Re-Connect

Dear friends,

I have recently been thinking about reasons and the purposes of what we call "evangelism". As I embark on a journey of a 2 weeks training with CEFOntario, the curiosity and ardor to peel the onion layers of this Christian principle hasn't been clearer and poignant.

I has become something like daily breathing for me, something pure that I want to live to do.

So what is "Evangelism" anyway? It is hardly a simply hard skill that many Christians tend to bombard their minds and self with but it extends to an expression of God hand to people all around. It is to re-connect - re-connect broken souls to the love of an Almighty God.


How do we do it? Jesus was the greatest example. Love. Jesus's life on earth was the representation of God's love. His passion of re-connecting the lost people to His Father led Him to suffer even as He was being marred for rebuking all that was sinful and impure and all that was unpleasing to His Father. But he loved all those that he healed, saved, discipled, stayed with that it killed Him.

This past December-January, my good friend and I bought this book called 'LOVE-the best Apologetic' at the Urbana Conference. I have yet to open it but see the title, it means what it says. When we evangelize, God can enable you to love like He loves us through Jesus's life, and be His witness. When we are God's witnesses, we show God by the kind of love our life displays in different circumstances. The unpredictability and nature of life's problems sure change this love that's display genuinely in our lives through Christ because this love from Him is has no conditions in itself. A hard but a lesson worth learning. When people see God, it is because they have seen who God is by who we are. And they are led to God more by the kind of love we display that's attributed to God...(the greatest qualities 1 Corinthians 13:4-8) MORE than the kind of love we speak of.


journey of learning of falling in love continues... ;)

cheers XP

My Devotions on Psalm 133

Wow. So after having MIA for awhile here is to CCF: :)

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹ How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!

² It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.

³ It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

What do you think of it comes to what bonds a community of friends and moreover Christians together? What is the glue that binds me to you, you to me, you to her and you to him in a relationship? The Psalmist David talks about Harmony that is the glue here but furthermore describes the special strength of this bond comes from God Himself who binds everyone to one another in unity. This spirit of unity makes the harmony we Christians share like rich oil like it says in verse 2 that enriches and strengthens bonds in a way that cannot be without the same nourishment. When I think about relationships, the first thing that comes into my mind is friction that naturally flows out of familiarity and all the fun stuff that comes with it! The good old concept called - friction in relationships from my timely experiences nearly debilitates us to even want to look at each other sometimes. It is most human to sugar coating this and that situation and this or that feeling, which we are often also tempted to do (This personally rings true for me in many ways). So many things in life is rather what we (social science and humanities students) call 'relative' and situational. How we ought to treat one another depends how well we know the person, saying things in gentleness, in the right time, to the right person and of course keeping the bond of peace. These are all good things in itself. I have heard this saying from friends and Jon Wang and it goes: 'saying the right things at the wrong time is still saying the wrong thing.' However I believe David is trying to bring home through Psalm 133 an extension of what humans are capable of doing when it comes to keeping unity in a Christian community especially. The unity that is from God and that is gained by seeking Him is the only empowered way to bring truth out in love (Ephesians 4:15) because there is God's strength in His spirit of unity. It creates love that bears being honest and being truthful. It consequently introduces something called 'healing' in sight through true forgiveness (Ephesians 4:31) that is only possible through God's love. The marrow of Psalm I believe is that harmony in community is a blessing from His spirit of unity.

So, in conclusion I would love to commend the love I see in CCF, the love I receive and the love that is just rubbed of from all of you guys, whether it is demonstrated physically, verbally, directly or indirectly! KEEP the LOVE flowing CCF!!!

The Way I Come to You - Bethany Dillon

Day turned to night
You breathed your last
Blood flowed from your side
All of God in a young man
Who gave away His life
And You loved me
When I was Your enemy
And You chose me
When I didn't believe


And You drank the cup
That was all filled up
With my punish and shame
From the garden to the empty tomb
The way I come to You forever changed


A crushing burden on our backs
The words hang in the air
"His blood be on us and our children"
Still You forgave us there


And you loved me
When I was your enemy
And you chose me
when I didn't believe
And you drank the cup that was all filled up
with my punishment and shame
from the garden to the empty tomb
The way I come to you forever changed


Jesus, perfect through suffering
Jesus, my merciful High Priest
The weakness of God is mighty
And the foolishness of His love has saved me


When you drank the cup that was all filled up
With my punishment and shame
From the garden to the empty tomb
The way I come to you forever changed
Forever changed




Youtube itt :) Have been solemnly yet surely walking with Jesus through this song!

Enjoy ;)

Food for thought - Urbana 09 =)

Going to Urbana for this second time has brought a new perspective on what it is all about. Equipping us on how to be missionary in the way we live out our Christian life has been the goal. The theme of Incarnation as Christ 'dwelled among us' has made the conference as a whole more applicable and relevant in how we should model our lives as Christians.


I remember attending the same conference three years ago, staying at the same Hilton at Ballpark hotel, eating at the same TGI Fridays (which I'm sure the name gets us all going there :), recognizing the same arch right outside Hilton, crossing the same 4th Street, and facing the same stage at the Edward's Dome. Yet still something seemed so different this time around. In the midst of all the emotional hype and extravaganza with all the performance work, massive worship band, billboards and the use of multimedia in carrying out the message of Urbana, my heart and mind I felt was drawn into peace instead. I was drawn to meet Jesus in the quietness of my soul. True glory I found.

Upon arriving to Urbana this past December, I felt burdened with expectations I myself wanted to live up to, whether it is at home with my family, in school, in CCF, amongst friends, with my bosses. Being the eldest in the family, I have always socialized to live up to people's approval because my sister looked up to me and still does to this day. Gradually for many years, I wanted to make sure that people were always pleased with what I did. Indeed how wrong was I to think that I could achieve true happiness when I can get everyone to like me and accept me. So that's what I did. I did whatever it took to gain popularity acceptance; pretending to be someone who I not, lying, constantly seeking attention of others and slowly yet surely I have developed a false self that seemed have completely met an instant gratification anyone could ask for, and yet it was FAR from the best that God has planned for me long before I was born. I knew God's heart broken there right in front of my very eyes yet I was too blind to see. I felt that there was huge wall of fear, insecurity and hurt that had separated me from God's presence. It was one of the darkest days in my life. Much of my fear and indulgence in self-centredness stemmed from parents' separation when I was 9th grade. Yet I realized the weight of pride and hurt that was living in me all this time and that it was hardening my heart big time.I knew I needed help, a lot of help. At Urbana 2003 at one of the prayer ministry sessions, God broken my walls defense and despair for the first time. After so many years of looking for help, satisfaction and attention in all the wrong, God revealed to me right there and then through the Prayer Minister that He Alone was going to help me.


Going back to Urbana this year, God has re-affirmed His faithfulness in these past 3 years of continuing and disciplining and maturity me in my life.Yet He knew and knows up till this day, I am still in His unfinished piece of work, who will be continuously healed and perfected and healed until He comes back.


Going to prayer ministry session, I felt Jesus saw beyond the so called 'maturity' and 'enough' spiritually growth that was superficially plastered across my face and the surface of my live. Over the years I felt I have grown so much in how to love God, love people and being healed my Him and I wanted to strong for once. Yet in my Wholeness, He gently nugged at my stubborn heart and invited me to be weak because as His true disciple, I need to be the lord of my life and let Him Alone be Strong. The only was I could be alive in Him demanded me to let go of my pride and self-sufficiency and surrender and moreover commit to His Lordship. I knew it. He demanded for me to know Him in a whole different person. As a weak person. :)



" 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring use]">[e] to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, "

1 Peter 1: 18

I remember entering the prayer ministry room feeling extremely lonely, frustrated and unsatisfied and stubbornly denying the need for prayer. During 20 minutes straight of sitting in my pride and dissatisfaction, I felt God's grace softening my heart. It was then, I made my way to be prayed for. When God calls us to Himself, He does simply ask for a part of us, or even most of us, but His light comes in and search each and every part of our hearts and looks for even the very part we try to hide and humanly rationalize from Him. For me it was pride and selfishness. I feel known and have come to know this Jesus I claim to follow at different level. I feel my faith being grounded in His healing even as a weak person, whose eyes He opens, whose sickness He heals, whose legs He strengthens. The one that dwelt among us and learned our ways while we were still and are still many a times waddling in our own sins. It is living through the different accounts of Jesus's healing in my own life of 'blindness, being crippled, being paralyzed in my own faith. A remarkable I have learned at Urbana 09. This is the Jesus I know.

Are you truly satisfied?

As much as it is a soul searching post and gut busting for me, and as cheezy as this question may seem to you, are you satisfied?

Have you had this question resonating in you head like I did?

True satisfaction can be such a great desire in someone's heart that it yearns for it. Like mine. I surely have been yearning for it. I think ever since that I realized that grasses are always greener on the other side I have yearned to be filled. I feel my heart's content being revealed from old experiences and I have come to realize that for many years, I have allowed this wondering heart to look for it in all the wrong places. places I'm not proud of. from consuming friends to family to other relationships, fame and waddling in sins of envy, jealousy, from self-centredness and lust. what a confession huh? haha.. pheww..

ALL THIS friends, was abuse just for an exchange to be truly and fully satisfied; I'm sure many of you can resonate with me in this. When I think back about it, a deep clarity of truly knowing the depth of a yearning soul would come to me. it is truly powerful. One of the most magnificent masterpiece of God's creation in unique human beings when He called us 'fearfully and wonderfully made' in the Psalms.

Yet what's is so dangerous about is that it I feel like it imitates our deceitful heart. It takes us to places that is of instant gratification that abusively leaves us craving for more, like with my past struggles. These places of greed, self-centredness and lust that our soul dies not to go yet our own flesh is too weak to let them go.

The wonder of the soul is not merely because its strength to yearn but because of its power to be filled. our soul is a vehicle to the satisfaction of our heart. the creator of this soul says in Psalm 23:2 that, ' I shall not be in want'. I was watching on TV, a sermon clip from Pastor John Hagee this week and he said that God is able to keep this ever thirsting soul from being in want because He alone can fill the needs this soul could ever yearn for. ;D

Wow, I was deeply encouraged. My desire to share about this weak spirit of mine and raw choices that I have made in the past is so that you will be encouraged to come close to this God that truly satisfies and not have to be consumed by wants. a genuine release of .. PHEEWWWW.. :) lemme hear an amen ..

thanks for reading :)

Claiming the Promise of the treasure of the Jars of Clay

2 Corinthians 4
The Light of Christ’s Gospel
1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.


7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.
13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,”[a]we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.




"Paul is not addressing here the frivolous minds in compromising, nor is he referring to those who squander their lives in self-indulgent living, nor is he speaking to the narrow-minded hypocrites; these words are meant for the soldiers of the cross, those who understands what it means to love, to sacrifice, or even to suffer, oh dear one are grasping the significance of this fabulous promise? ..." - Ellerslie Honour


Are we letting life be numbed and vacuumed into earthly pleasures or are we willing to bear the weight of living for His glory and honour? What does it mean to be a Christian?

What a weighty mission to grasp and grip tightly to these promises huh?! I was struck and humbled for sure seeing the vid and reading over the passage again! But hey friends :), keep on claiming these treasures!! :)

and so learning to teach begins.... :)

Have recently been taking a full year UT course on Teaching a Second Language. And for those who really truly aspire to teach kids and teenagers, I geniunely feel that this course is something you'll enjoy (c'mon now don't kid yourself! hahaah) and seriously sooo appropriate for preparing a mind ready to inspire ready-little minds in a elementary school setting or preparing minds of high school kids for the real world out there. I'm so excited aobut taking it right now cuz I'm learning so much!! come talk to me if you wanna know more! :D It has only been three weeks of class but I feel like I'm already thinking differently about learning in general and I eagerly anticipate about what my mind will be opened to next.dan dan dan!!! :D

So class experience, there is more class interaction than I expected initially, which i love! the many perspectives and philosophies about teaching shared just TODAY in-class just blew my mind! :) Really, today was my first time feeling people talking actually care about 'teaching' like gosh! hehehe if you know what I mean...:P Today when one of my classmates was talking, there was a genuine 'uptightness' in the vibe she gave away in the way she spoke; I almost sensed a thirst when she talked her hurtles and fear of feeling inadequate to become a good teacher --> one of our topics of discussion during class. That classmate kinda rocked the whole 'peaceful' class atmosphere a little bit with her passionate and quite confident tone of voice, but throughout her whole 1 min quick spiel, I was like: 'she really believes in what she says!' what passion seriously...and plus it is extremely rare to find such vulnerability in a secular world like this nowadays, especially in a class that has just begun where you don't really know anyone at all yet. Then I though to myself ->we are in dire need of ppl such as these to claim to be teachers.

One of our textbooks is just inspirational in that it brings a message of hope towards new real-life practical strategies for teaching, despite failures from past teaching styles. One quote from the text Teaching and Learning Languages by Anthony Mollica that inspired me personally goes on like this(p.42):

'Language is much more than grammar. It is more than a way of structuring thought. It is a way of signifying our deepest feelings, our most sincere beliefs. Each time I learn a word (says Mollica) which has no translation into another language, I feel that I have discovered a rare gift, a fresh insight..'

Thanks for reading, and hope you guys were able to be somewhat inspired or impacted by the idea of in this post. ....... .......... or maybe even think of teaching in the future as well? :]

Keeping workin' the mind on this fascinating topic! Cheers :}