after a few minutes she said it was done. Kinda cool. My mouth was numb for a while. Quite an interesting feeling.