Busy weekend

Had a super busy weekend that just flashed past. FLASH is the perfect word!

Friday:

Had meeting in school from 8.30 to 5. yes. its a FULL Day of meeting. i'm going to be super busy next year!! haha kind of excited about whats ahead yet kind of dread the busy year ahead... After that rushed to Tung Lok to catch up with my ex-coke colleagues for dinner! =) yup yup. kind of miss the aunty uncles( who were the ones who fatten me last year!!) haha.. they were nice to treat me again! haha as i said with them i'm always growing fatter!! After that i rushed home to change and meet john and seph at the bus stop (RUSH) is the word. kind of guilty for being a little late!! but 187 took super long to come! before we caught up with tecky and mj to go to council chalet. finally only reaching chalet at 1 plus(AM)!! We carried on with a little night cycling, supper (or rather morning food) haha.. before heading back to chalet. didnt get to sleep anyway because apparantly the guys were making such a LOUD DIN in the middle of the night SHOUTING and singing (FELIZ NAVIDAD) and crapping. haha until they went out to play psp before there was peace in the room. =) managed to chat with dasen (oops until i fell asleep for short while) haha ya.. when he is just beside me chatting i can still fall asleep =.=

Sat

started playing volleyball under the hot sun for while! before we started indian poker with vodka. =.= yah and on empty stomach!!! hahaha its super fun because for once we are doing mass activities!!! haha.. its super dumb and funny and some ppl got zi high!! haha okay or rather just cranky and sleepy. after lunch the girls slept for while... haha guys.. PSP lorR. BBQ was fun as well with more ppl coming. i think the fun part was when we started doing mass activities again like taking ALOT ALOT of pictures. super crap funny ones.. haha then it was mission soonleng where the guys tried to like squash him and we were singing feliz navidad again!! well.. had loads of fun before leaving to my cg's christmas party. =D haha another round of fun there hanging out. drinking (in moderation) and chatting =D was super tired when i reached home!!

Sun

Church. last sermon of the year. it was on gratitude. Thanksgiving! shall talk about some of my reflections tml =D last day of the year! THANK GOD for such happening last few days of dec. =D

(p.s. most pics are with km, lishi, laiyan and some with me so will only post next time =pP)

Christmas Eve

In loving memory... Ong Ming Xuan..

Christmas Eve

Met up with Matthew and Wei Yang to go to Ming Xuan's grave today. Its been really long since i went (considering how i got lost and left without finding the grave last year)... Bought some really colourful flowers for him =) it was so cheery and bright because we thought since it is christmas we should get something bright!

Standing at the grave, we said a prayer and lingered around. Couldnt help but to think.. where do you think he is now? waiting for judgement day together with us? so.. neither is he in heaven yet? so where where where.. ? As i think back... i give thanks to God. As we reminisce about times spent with Ming Xuan, Matt & I couldnt deny that Ming Xuan had definitely strengthen our faith.. For me, it was to see Ming Xuan struggle to choose his religion when he had all the reason to choose buddhism (since his parents were). But it just painted a picture of how even the last months in his life, God just reached out to him and pulled him out. Everything happens for a purpose, everyone has a plan and purpose. His life was one that touched ours. Five years ago on Christmas eve, he was baptised.. a week later, God took the pain away. Thank GOD.. i'm just really wondering where.. just where is he now..but i'm sure as i strongly remember what i wrote in the book at the wake... "we'll meet in heaven"

I had Christmas eve dinner with my parents. I was given the opportunity to say grace for my family and i was really thrilled. It was suggested by my sister and my parents did not object. I really thank God that i was given the opportunity to do so..

After dinner, went to watch late night movie. =) oh man.. after the movie, we went have supper and mini chit chat session. After which km and ls took a cab home while fartty daddy and i walked home from lot one. hahaha.. OMG i took 1 hour plus to walk home. I was probably talking rubbish and crap and nothing serious (come on its 4 plus in the morning) and PoooR soon leng have to stand my crap!! =D but super long never chit chat already so it was still a good walking session!! just feel dumb that i took out the sermon cds, wanted to tell you about it on the way hm but in the end i brought it back home without passing to ya. =X hahaha..

Christmas

Super nice presents from everyone...! Thank GOD for :

Precious Moments!!! =) was given quite alot *cute!!*

belt and bag from mummy and daddy~!

IPOD NANO!!! (my dearest sister gave me!! *whoooo*)

cute A+ coinbank from my dear buddy!!

cards and many other presents ....

and thank GOD for the most important gift of christmas .... salvation!!

Christmas-early-celebration?

hahaha.. yes. Had a fun dinner with some from my cg today.. okay at least those that came for the carnival (which was rather little!!!) hahaha... just some pictures... to those who miss our dinner... look forward to cell christmas party on the 29th!! =D

ERm ya.. the mascots for the cefc carnival.. haha our cg guys! guess who's in there! anyway.. yeah the cake was kind of to celebrate our bros brotherhood? haha nono or rather mark's and kel's *aheM* *ahem*... hey what are u thinking about... its to celebrate their posting to air force and signaller =D

GOD I SURRENDER tomorrow to you. =) i'm kinda jittery about it but trust God.

Outreach Retreat

Thank God i'm just back from retreat. (emphasise on JUST) because its really kind of like step into the house and on to pen down some reflections to share before i lose my thoughts.

This really short retreat was just a time of fellowship and reflection which i really felt it was great. Basically we just had time of fellowship of icebreakers and supper on the first night before we rest early. No doubt it was a little out of my norm to really sleep early as i usually do not but it did reminded me of how by resting i'm trusting GOD with my time and resting my body. =)

More reflection only came during the dawn prayer and especially personal quiet time. Dawn prayer was followed by breakfast by Willie at greenridge. =) Really had a great personal quiet time of 1 half hour. It made me wonder if i was at home why i just cant afford that same time.

How will you Finish? This was the article for QT.

In Christian life, it's not how you start but it's how you finish.

What will keep you from being one who leaves the race?

Many strong odd are against you, The devil is against you and so are the flesh and the cares of this world. You could become your own enemy.

Those who finish strong are needed more than ever as church multiplies. Respond to God's call "HERE AM I, Send Me".

I'm pretty encouraged by the article. To surrender and say "HERE AM I, SEND ME" and to finish well. . Even as i step into this new ministry, i just pray that i would grow and experience God more. The time of reflection of 2007 and setting 2008 goal was really the best time as i did an evaluation and planning. It was something that was lacking in my previous years that i felt this was really something that i want to carry on doing. Would probably share some of my thoughts later as this year come to an end. I just want to urge everyone of my friends christian or non-christian to sit down and really spend some quiet time reflecting about life. It is something that i wished that i would had done earlier. So i'm just gg to leave these reflection questions that i reflected on.

1) What areas of your life (work/studies/NS/ministry/family/personal goals/interpersonal relationships) do you think you have "finished well" for the year/season? why and why not?

2) What would i have done the same or differently?

3) What is God's call for me in year 2008?

4) What can I do to help myself finish well for year 2008? (i.e. accountability partner)

Come on people.. reflect reflect as the year come to an end. =D I thank God because i've decided to anchor my year 2008 on the book of Hebrews. Lastly, just share this four pointers.

1) Committed to finishing strong

2) Inspired with big picture view of life

3) Run free of the weight of past

4) Constantly trained to go the distance

5) Run in company of happy 'few'

the rest of my reflections shall come later. =)

-

THANK GOD. its a short camp coming up. pray God speak =)

On the other hand.. i'm leaving a pile of unwrote cards and unbought presents. I AM SO DOOM! yes. i am so doom. i cant find time to go shop for christmas. D-O-O-M! and yes.. i received my first christmas card from *drum rolls*.....

Yin Hou!! (who.. hallo at least write a NAME on the envelopE!) =p

Fri & Sat

LOl. the past week just really flies. i guess hols really flies pass. Spent most of my time at home and one of the day at school and after that going to swensens with my students (yes. it make me realise its time to treat back like how my teachers treated me) LOL but this trip the band instructor insisted to pick the bill.

Friday: went out with my family to raffles hospital to collect my dad's and sis's report... mm.. its... interesting but trust GOD. then, Went to do my hair =D its neater now! After that went to meet Eugene for dinner. Haha just nice we both cancel our previous appointment. So, we went to pizza hut to eat (and i ate until SUPER full). I must sO say this. we couldnt pass off as 16 years old!! thats how young both of us look! MY GOODNESS!! buying tickets for an NC16 show and we got checked...thinking that would be all? NO! the uncle checked Gene's IC again!! WOW. we look that young?!? NC16 show only!!! haha...

Sat: Woke up early to go for cg..its at SMU this time! yes! sO far!!! but yeah i thought the idea about "light of the city" sounded interesting anyway. I was the only girl at cg today! oh man.. a tipped ratio of guys and girls in our cg..hahaha... since after cg to the time i was gg to meet des theres a lap of 2 hours..the cg decided to go to the Singapore museum out of curiousity. LOL and guess what!! we looked like tourist and spent 2 hours there. YES 2 HOURS THERE! haha was even almost late meeting Des. Met Des and here we started our hike. A hike to find the mystery BLK 177 WOODLAND house. hahhaa and THANK GOD we made our way there safely using our sixth sense ;) It was super funny journey there esp when we reached outside the house and no one dared to go in yet we got stared at by their funny neighbour... Oh man. i can only say.. please dont make me laugh at the wrong time. Anyway, after i managed to stop my laughter we struck a deal that i press the doorbell and she'll say "hello aunty". SO i pressed the doorbell.. *opens* .. it was Joseph! not fairrr u no need to say "hello aunty" =pP hahaha... so.. the journey goes on by John's parents sent des me and seph to SAFTI to see John's and Edi's commission parade =)

John: buddy.. =) cool cool. thanks for "dinner" which you werent present... =.= and.. its the thoughts that count so please dont complain about the crumple letter and crushed chocolate! hahaha.. and i prayed hard okay! so you've really been blessed by good weather =) wheres the matchmaking agent SIR! LOLx SIR SIR SIR.

Edi: di! i'm SO proud of you. =) really really! so proud! because i know this is the day you've been looking forward to.. and through all those tough training and tough times you been through.. you did it! =D and i'm proud to be there to see you commission. hur hur...7 years of friendship and i'm really PROUD of yoU!!! =D SIR ! times get tough. press on.

After the parade... we went to eat at fish and co with joseph des and i and its on John. hahaha.. just cos john couldnt join us though... but yeah. ate until super super full. =) Super long time since i met up with Des and Seph to chat like that so it was quite "update-ful" LOL. kind of sry to Estella cos i didnt get to talk to you much! =) Catch u in church k!

"fartty fam

Was reading lishi's blog. haha. Sometimes we just let childishness get to us huh! haha like what she mentioned. i almost did the same too. ALMOST. =) you know i almost almost did the same thing as you did.. really.. almost..! over what...haha i'm still not planning to say over what.. but think after i say it out it sounds dumber (okok unless u all ask me when we go out =X) . ah ma.. dont know if u actually read mine blog b4 u wrote yours.. but it echoes...

"Friendships are things that can't be replaced, despite times where we get mad, irritated, frustrated or watsoever, friends still make up in the end.
becoz they have a place in ur heart, some small things may hurt even more compared to big issues from ppl who you dun care abt. "

haha. I Love you and miss you people... but its through all these that make me realise we can still grow closer despite being far. =)

Come on Come on.. keep it going =)

=) *feeling childish*

Mmm.. i used two words to describe last night "childishly moody". I'm glad i realised it was childish anyway. No doubt its something that bugged me last night. Anyway,Thankful that today i managed to fight Satan's powerful tool.... the rain!! *cheers*. Woke up almost telling myself to skip 10 service and only reaching at 12 for sunbeam. Its really the battle in the mind, no prizes for guessing who was victorious because its obvious! =D I am so glad i woke up and went for service. Emmanuel, God with us was the topic for sermon. Pastor touched a little teeny weeny bit on friendship which made me feel even more childish. Somehow i seem to be more aware about my thoughts that just so easily make me sin. "why should i still pray for them? why should i still make the first step to go out together?' Its just like as if satan was trying to distance me from them.

I'm glad i dismissed it as childish thoughts. Sometime i wonder satan really knows how to make use of things that he knows matter to us to cause us to sin. I refuse to let him take the victory.

Ironically as much as sometimes i feel sunbeam is just an obligation, its always the place that speaks to me (despite me being the sunday sch teacher). Today's teaching on fighting satan using God's word. Q: what will you do if you quarrel with your friends in school? Ans: Matthew 19:19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.... Was also very comforted that for once when i said "okay i shall close in prayer" this p2 girl said..can i close? and i was really very encouraged by the innocent child like prayer. So, i'm glad that after this Sunday i realise that i'm still going to treasure my friends despite all the doubts that had arised in my minds =) its just something small i saw that i let my childishness take over.. SO! i'm still going to pray for u all and i'm still going to take the step to make sure we wouldnt just have a superficial fellowship but one that is deeper...

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Eph 6:10

** P.s. Despite all, blog hopping is still encouraging =) i saw su xian's blog and it brought a smile back to my face. She has clearly painted my feelings towards choir.. and i really know that we're on the same frequency. haha.. after all the 12 years of frienship nothing rights =P

Trust in Him

Today's CG topic was about trusting in Him. This made me really kind of ponder. After hearing Joel's short sharing of his testimony during the short bus journey. It kind of made me ponder furthur. I had always wondered how i would feel one day if i realised God's ultimate plan for my parents was not what i wanted. How would i feel? What would i do? Would i blame God? It takes alot of courage and TRUST in Him to at the end of the whole thing and still say "Blessed is the name of the Lord". It is why i felt comforted from his sharing...

The hardest thing for me is always to try to accept God's plan as the best plan. The last evangelical event i tried to invite my family, i remember how disappointed i was in God when last min matters crop up and they couldnt attend. Its definitely the first reaction i remember having but also a reaction that really showed me how little faith and trust i had in Him. Trusting that theres a season and a purpose for everything that happens.

Similarly God shows me again this christmas that once again i'm still not placing my trust fully on Him. It was irritating that the first thought i had in my mind after realising that 6th council chalet clashed with my cg christmas outreach was "why like that, God?". Once again i reminded myself, GOD has better plans for them and maybe just not this christmas. Or somehow i'm just thinking i'm not trusting GOD enought to actually have the faith and courage to ask my friends knowing which answer they would choose given that the chalet was something they were looking forward to all yr. (or is not even trying to ask a sign of not trusting Him?) haha.. hmm i'm in a little funny dilema.

Trust God to chase away this sinful disappointment and dilema =)

As christmas comes, i have my biggest mega christmas wish.... That the christmas service will be a blessing and the greatest gift to friends and family that attend. One of my gifts to my friends and family this christmas...is really to give you God's love. Because how God had blessed and loved me... is a feeling i want to share and spread.. and it cannot be describe... unless you open your heart and experience it yourself..=)

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecc 3:1

was kind of blog hopping... which i never knew could put ppl in a bad mood. i guess in life there are some things you just have to give and take... and somethings you just have to accept it the way it is. and i know the very ppl i'm feeling this way at will never ever come to know its them. disappointed? irritated? puzzled? angry? amused? mm.. i cant seem to find the right word to describe. Just say because they matter thats why it matters..

HoLs

Been enjoying my hols so far. After much thought, i kind of realised that this was probably the first long hols and break i had since after As.. amazing right?! but YES. Been able to really spend time with the people i want to catch up with. the list goes on but i'm clearing them day by day.

Yesterday i went for Chuan En's performance. Although initially i kind of really dread having to go for it because no one else is actually gg! At times like that i can only think of one person who would entertain me to go with me for such "musical" performance. Yes. and sadly my dearest farrttt daddy is stuck in camp and so NO one to accompany me. haha. This type of performance is definitely not for the uninterested so i couldnt really ask anyone along! ANYWAY i was really glad i went for the performance. From here on.. only SUxian will understand what i'm talking about..... Do you know who i met?!? Thomas Kuek! yes its no other than our pri school choir conductor!! haha.. and you know it was a combined pri school performance and the songs they sang were sO what we sang! Candle on the Water, The Wind... and remember the "Esurientes Implevit Bonis" the song with the "naaaaa" haha it just brought back so much childhood memories which makes up my pri sch days. It was super hard work to practise those songs that they are etched in my memories and i could still hum them now! makes me remember songs like "Rhythm of life, Danny Boy, Peace Joy Love, Disney Medley.." So many others! haha and i must say Mr Kuek's pattern seem all so familiar that i actually recognise by the pattern the concert was like. *su xian wished you were there* haha.. suddenly i realised that it had been 7 years ago and it was through choir that i carried on singing christian songs such as "what child is this, Esurientes Implevit Bonis" despite being from a non-christian school. i Thank GOD for such a choir conductor and i'm really amused that i met him after so long!! =) The very conductor who made me stay in choir and the very conductor that set the standard so high that the subsequent conductor even in BPGHS couldnt meet =p .. the very reason i quit choir too. haha...

I miss choir... i miss allowing voices to join together to form one.

Choir makes me think of Ming Xuan..of how he teases su xian and i that we'll lose syf because when we stand opp each other we keep laughing while singing at the new conductor's action and somehow when i met up with Samantha and Ser Xing we were talking about him too.. Its just so funny how we suddenly miss the person only when they're no longer ard.... I just thank God....i know... He's safe in your hands. *nostalgic*

Birthdays

Happy birthday Zichun!!

Had a great time out with my sec school friends. haha! it was to celebrate Zi Chun's birthday. Yup. Jun Hao drove all the way until Changi Village to eat dinner... drove all the way back to sunshine place to have "supper" before we headed home. I swear its been so long that we hung out like that.. esp to Jia Min who i have not met for about a year! YES SO LONG! A YEAR!! i really miss you!! =) also glad i got to spend time with Su Xian!! =D okay.. lets do our christmas shopping together okay? Anyway to find the pics you have to go to this place - - - > www.celestong.multiply.com =D

Happy birthday Samantha.. (belated)

I CANT BELIEVE I MISSED AND FORGOT ABOUT IT! until i was looking a eugene's blog post on the 27th of NOV thinking.. *hmm* this date seem so familiar and important and recent...!! I CANT BELIEVE IT COS I NEVER FORGET IT!! so sorry... will make it up later this week girl... i was going to have camp during that period!! so you'll forgive me for forgetting rights???!? =X

Christmas mood

1st DEC! marks the start of my hols. just came back from band camp and pioneer movie marathon. I believe this really kinda marks the end of my bz year at zhenghua and signifies a good one month break. =) i am in a really christmas mood already. esp how the church starts on the one month of christmas sermons. haha... i love christmas.. because it is the day the Lord had made specially out of love and grace for us. =) I LOVE CHRISTMAS! =)

anyway people.. i can finally start catching up again.. haha met su xian at movie marathon .. i SO miss her sO much...=X loads more ppl for me to catch up too! lets make my dec a fruitful one. not forgetting spending time with my family too..= )