Sunday, September 28, 2008

Love and obedience....

Taking a step back
To relook at things
To review and question
what's all these buzz about in my life?

Despite all the spiritual warfare
and mental battle...
Friends shared and stuffs I read spoke
It's all about love.

Have I been genuinely loving my service to Christ?
And loving the people in service?
Have I been obediently serving
or just plain self-righteousness and motives.

It shuddering to go back to basics.
It's frustrating.
But I guess it'll be renewing
And a good wake-up call.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

"LUST"

Lust for peace in the mind
Lust for freedom from sins
Lust for truth
I wonder

Lust for beauty and good looks
Lust for material possessions
Lust for monetary rewards
I'm yoked

Lust for time and relaxation
Lust for something different
Lust to rebel
I'm burdened

Lust for temptations
Lust for pride and status
Lust for lusts
I'm enticed

A period of spiritual warfare
it could be
The Holy Spirit is weak within
And satan's voice ever louder
Or who is whose voice?

I discern
I pray
I struggle
I seek

and ye shall find...

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Yet again...another 'delivery'


Hurricane-swept room - the aftermath


Packed all my readings into three transparent
holders...now under my table for good.



It all began in late April
About 4 months.
It was an academic research madness
Colonized central library, IRC and some nice cafes.
Had excuses to go ECP and cooking at fren's place
in the name of doing dissertation...hah. But well worthed it.
Had an agonizing time trying to complete survey
LISS people prayed for me
Finally did it.
Fellow archi frens got so depressed and distressed at certain point
Lent a helping hand whenever i could
despite me being very stressed too
But I guess the Almighty gave me the strength
Many wonderful things happened over this quarter of the year
lots of blessings, joys, revelations, comfort,
confessions, cleansing, deepening....
despite having this dissertation thing
haunting me at the back of my mind
Thank you Lord Jesus, for carrying this cross with me
May i learn to carry your cross more willingly too. =)

Monday, September 15, 2008

Mid-autumn @ Jurong Park



First lantern festival celebration @ Jurong Lake Park
With some of the choir members and Moli
Omg, the queue for the cars to enter the park is crazy!
Luckily we went to park at the HDB and just walk over in 5mins.
Pleasant experience, unexpected fireworks, good weather
and more peaceful at the Park then squeezing with the crowds
in Chinese Garden.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

my 2nd river of life drawn...(lost the first one)


din have the mood to draw out the details...
used colours to represent eventually...

Saturday, September 13, 2008

A blessed "ordeal" last friday

(LISS - Life in the Spirit Seminar)

Hi Martinus (group facil),

Just wanna share with you something.
Hope you have the time to read this. Not too long lar...

After your very spirit-filled and empowering sharing with me that Sat evening at Teresa's place,
it gave me a major "headache" actually which left me with a big dilemma. But it was a good headache. In fact, it's a wake-up call to actually answer myself what is truly preventing me from going for the retreat.

I went back home, feeling really burdened with thoughts, feelings and decisions to make.
I was tired and decided to sleep early. Before i slept, I pick up the handout that Br Emmanuel gave us. I read it. It then dawned upon me that i've been so silly all these while. I asked myself this question, "Why am i so stupid?" The fact that I want to go for the retreat is to have "Freedom". And to really experience this gift that He'll be giving me. I've been asking and seeking all these while, and then in the end, i held back. I just broke down and cried.
There and then, I can really feel the Holy Spirit speaking to me and the gift of reconciliation that He is offering me. I could feel the yearning of Him for me to go before Him and seek forgiveness, to just "let it out", so that He could grant me the peace and comfort.
This experience was heart-wrenching, but yet beautiful.
It opened up the doors in my heart and empowered me to seek this reconciliation.

It won't happened without LISS and without you talking to me.
I do not feel stress anymore.
My heart says, yes, i will go for the Sat's evening session and will stay over till Sunday.
But also, I will not feel disappointed if I can't go for it in the end due to my commitment in church.
All i need is just to create and find another opportunity for me to reconcile with Him and experience the fullness of the HOly Spirit. Actually, what i really need now is a good confession.

So yes, the following day, i went church to see if there's any possibility that i can go for the retreat.
My youth ministry's retreat still stand at 5-6Sep and on the 6 Sep we have a youth mass (6-7pm). Unfortunately, Moli supposed to play for the mass but she's at the retreat, so we got a stand-in organist to play. The youth choir that'll be singing is also newly-formed. First time doing it. Looking at this, I really need to be back for the youth mass to hold the fort.
On Sunday, 7 Sep, similar thing. It's a stand-in organist and I'll need to work out the psalms with her and to be present for the practice in the afternoon.

Seriously, I would have felt very stressed that the situation doesn't seem to allow me to go for the Retreat's Sat evening sessions. But He has showed me the way and that he has opened doors for me...perhaps i can't enter it for this LISS retreat, but I will in the near future.

....He has transformed people in different ways, and for me, weirdly, even before the retreat started.

Sincerely,
Michael.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Glimpse of my aRCHI life...


City Exhibition '08. A rewarding closure to my 4th yr of study

Cycling frenzy from ECP to Changi with Sarah and John
(my first time)

Cooking session at Zou Tong's place with John and Sarah..
in the name of doing dissertation together...=D


Year 4 Cohort 07/08


Some decided there's more to life...grad with Honours
and many frens showing our support!!