I know I have been silent for a couple of months. Time flies isnt it? First, we were selling our house to move into a slightly bigger one, then our trusted helper decide to go home. And all in the midst where I was planning to move our parenting section of the blog to somewhere NEW!
So you can imagine the chaos literally. I was cooking, cleaning, teaching, managing the house hunt, cleaning, maid hunt, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. It has been about a month.
Life in transition is never fun, because one minute we are hopeful, the other we are not. Amidst the adjustments, I held on tightly what I could never do without, spending time with God and serving his people. Because when uncertain circumstances come, the only certainty we can rely on is God.
So pardon me while I have to get some stuff sorted out around the house. Soon and very soon, you should be able to see our new blog, new helper & new house. I think God is preparing us for a brand new year indeed!
ps: I still love to connect with you. Drop me an email!
Beautiful melody and amazing presence of God this song brings.
Today, my helper forgot to bring my sons' pull-over to church. I was upset at her forgetfulness as this was a no-brainer weekly duty.
Because the worship room and classroom were really cold with air-conditioned, I was fearful that my sons would fall sick due to the cold as they are usually prone and my older son's history of complication with respiratory issues. In my fear, I felt upset. And I thought about the hectic schedule we are having this week with my bazaar and the following week when my husband and I would be away from my boys. Honestly, I sensed my anxiety rising slowly but surely.
Every rhyme and reason tells me I have the right to vent or give her a peace of my mind, but in that instant, I choose to re-cast my anxiety upon the Lord. There is nothing I could do to change what was done. As we sat in the taxi heading towards church, I felt absolutely sick to the stomach & inadequate, I prayed anyway with all that my heart could muster, "God, please be the blanket of warmth and cover both my boys today. Give them strength and build them up. Thank you Lord."
After service, I picked up my son. His hands were freezing cold. But guess what, the Lord DID hug him and preserve him. He told me it was cold, but not too cold. :))) thank God.
And this song, when we sang this song during worship, this was me giving my anxiety to him. God is so faithful. :) Thank God, Praise him & bless him.
If you have an area of need, or if it may be someone else's shortcoming that causes your fall, let us not point our fingers but re-cast our anxiety upon the Lord. May God strengthen you. He is a God that cares for you, your shield, your strength, your portion, deliverer, your shelter, strong tower, your very present help in time of need. He is your over comer as he is mine.
I am grateful for the love that God has for each one of us, is there any situation that cannot be overcome? Each of us have a seed of Hope, if we continue to keep our eyes on him.
There are so much novelty the world is tempting us, each thing requiring more time and more resources from us. What God desires is that we sit by his feet, letting him lavish his love on us. Rest, is so hard, it seemed. Yet it is in his word that he say "those who wait on him will rise like eagles"- Isaiah 40:31. Picture that eagles soaring over the blue sky... such freedom and strength.
Amazed and so grateful for his power, his love, his endless grace. He is our God, our conqueror, the victorious King, rescuer of the World.
If anyone needs strength, the Lord says come, wait on him. Just soak in his presence, be still and know that he is the only one who would hold you up.
Intro E,Abm,C#m,A x2
EAbm Your grace is enough C#m More than I need AE At Your word I will believe Abm I wait for You C#m Draw near again AB Let Your Spirit make me new
E/G#A I will fall at Your feet F#mB I will fall at Your feet E/G#A And I will worship You here (F#m to repeat chorus)
E,Abm,C#m,A
EAbm Your presence in me C#m Jesus light the way AE By the power of Your word Abm I am restored C#m I am redeemed AB By Your Spirit I am free
BRIDGE: E,B,F#m,C#m,A,E
E Freely You gave it all for us B Surrendered Your life upon that cross F#m Great is the love C#m Poured out for all AE This is our God E Lifted on high from death to life B Forever our God is glorified F#m Servant and King C#m Rescued the world AE This is our God
Time flies, the day KB had to attend school, we cried. The day it was time to withdraw him we cried. Despite which, we had to move forward in view of long-term benefits.
With beautiful memories, we will soon close this chapter comes Sept as we launch fully into homeschooling 2 toddlers. We thank God for how much he is adapting in school during this period.
The teacher had this to say "Theo is an independent and fast worker, way to go!"
4 Aug 2011
Dear principle,
We have spoken with teacher xx of N2 and informed her of our decision to withdraw Theophilus from school to homeschool him.
We were in great praise of the time he spent in school, proven himself to be independent, secure and confident. We feel extremely blessed to have a gentle and experienced teacher such as Mrs xx; she is able to speak with the children and manage a class of kids with ease. I witnessed that on my first day with Theo and has been impressed with her. We also thank God for Guo Lao Shi (ex-chinese teacher) who is extremely pleasant and cheerful. My son, Theo spoke fondly of both teachers.
However, we wanted to facilitate a greater child-directed learning and fuel Theo’s need to keep enquiring in his discovery, as well as to create more opportunities for social interactions, not just with peers but with the society-at-large, hence our decision to homeschool him.
Arise Kindy comes across as peaceful & structured – a comfortable place that young children can go to and feel secure. We certainly are very pleased that Theo was able to enjoy his time there! We will miss Mrs xx very much and I’m sure Theo will as well.
We were wondering if we could have Mrs xx over for one of our family dinner? We want to thank her for all the love and care she has invested in all the kids and also in Theo.
Reign in us - As we practise the enduring presence of God, we cry out for the reign of God in our lives so that we walk a life carrying His presence, bringing Hope to the hopeless, healing to the wounded, answers to problems, love instead of pain. We are called to transform cultures.
[verse1] EmC2D You thought of us before the world began to breathe, You knew our names GD/F# before we came to be EmC2D You saw the very day we'd fall away from You and how desperately we need to GD/F# be redeemed
[prechorus] C2DAmD Lord Jesus come lead us, we're desperate for Your touch
[chorus] GDCEmC2 Oh Great and Mighty One with one desire we come that You would reign, that D You would reign in us GDCEmC2 We're offering up our lives a living sacrifice that You would reign that You DG would reign in us
[verse2] EmC2D Spirit of the Living God fall fresh again, come search our hearts and purify GD/F# our lives EmC2D We need Your perfect love, we need Your discipline, we're lost unless You GD/F# guide us with Your light
[prechorus]
[chorus]
[bridge] DCGD We cry out for Your love to refine us cry out CGDCGEm For Your love to define us cry out, for Your mercy to keep us blameless D until You return
[chorus] x2
[bridge2] x3 C2GDC2GD So reign, please reign in us come purify our hearts we need Your touch C2GD Come cleanse us like a flood and send us out C2GD So the world may know You reign, You reign in us
The old blog was getting a little too cluttered, not unlike my wardrobe.
I have started putting 'stickers' here, there, everywhere.
Was also getting a little tired of seeing too many lines.
So I gave my blog a fresh new paint!
I always love colours of blue ; turqoise, lime, lilac ...
it evokes a sense of tranquility, peace, enjoyment
this is what I want to leave behind when readers come and sit awhile
here at Sharon's Lavender Courtyard.
Opps, there's no tree in the courtyard, just the sounds of waves and
the breath of grace upon your face.
If life is getting a little too blurry, or hurried
I pray you find Hope in my little mutterings...
Design credit goes to
Tell me if you like it, or why you don't, won't ya?
Thanks!
Looks like tonight, the sky is heavy Feels like the winds are gonna change Beneath my feet, the earth is ready I know its time for heaven's rain, it's gonna rain
yeah,yeah
Cos it's living water we desire To flood our hearts with holy fire
Rain down all around the world we're singing Rain down can you hear the earth is singing Rain down my heart is dry but still I'm singing Rain down, rain it down on me.
Back to the start, my heart is heavy Feels like it's time, to dream again I see the clouds, and yes I'm ready To dance upon this barren land Hope in my hands
yeah,yeah
cos it's living water we desire, to flood our hearts with holy fire
Rain down all around the world we're singing Rain down can you hear the earth is singing Rain down my heart is dry but still I'm singing Rain down.
Do not shut, Do not shut, Do not shut the heavens But open up, open up, open up our hearts
Rain down all around the world we're singing Rain down can you hear the earth is singing Rain down my heart is dry but still I'm singing Rain down.
(Rain down) Give me strength to cross the water Keep my heart upon Your altar (rain down)
(rain down) Give me strength to cross this water Keep my feet don’t let me falter (rain down)
Do not shut the heavens But open up our hearts, open up our hearts
do not shut the heavens but open up our hearts, open up our hearts.
While many young children, when given the opportunity, will immediately engage in play with others, families and early childhood teachers often encounter children who want only to watch from the side. These children will watch others playing around them - constructing a towering building; reenacting a battle of dinosaurs in the sandbox; putting on a puppet show - without actually getting involved.
Family members and teachers may be anxious when preschoolers do not engage in play with other children, but this "onlooker stage of play" can be an important step in the social development of young children. It is an opportunity for young children to learn and mentally practice interacting with others. With adult guidance, they'll benefit from this thoughtful time.
In the onlooker stage, children don't physically interact, but their minds and feelings are fully engaged in the play of others. You can see it in their faces and body language. Their eyes may open wide as they see a block building growing taller, then they may dart quickly to another corner to determine the location of the growling dinosaur sounds. Their faces may break into smiles at the antics of other children pretending to be monkeys and gorillas.
Each type of play has value: in solitary play, children acquire self-knowledge; other kinds of play help them build confidence, practice interacting, and learn how to cooperate with other children. Children who go through an onlooker (or "watcher") stage get to be mentally engaged without the potential intimidation of actually being in the thick of things.
This engagement offers children opportunities to mentally manipulate what they see and hear, organizing and integrating information and storing it away for future use. The children may actually be mentally placing themselves into a situation they are observing, and testing how they might respond if they were involved.
As "watchers," children have opportunities to manipulate their cognitive experience of the behaviors of others, gaining information which will later be used within the context of their physical, verbal, emotional, and social behaviors. The use of this information is not just imitation, but a true understanding of the causes, actions, and consequences of particular behaviors - similar to the way preschoolers might use self-talk or private speech to review what they have learned about words and language. The onlooker stage offers an opportunity to watch and learn before stepping into the action.
All young children do some watching; some young children do it a lot. We now know that this is a valuable experience for children. As family members and as early childhood teachers, we are often anxious when preschoolers are not willing to engage overtly in play with other children. Perhaps we should allow them more time to watch and learn. When the time is right, they will be more comfortable and successful moving into the world of full social interaction.
Excerpted from "He's Watching! The Importance of the Onlooker Stage of Play" by Sarah Jane Anderson - an article in the NAEYC journal, Young Children. Early Years Are Learning Years™ is a regular series from NAEYC providing tips to help parents and early childhood educators give young children a great start on learning.
Bless you with this amazing prophetic song... go on jump into the river and dance in the presence of God... experience God's love...let Him stir up your spirit so that living water will flow out of you! experience Open Heaven!
Pslams 42:7 "Deep calls to deep, in the roar of your waterfall, all your waves and breakers have swept over me"
I've got a river of living water A fountain that never will run dry It's open Heavens You're releasing And we will never be denied
Cause we're stirring up deep deep wells We're stirring up deep deep waters We're going to dance in the river, dance in the river
Cause we're stirring up deep deep wells We're stirring up deep deep waters We're going to jump in the river Jump in the river and everybody singing now
Deep cries out to deep cries out to Deep cries out to deep cries out to So we cry out to, we cry out to, You Jesus
We're falling into deeper waters, calling out to You We're walking into deeper waters, going after You
If He goes to the left then we'll go to the left And if He goes to the right then we'll go to the right We're going to jump jump jump jump in the river Jump jump jump jump, everybody
If He goes to the left then we'll go to the left And if He goes to the right then we'll go to the right We're going to dance dance, dance dance in the river Dance dance, dance dance, everybody
If He goes to the left then we'll go to the left And if He goes to the left then we'll go to the right
We're going to shout shout shout shout in the river Shout shout shout shout in the river, everybody
Revelation song is as close as one can get to singing heavens, God and his glory. Wonderful song to bring heaven down to earth. Love praising God about him!
I have recently experienced disappointment. Have you experienced disappointment before? And there, deep down there is sadness but once it hits bottom, there is anger and the deeper the disappointment , the greater the anger. Particularly if it was a disappointment from a person who is close.
Jesus never promised a road that is without trouble, but he says that in every trouble HE IS THERE WITH US. I find that so comforting. I find the Lord storing all our tears in the bottle meant that he cares for our pain.
The trouble is that we sometimes put our hope in a person more than we should put our hope in Christ. People will let us down. But Christ is faithful, he sees us, he knows our every move. He alone is more loving, more for us than anyone in the world. He alone would never forsake us in our weaknesses.
If I could have my way, I would praise-pray-dance-praise-pray-dance all day! Cuz I simply can't hold back my love back to you... Oh, this is the feelin' in my tummy, upon my feet... SO, this would be the opening song for "Praise OPENS Heaven" topic! New, All New!!! And I'm excited, because more gorgeous songs is coming our way. It is my hope that you, my dear friends would be able to pour forth extravagant praise such that it touches God's heart and experience a OPEN HEAVEN in Your life!!!
ENjoy!
(Intro) Words can never say the way he says my name He calls me lovely No one every sees the way he looks at me He sees me holy Words can never hold this love that burns my soul Heaven holds me Oh, heaven holds me
(Chorus) Can't hold my love back in you Can't hold my love back in you I've gotta sing I've gotta sing Sing my love To you Jesus yeah
(Verse 2) You will not believe the way he touches me He burns right through me And I could not forget every word he said He always knew me Earth could never hold this love that burns my soul Heaven holds me Oh, heaven holds me Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Chorus)
(Verse 2)
(Chorus)x2
Oh, nothings gonna stand in the way Nothing can get in the way of the love tonight
Can't hold my praise back in you Can't hold my praise back in you I've gotta shout I've gotta shout Shout my praise
Praise the Lord Praise the Lord My Soul makes Makes its vows in the Lord
Our identity in Christ is a simple thing to the mind. We know in our head that we are sons and daughters, and we inherit everything God would have for us, yet many of us live in contrary to what we think we know!
Just imagine if we are the royal Prince William or Kate Middleton of England. How would we live our lives?
Our identities has an impact on our sphere of influence; at the marketplace, our homes, our mission fields and more. It would matter if we are wives, or a boss, or an employee. It would matter if we are at the cross-road, handling in a crisis, or in health. Our identities matters.
Get a more-than-conquerors mindset! Get a royalty mindset. It would impact the way we parent. ( I just had to specially mention this since this is my key sphere of influence!)
Take this test by Kris Vallotton's ministry to find out!
The Film: Courageous, the new action-packed movie from the creators of Fireproof, is a powerful reminder of the impact fathers have on their kids…and the legacy they will leave for future generations. Courageous: In Theaters September 30.
The Song: Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award-winning artist Casting Crowns wrote and recorded a song by the same title, "Courageous," that will be featured in the film, and appear on the band's upcoming album, Come To The Well, available everywhere October 18.
Is there a tension between innovativeness or perfect grades (hard-wire response) in education?
Turkey skills - Turkey skills are described as basic or rote skills, learnt and practised until we can perform like experts. Skills are applied quickly, logically and automatically. It has a place in the society but is it the key to everything? Is this the gold standard for achievement and gatekeepers for advancement?
Crow skills - Crow skills are described as problem-solving in non linear ways, innovativeness, and creativity, responses that require various parts of the brain.
Today most kids focus on video gaming rather then creative play! Do you think this is crow skills or turkey skills?
Which skills are you honing in for yourselves and your children?
I am in an air-conditioned room and it becomes hot, no the air-conditioned is working alright. I felt my hair standing on ends as I stretched my hands out heavenwards.
Which mother are not acquainted with sick child/children? I just had one with me for 3 days. My little 2 yr-old otter, usually active, would be a sickly little puppy when his temperature goes up to 39 degrees as he lean on me.
I would learn that when kids fall ill, our hearts ache. Despite medicine and what we know, we still don't see improvement. It is such that we need to know that we are finite. finite. finite. We may know about our kids, but we still don't know everything there is to know! Isnt that true??
Yet, it is so easy to be defeated, exhausted, disappointed. I know because I go through it.
But I would learn that as soon as we detect the negative, the naysayers, the fact-finders, it is time to draw our swords! Scripture calls Jesus our Healer. Scripture says we are more than conquerors, scripture say that we have within us the spirit that can heal, deliver, resurrect! The promises of God are yes and amen! (2 cor 1:20)
Its time to let our little minds go under the power of Holy Spirit. Stand up, wield the sword of the Spirit and cast away that which makes us disbelief. Call forth Open Heavens and ask of the Lord!
When I talked about a heated room, it is not about me , nor the air-conditioned room, it is the visitation of the Lord himself. Release his presence upon our child, upon our family, make all things new. Press in, never give in, never give up. Call Upon Jesus Christ, our Healer. He has come. It is time to rejoice.
Not my kids, but for me! First day of school , daddy gave me a gift. Nope, it was a gift that was given a week ago, but it would be a gift that would be opened in school.
Through God's miraculous providence, I was able to attend school in this season of being a full time mum!!! How cool is that??? I thot God was cool and my husband was cool and my mum was cool, because all of them were in this WITH me!
my boys were taken to the kindy which my mum taught and spent the morning there, playing while daddy would take the afternoon off to work from home while caring for them. So there you go, stay-home-daddy for a season! Woots!! Cool daddy of world! :))
So, first day of school @ School of Supernatural Ministry! (Woo hooo - my dream school!) Keith Ferrante would release words of prophecy over people he felt led to in the class. And with each prophecy that was being released, i would suddenly feel the great love of God upon that person. Tears would gush out and I thot it would stop, but it didn't, my heart felt the great great love of God, for EVERY prophecy that he would release on different people. In the end, I was just so overwhelmed with the Love of God for all the people that my tears were pouring forth so much. God then used those moments to so gently teach me to love his people and understand his love, all the while experience his love for his people. God's love is so large & magnificent, that it cannot be contained in a human being.
Afterwards, A song "daddy's proud of you" was being played and I hear God telling me he loved me, not to my mind, because I already knew that, but to my heart! Oh, God would pour out his love for me and tell me that he is proud of me. I was So so touched, by then a dam has broken out and I cried and cried like I was going to flood the room. And then, I was transformed. My identity was made whole. Oh, that was freedom for me.
Subsequent sessions in the later day, we were doing prophetic activation under the another teacher, Elaine Eleazer and I found myself used as a vessel to release words of prophecies to one, and to another, and to another! People were crying, people were encouraged, but I was so so blessed in returned! Prophecy releases LOVE into another person's lives and build them up! I remember God called me to be a builder and I am So in love with this amazing new gift God has given me.
I wanted to thank the Lord for breaking a mindset that only certain people of certain spirituality could receive this gift. But the Lord would say, just covert it, with no conditions bound to it. What God does is instead of do this, do that and then you can do this and that, is that he pours forth his mighty love and grace. In receiving his love and amazing grace, we are set free to do his will and will not be compelled to do what will grieve him. It becomes as natural as that.
There is simply no striving, no working out in the flesh as we operate in his gift. I find that super super liberating. And for that split second I was walking on clouds!! I was so so excited.
I began to remember when God called me to a dance in my dreams. My loving Father in heaven so wants to set me free, he so wants me to dance. I began to remember the times I would praise and worship him once my boys falls asleep at night and the hunger pangs that would set in my spirit, and I would want to fly into heaven with him. I would remember the times when I see illness in my family, or myself or in others and think, there ought to be a better way. I would remember the burden I feel for people who are walking around with a form of godliness, yet without the power and I would say, there ought to be a better way. I long to see restoration, powerful victorious living, people set free, healing, God's love poured down abundantly.
And God would honour that little pockets of thoughts I had in private (but now not so anymore i guess!) and take me along this Journey. As Elaine taught, it is easy to receive the gift, but we would need time to let it mature. I pray that the Lord would really prune and shape me in his own image. I am made powerful in him, released to be a greater blessing to others!
Ps: What I experienced, you can have it too. You can see miracles happening in your daily lives, if you would believed. Supernaturally natural, and naturally supernatural. It is a lifestyle!
Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Col 2: 10 "and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority"
John 14: 12 tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
I did rock-climbing for the first time last Saturday. Rock-climbing was touted as an extreme sport by many, yet so many climbers have enjoyed doing it. I thought it was rather boring because things are so still. I am one who would rather dance or swim, if you know what I mean; I like to have more than one thing on the move. Parenting is like that in many ways isn't it?
Would parenting be an extreme sport to you? Or would it be a tad toooo boring?
It is easy to lose our focus when we have 101 things on our plate. Or too much 'time' on hands.
Most of our 24-hours feels like 12-hours. We constantly live on the edge of time poverty. Truth is, we are either preoccupied with something that does not keep step with the holy spirit or fall to the other extreme; having too much 'time' on hands. Having "idle" time on hand means we are not able to prioritize what is urgent.
I cannot give a fuller explanation of the above scripture then what John Piper writes here at Desiring God Ministries
"Remember, "flesh" is the old, ordinary human nature that does not relish the things of God and prefers to get satisfaction from independence, power, prestige and worldly pleasures. When we "walk by the Spirit" we are not controlled by those drives." Parents, especially are often driven mad by the crazy schedules or tantrums of their little ones, and particularly little ones because they are not able to articulate their frustrations, sadness or fear. I often hear parents say " I think I am even more stressed at home then when I am out without my kids". Hence, it was often taken for granted that because many thinks it is less stressful at home, then that must be the way it should be. Or it was often heard that "since others experienced the same kind of stress, then it must be common". What a lie we have bought ourselves into!
The Bible exhorts parents to be teachers of their children at home. Proverbs 6:20 "My child, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching..."
It talks of parents being able to discipline their children. Proverbs 13:24 "Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are diligent to discipline them."
It exhorts women to be the builder of her house. Proverbs 14:1 "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands." This verse talks about freedom in the spirit and release from law. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17).I have found that once I understood my role as given by the scriptures, I am able to focus on being the teacher that I am called, a parent who loved enough to discipline, and a wife who must build my family. You are able to let the holy spirit work in you so much that you experience freedom in doing what you do. Because of our God-given role we use our time to honour our calling, not given into flesh by squandering our time to do 'something else". We have every right to tell that "something else" to take a back seat if our primary role is not fulfilled. INVESTING in growing and being equipped in our role will directly impact who we are and who we are serving; namely our children, our family and the larger community God has placed us in (the church, the mission field).
Being able to GIVE UP "something else" is also needful in order that we create time and space for God to speak with us and lead us.
There are things that catches us when we least expected, and sometimes we get embroiled by it.
We are surprised by ourselves. Yet God is not.
He is our overcomer, his grace is enough to help us overcome. We only need to fall into his embrace. He loves us, he will set us free.
Be it a vacuum in our hearts, or hunger, or helplessness. Only God can fill it. Nothing of the world, even the best drama serials on TV can fill it to the brim. Let God restore you.
We don't spend enough time with the word of God. By that, I mean well-meaning followers of Christ who know the word, but never invested enough time to get it into our spirit man.
Few years ago, I was struggling to memorise Ephesians 3:20King James Bible "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us," I was very excited about this verse, yet I would struggled to remember the words. So tried as I did, I copied it on my yellow post-it pad and stuck it on the computer where I was working on. I tried to meditate it everyday for a week. I seldom get the exact words right, often having the (bad) habit to substitute with synonyms of sort. I wasn't quite happy with that obviously, because it could potentially dilute an intended meaning. But I would keep trying, every word that God spoke, I wrote and kept it in my heart. I would try and try again as I would to keep the words to its original translation.
It is hard work truly. But the word of God, through considerable practice can be felt so gentle yet so powerfully working in our spirit. That is when we know and we know that his word is made ALIVE in us. HIS words carry the power when we speak. We become the vessel who can bring life to others, and those who hears us.
This is power living.
I was not contented with living a comfortable life. A life that consist of food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over my head and perhaps in the modern terms, holidaying in exotic places. I wanted a life infused with the power of the living God in me.
Is a comfortable life without storms? Many people strive for comfort and sadly Christ followers too stay stuck in a comfortable life. John 10:10 "Abundant life" has too often been misunderstood as a comfortable life. An abundant life is a life that exceeds mere happiness.
Bible Commenter and that they might have it more abundantly; or, as the Syriac version reads, "something more abundant"; that is, than life; meaning not merely than the life of wicked men, whose blessings are curses to them; or than their own life, only in the present state of things; or than long life promised under the law to the observers of it; but even than the life Adam had in innocence, which was but a natural and moral, not a spiritual life, or that life which is hid with Christ in God; and also than that which angels live in heaven, which is the life of servants, and not of sons: or else the sense is, that Christ came that his people might have eternal life, with more abundant evidence of it than was under the former dispensation, and have stronger faith in it, and a more lively hope of it: or, as the words may be rendered, "and that they might have an abundance": besides life, might have an abundance of grace from Christ, all spiritual blessings in him now, and all fullness of joy, glory, and happiness hereafter.
A powerful life is not one without storms as evidence in Paul's life. I admire him. Seriously, I don't think I have his kind of guts. Check out his 5-star sea holiday package (Acts 27). But I sure admire his total abandonment in Jesus, hence his life although endangered was worth less than life itself. (Acts 20:24For I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's grace.)
But life as it would present itself to be fraught with some highs and some lows, inevidently, some mountain top experiences and some valley lows. There is no exclusion. People everywhere desire to preserve comfort, they want to stay forever in their comfort zone. Even Kings have bad days, and beggers under the bridge would have their share of good days.
God can work through you and me in ways that are exceeding abundantly ABOVE all that we ask and think. “exceeding abundantly” is the Greek “huper-ek-perissos” which means superabundantly. More than we need. More than we can even think or dream about. (Vines Dictionary)
The word “exceeding” comes from the Greek preposition #5228 “huper” which means over and beyond, superior to, and more than is required. It is used in compound words throughout the New Testament to express God’s excessive benevolence towards His children.
I like what I discover. But happier than that, is that these are lavished upon us. It is ours. :)
Do you like to enter a room with gifts filled from the floor to the ceiling and know that they are yours? Do you like to know that someone has prepared a spread of gourmet food, or a huge garden full of flowers all for you to enjoy?
Excessive is defined as that which goes far beyond the usual, to be extraordinary, exorbitant, extravagant, overabundant, and too much.
The word “power” comes from the Greek #1411 “dunamis” which means inherent power and ability, and consistently refers to the miraculous power and anointing that flowed in Jesus ministry.
God fuels our lives through his word, visions & dreams. I was worshipping him one day when I saw a vision of his holiness among his worshippers. I asked his glory to touch my mouth. I was having ulcers and immediately the next day, I sensed healing.
I could no longer confine God to move in the ordinary spheres of mankind. The work that I do parenting, mentoring, organising activities, music - these are but natural skills sanctified. But God is a powerful God that moves where he likes... to heal (physical, emotional, mental), to restore (relationships, finances, destinies etc) to raise the dead, to make people powerful though him.
In Powerful living there is no striving. There is a sense of freedom and liberation that comes with power living. It is the anointing that God sets upon his people. And it is a gift to be received just like how we have first received God into our lives the day we made him our King, our leader and our saviour.
Have we stopped receiving him into our lives?
I don't mean to stop giving ourselves to honing our skills, but to give a semblance of godliness without its power is something we need recognise. We need to know that this is all men and none of God. We cannot give praise to God, for which that does not begin with him. So many of us doers, want more, bigger, fancier, more sophisticated stuff, being well motivated and encouraged with results, we forgot that God is the miracle worker at the front-of-stage and not at the back-stage.
We become so self-conscious, we lost our God-consciousness. We become so familiar with the workings of men, that we cannot recognise God when he does something different. Woe to us, we cannot even recognise Jesus when he is walking beside us at the road of Emmaus. Believers can be caught in such a situation! (Luke 24:13-35)
We cannot give, that which we have not received. God wants to give us exceeding, abundantly, above all that we think or ask. Have we stopped receiving?
We cannot pretend darkness is not present.
Ephesians 6:12 - For our struggles is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against rulers, against authorities, against cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Like it or not, we all struggle to varying degrees. Be it an irresponsibility on our part or something outside of our influence, we can and must take up the offense against which does not come from God! Do we have undue or irrational sadness, anger, fear, worries, dislike, critical, agitation, sickness, fatigue, stress? Fear can set on on in so many ways - fear of being out of control, fear of people, fear of others' opinion on us, fear of not fitting in etc. We live in a nation of fear.
Buy gold, not fear. God has something much better.
1. The word "counsel" means to take counsel together, give advice, deliberate. There is only one market from which you can buy the goods Jesus offers –"from Me." The Laodiceans do not have to run to the malls of wealth in Laodicea to obtain satisfaction.
Jesus wants to do business with the Laodiceans. First, He counsels them "to buy" a certain kind of "gold," a "refined" gold of character that comes from the fires of testing. This is not a monetary transaction but a spiritual transaction, a spiritual transaction in exchange for a quality of life.
2. Secondly, Jesus not only wants the Laodiceans to buy gold but He wants them to purchase "white garments" from Him. If they do this, they will not expose their nakedness to others and they will not be ashamed. Laodiceans were famous for their glossy black goat’s wool. Ignominy always comes from sin. We will not disgrace ourselves with our sin if we enter into transaction with the Lord Jesus. With clothes that Jesus gives them, they will carry a sense of modesty. This will save us a lot of pain from our disgraceful acts, from exposure while sinning. Jesus saves from behavior that brings embarrassment. These Christians will not hide their face in shame. 3.The third thing that Jesus wants the church to buy is an "eye salve" that allows us to see spiritually. There was a famous medical school at Laodicea. This "eye salve" was a Phygian powder used by oculists at the temple of Asclepius. They did not need to go to occultists; they only need to go to Jesus. If we use Jesus’ salve, we will acquire true knowledge of our spiritual condition and we will see the claims of Christ to correct that condition. We need to open our eyes to spiritual truth.
Issiah 55:1"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Power living is available to those who hunger and thirst.
Many of us sense and feel worldly sensation. We cry at Korean dramas, and laugh at comedies, yet so few of us cry when God's love overcome us or laugh when God gives us a treat.
We feel injustice when kittens are tortured but do not speak kindly when the world needs us to be salt and light.
We fall sick and sense our weakness overbearing on us physically and emotionally, but do not even recognise the power of God living and active within us.
When will we ever wake up to the fact that we have turned our sensuality over to the world?
Some of us love God with our mind, neglecting our soul. Some of us love God with our soul, neglecting our heart. Neither is complete.
God wants all of our heart, our mind and our soul.
Today, let God open our spiritual senses. Let us be so consumed by him that we are infused by him, spirit, soul, mind and our heart. Choose to live powerful lives.
Sometimes through so much busyness in life, we forget why we are doing what we are doing.
It is nice to slow down ... I am thankful I am never in a big rush to complete a deadline or feel compelled to 'keep busy'. This could be the deadliest trap to keep us from allowing God into our lives. God's voice is a small still voice. We've gotto let him have free reign over our lives.
Someone asked me why I have time to blog or prepare so much educational materials for my boys, or take my boys for outings, or attends conference or most recently organise contest and give freebies away! (My husband says I am spending too much time on fun things!)
Why I do what I do? My simple answer is that I am created to be a blessing. In whatever and however limitation or abundance that I have, I give because He (God) first gave. I enjoy my life immensely.
My interest however is varied. It is too trivial to list it all out. I enjoy challenges and I am not for status quo. I like to follow where the holy spirit goes, because one day in the house is better than a thousand elsewhere. I also enjoy peace and friendship, a cuppa anytime and a prayer for someone for breakthroughs. I love rejoicing where Christ has gain victory.
What I love? I love people. God uses people to accomplish his Kingdom mission. God love people so much he restores us to our destiny. Being a SAHM gives me time to meet with people when my kids nap, or nap when my kids nap. :) I also meet people online. Who says I have no social life! haha .. ;)
I love praise & worship Sometimes I share a song I love, sometimes I share how a song changes or ministered to me. I love God's music.
I also love parenting- 4 years ago, I would have just blogged about life in general. Today, parenting topics takes up a major bulk of my blog posts. I see many parallel being a parent and a disciple-maker. Also I saw how the ideologies of the world seeped into families to rob people of the original blessing of a family, so I want to be part of the restoration work. A builder, perhaps.
I also love to move in the supernatural. No, this is no hocus pocus fairy dust I am talking about. I yearn to move like the twelve apostles, spreading the gospel, healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons. And like anything we are new in, there is fear. But herewith, we have to step out and exercise our faith. The time has come for such a time as this. Indeed, when we do, then we will see breakthroughs. I yearn to live powerful lives together with my family. Naturally, supernatural.
Where does my husband fit in? My husband is the head of the household, I exist to be a helpmate (hopefully, despite my shortcomings!). He love the word of God. He may not like it if I call him a walking Bible, but he is to me. I have such short memory. I had to memorise the word by writing lines! My husband just reads it and he got it all in there. He supports all that I do, and I support him. We both move in different giftings.
So what shipwrecked situations can I share? Surely I do! I hate getting sick! After giving birth to my second boy, my body become weak. Each year I gave birth, I would be admitted to the hospital for some reason.
The first was a surgery to remove my ovary because a cyst broke in there.
The second was for bronchitis and penuemonia resulting in Asthma. I like it that I have a choice to believe the doctor's report or the report book of the word of God. Similarly, my elder boy would also had the tendency to fall sick often, that is why I battle in prayer. Often I battle inside my prayer closet and perhaps that is where it all started. I still hate falling sick. I hate sickness. And I hate how sickness has crippled others.
We have a choice to turn a shipwrecked situation for God's glory or be sunken with the ship.
I do appreciate ... a helping hand anytime... anyone committed to the work of restoration work, moving in power, not just in works
I don't have time for ... slanderers, apathy , pity-parties
What I am not good at ... well, my grammer on the blog is atrocious!! Even I can't stand it! can't cook, can't bake (anyone willing to teach me?), scared to drive (live to be driven?), can't jog (have web feet), can't stop talking (somebody stop me!!!!)
Something that made me extremely happy and blessed is when someone experiences victory in his/her life.
As a stay home mum, it is so easy to get drown by the mundane chores and not see what the King sees. I see home as a Palace court. When Moses was plucked out from the waters (River), sister Miriam ran to get a mid-wife for the baby Moses who "happens" (Is there any coincidences??) to be Moses's mother. She was PERFECT for baby Moses, not for any qualifications she has or don't possess. She was THE perfect carer, simply because she IS the Baby's mother!!! Have you thought about how priviledged that was? How honourable was it for God's chosen servant? The worthy most humble Moses was cared for by HIS own mother!
Today, You are the chosen Mother for your child. Do you know that nothing you do or have done will make you more or less qualified than you already are. No matter how many degrees would make you over qualified, neither does the un-schooled are under qualified. Isn't that liberating?
I learnt that when we start to give thanks in the palace court that God has given us, we began to clothe our spirits with the protection of God. Praise helps to detract deceptions in our lives, because we acknowledge God's providence for us, and because of that, there is no lack, no discouragements, no defeat.
keeping stock of victories helps focus our eyes on our victory-giver. We are the bearer of his victory blessings. if you are not seeing victory, or seeing too little victories in your life as a mother, make this your prayer today, say to the Lord, "Keep it coming Lord, keep it coming Lord, more victories, so you name could be lifted high. Thank you Lord!"
I love these victory points that my dear friend, Dee shared with me. And she has so kindly given me the permission to share this here.
1. Dot gives her little teddy to another baby. She is learning to share at this young age.
2. Dot can speak a lot of words, more than 20 words, now even difficult words like caterpillar, elephant.
3. Dot can run around easily without panting..cos she walks probably at around 1K every day.
4. She says bye to almost every person after she leaves or someone leaves the lift.
5. She loves reading or loves to have us read to her.
6. She said "Amen" after every prayer I make. I pray for her every day, almost everytime I breastfeed her.
7. She enjoys playing with other children and does not snatch other people's toy.
8. I am still breastfeeding her.
9. She is a happy and healthy baby.
Bless you, Dee! May you soar from one mountain after another mountain with God. ;)
Thurs - 24 March 2011 Due to dryness or tiny specs of object that fell into my left eye that irritate it, I rubbed it casually. Was out from 8.30am - 10am the morning and felt a strange tug in my left eye. I could feel the jelly-like substance inside my eye twitching when I look to the right corner. Went home, and checked my eye at the mirror. Saw a jelly-like ball of yellowish swell beside my pupil. The other corner was red. I prayed for God to touch my left eye and heal it. Afternoon, I was out again and did not feel the swolleness, went home and had it checked. Praise the Lord, left eye totally resumed normal probably within 2 hours. No signs of dryness. Glory to God, nothing is too small for him!
In the face of disaster, many would flee, but they chose to stay on, so that a major catastrophe might be averted.
Watching the news from this part of the world, we seemed unable to understand the magnitude of a disaster many cannot help but call reference to Chernobyl disaster.
A small crew of technicians, braving radiation and fire, became the only people remaining at the FukushimaDaiichi Nuclear Power Station on Tuesday — and perhaps Japan’s last chance of preventing a broader nuclear catastrophe.
They crawl through labyrinths of equipment in utter darkness pierced only by their flashlights, listening for periodic explosions as hydrogen gas escaping from crippled reactors ignites on contact with air.
They breathe through uncomfortable respirators or carry heavy oxygen tanks on their backs. They wear white, full-body jumpsuits with snug-fitting hoods that provide scant protection from the invisible radiation sleeting through their bodies.
They are the faceless 50, the unnamed operators who stayed behind. They have volunteered, or been assigned, to pump seawater on dangerously exposed nuclear fuel, already thought to be partly melting and spewing radioactive material, to prevent full meltdowns that could throw thousands of tons of radioactive dust high into the air and imperil millions of their compatriots.
The workers — and an increasing proportion of soldiers — struggled on Tuesday and Wednesday to keep hundreds of gallons of seawater a minute flowing through temporary fire pumps into the three stricken reactors, Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Among the many problems that officials acknowledged on Wednesday were what appeared to be yet another fire at the plant and indications that the containment vessel surrounding a reactor may have ruptured. That reactor, No. 3, appeared to be releasing radioactive steam.
The reactor’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, said it had been able to double the number of people at the plant to 100 as a result of falling radiation levels, but that was before the sudden release of radioactive vapor. It was not immediately clear how many of the workers and soldiers at the plant might have evacuated after that.
Those remaining are being asked to make escalating — and perhaps existential — sacrifices that so far are being only implicitly acknowledged: Japan’s Health Ministry said Tuesday it was raising the legal limit on the amount of radiation to which each worker could be exposed, to 250 millisieverts from 100 millisieverts, five times the maximum exposure permitted for American nuclear plant workers.
The change means that workers can now remain on site longer, the ministry said. “It would be unthinkable to raise it further than that, considering the health of the workers,” the health minister, Yoko Komiyama, said at a news conference. There was also a suggestion on Wednesday that more workers may be brought to help save the power station.
Tokyo Electric Power, the plant’s operator, has said almost nothing at all about the workers, including how long a worker is expected to endure exposure.
The few details Tokyo Electric has made available paint a dire picture. Five workers have died since the quake and 22 more have been injured for various reasons, while two are missing. One worker was hospitalized after suddenly grasping his chest and finding himself unable to stand, and another needed treatment after receiving a blast of radiation near a damaged reactor. Eleven workers were injured in a hydrogen explosion at reactor No. 3.
Nuclear reactor operators say that their profession is typified by the same kind of esprit de corps found among firefighters and elite military units. Lunchroom conversations at reactors frequently turn to what operators would do in a severe emergency.
The consensus is always that they would warn their families to flee before staying at their posts to the end, said Michael Friedlander, a former senior operator at three American power plants for a total of 13 years.
“You’re certainly worried about the health and safety of your family, but you have an obligation to stay at the facility,” he said. “There is a sense of loyalty and camaraderie when you’ve trained with guys, you’ve done shifts with them for years.”
Adding to this natural bonding, jobs in Japan confer identity, command loyalty and inspire a particularly fervent kind of dedication. Economic straits have chipped away at the hallowed idea of lifetime employment for many Japanese, but the workplace remains a potent source of community. Mr. Friedlander said that he had no doubt that in an identical accident in the United States, 50 volunteers could be found to stay behind after everyone else evacuated from an extremely hazardous environment. But Japanese are raised to believe that individuals sacrifice for the good of the group.
The reactor operators face extraordinary risks. Tokyo Electric evacuated 750 emergency staff members from the stricken plant on Tuesday, leaving only about 50, when radiation levels soared. By comparison, standard staffing levels at the three active General Electric reactors on the site would be 10 to 12 people apiece including supervisors — an indication that the small crew left behind is barely larger than the contingent on duty on a quiet day.
Daiichi is not synonymous with Chernobyl in terms of the severity of contamination. The Ukrainian reactor blew up and spewed huge amounts of radiation for 10 days in 1986. But workers at the plants have a bond.
Among plant employees and firefighters at Chernobyl, many volunteered to try to tame, and then entomb, the burning reactor — although it is not clear that all were told the truth about the risks. Within three months, 28 of them died from radiation exposure. At least 19 of them were killed by infections that resulted from having large areas of their skin burned off by radiation, according to a recent report by a United Nations scientific committee. And 106 others developed radiation sickness, with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dropping blood counts that left them highly vulnerable to infections.
The people who had suffered radiation sickness developed other problems later, according to the report: cataracts, severe scarring from the radiation burns to their skin and an increased number of deaths from leukemia and other blood cancers.
Some of those Chernobyl workers were exposed to levels of radiation far beyond what has been measured to date at Daiichi — especially helicopter pilots who flew through radiation-laden smoke spewing from the reactor to drop fire-extinguishing chemicals on it.
Radiation close to the reactors was reported to reach 400 millisieverts per hour on Tuesday after a blast inside reactor No. 2 and fire at reactor No. 4, but has since dropped back to as low as 0.6 millisieverts at the plant gate. Tokyo Electric and Japanese regulators have not released any statistics on radiation levels inside the containment buildings where engineers are desperately trying to fix electrical systems, pumps and other gear wrecked by Friday’s earthquake and tsunami.
But nuclear experts said that indoor radiation levels were likely to be higher because the containment buildings were probably still preventing most radiation from leaving the plant.
The site is now so contaminated with radiation, experts say, that it has become difficult for employees to work near the reactors for extended periods of time. According to one expert’s account of nuclear emergency procedures, workers would be cycled in and out of the worst-hit parts of the plant.
In some cases, when dealing with a task in a highly radioactive area of the plant, workers might line up and handle the task only for minutes at a time before passing off to the next worker, said KatsuhikoIshibashi, a former professor in the Research Center for Urban Safety and Security at Kobe University.
Tokyo Electric has refused to release the names or any other information about the 50 workers who stayed behind, nor have utility executives said anything about how they are being relieved as they become tired or ill.
Some of those battling flames and spraying water at reactors at Daiichi are members of Japan’s Self-Defense Force, police officers or firefighters.
Defense Minister ToshimiKitazawa said Tuesday that Self-Defense Force soldiers might be called on to fly the helicopters Tokyo Electric may use to spray water onto the overheating used fuel storage pool at reactor No. 4. The same day, however, members of Japan’s nuclear watchdog group, who had been stationed about three miles from the plant, were moved to a site 18 miles away. (The authorities later said that using helicopters to put spray water on reactor No. 4 might not be feasible.) If the plant operator is limiting the exposure of each worker at Daiichi — and calling on hundreds of volunteers to make up the 50 on site at any given time — then Chernobyl may offer some consolation.
To clean up the Chernobyl site after the accident, the Soviet Union conscripted workers in proportion to the size of each of its republics, and developed a system to limit their exposure.
“They sent up to 600,000 people in to clean up the radioactive debris around the plant and build a sarcophagus,” said Dr. John Boice, an author of the study, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt and the scientific director of the International Epidemiology Institute in Rockvillle, Md. The workers were sent into contaminated zones for limited periods.
Keith Bradsher reported from Hong Kong, and HirokoTabuchi from Tokyo. Denise Grady contributed reporting from New York, and Matthew L. Wald from Washington.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: March 16, 2011
A news alert associated with an earlier version of this article, relying on an English translation of remarks by Japan's chief cabinet secretary, incorrectly stated that workers had been evacuated from the FukushimaDaiichi nuclear power plant. A core group of workers remained at the plant.
I read this news with a heavy heart . I ask God, how Lord, how can we praise you in such storm? When the earth shakes, there is a sense of mass disorientation. Tsunami is horrible, it really makes one feel like they are being swallowed alive. How can I understand? I can never understand. Then as if the darkness of destruction is not enough, there is freezing snow and the silent killer. I can never understand Lord! How, tell me how can I praise you in this storm, in this magnitude. If my heart is torn, how much more torn are the people there, right in the middle of the storm? So I pray, Lord that you push back the darkness of destruction, enough is enough! Send your ministering angels, stretch out your loving hands. Comfort, save, restore! Heal, they need miracles. Step in and save the day, merciful & powerful Lord.
Pls join me to interceed unceasingly until a breakthrough comes. Thank you.
