The Community

The Cell had a successful bbq session during the public holiday that just passed, despite the drizzling. Thank God that none of our guests backed-out, we even had good feedback from them too. Something different that we did this time was that we spared the guys from the heat and hardwork – engaged a chef to do the job so that they can demonstrate their social skills too – mingle around.

From this session, we see the importance of playing host. We see people mingling around and befriending guests, being themselves and having fun. After the food, we do what we do best – taboo! and as per every game, we always launch with Battle of the sexes, it was fun, but we were missing some taboo experts. Definitely looking forward to the next taboo session with full force.

It was heartening to see that everybody making effort to make our guests feel comfortable and that’s the thing about being in a community, part of the body of Christ – can’t live without each other. There were people who brought friends, and those who befriended the guests, everybody had their roles to play Glad to see where the cell is growing towards now, and certainly pray that everybody will continue to play our part in this body of Christ simply because we need one another.

…we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.

1 Cor 12:18

Zachary turns 4!

Four years ago [23 August 2007], this little boy was birthed – Zachary Ethan Tay. Zach Zach has always been close to my heart, a little boy who is so childlike and can take your breath away with his charm. In his simplicity, he taught acceptance, in his childlikeness, he gave love to anyone. Watching him grow since day 1, has been really heartwarming, and it warms my heart whenever he runs to me and hug me. It’s probably the affinity of being a middle child too, I shower him with more love subconsciously too.

May Zach grow up to be a fine young man, who will love God like his parents and continue to be a blessing wherever he goes. Walking down the memory lane as I browse through his growing up years photos, just heartwarming.

Happy Birthday Zach!!!

The Birthday song

The siblings sang me the birthday song and they even made their own wishes. Zach was the cutest…he wanted to be his favourite cartoon character…hee…gotta love this boy! Children are indeed gifts from God, so pure at heart, you can truly see from their wishes.

Celebrating Friendship

6 months back, we decided to materialize our long awaited trip, many didn’t join us due to commitments, but the many who went, we celebrated our many years of friendship beyond Sunday dinners. A team of 12 finally embarked on the journey of deciding on the dates for this Bali trip, with Charles, flying all the way from Perth to join us, to booking the flight and deciding on the Villa. It was precious 4 days spent together, getting to know one another more every single day, traveling together in the same minivan, cracking silly jokes, allowing the teasings to go on, good meals together and late night monopoly deal. There were also moments of small group sharing and catching up as well.

This trip marked a level of this group of friends, down the memory lane. For many of us, we’ve walked through the journey of school days, first job, courtships and weddings together. I thank God for this friendship which I can celebrate and every moment is precious.

Things may change in the future, many will have kids and life stage will be different, but I pray that we’ll continue to stick together and continue to be this Sunday Dinner Group

In Quiet Confidence…WIP

Wondering why am I still awake at this hour…having blogged for a long time, so I thought I should ‘pen’ down something from recent happenings. It was exam period again, when I had to start mugging, and cramp the entire semester of work into that short week. I’m feeling the dread for it, but glad that I’m one more semester away from graduation. How time flies and I’m still amazed how this is done in these three and half years, constantly asking myself the same question – ‘why am I paying to go through this?’ Ironic isn’t it? This is a ‘pain’ that I afflict upon myself, yet, it’s a joy (how contradicting). However, throughout the course of my studies, never have I once wonder how life would be if I would have taken the easier way out by studying Business or Marketing.

I thank God that Sociology opened my eyes to see so many things that I was blinded from previously. Reflecting back, I began to recognize, shortly after I started the course, why Glen was worried about me studying this course and how those theories can really eliminate the existence of God altogether. Never have I doubted once about the existence of God, during my studies; instead, I give thanks to the Lord, because I am able to differentiate between theories and God’s words & works.

Anyhow, for this semester, it’s pretty tough as well, having to sit for three papers and no time to finish my revision. Coincidentally, Pastor Derek came to our church to teach about ‘Supernatural Healing’ and I was thinking of giving that a miss due to revision, but I realized that that was just an excuse, reason being, during that timing of the sessions, were my most non-productive time at revision. I had the tug in my heart that I have to be at the sessions to hear and guess what? I was so glad that I went! Not because it was about the Supernatural Healing that was being taught, but it’s the rekindling of the love for God’s Word once again. It’s not about the teaching, it’s about the Holy Spirit behind the teaching. It’s not about facts, it is about the Truth.

Something that I caught, which is what I really needed during this season – Faith & Holy Spirit. I re-read the materials again on Sunday and this was what I recorded in my journal

Faith is the state of Quiet Confidence in God, that He has spoken and will always stand behind His Word.

I am learning and will continue this journey, continuing the marathon of life, one that will not end until the Lord says so.

The Foundation

Having studied Civil Engineering, I understand the importance of foundation to constructing a building and according to dictionary.com, ‘foundation’ is being defined as the basis or groundwork of anything. That is the reason why we go through foundational education when we are young, so that we will be able to catch up with the education system, graduate with a good certification and get a good career. We always say that if one doesn’t build a good foundation in our primary school, we will ‘suffer’ as we grow through the education.

Similarly, foundation has a great impact in our lives, in every area, be it family, education, relationship and our walk with God. Foundation has a new meaning to me in recent days; especially when it comes to building a relationship. Back to basics, foundation in a relationship is about getting to know each other, starting from being friends and towards a common goal of building a relationship together. If a couple do not build a good foundation in their relationship, the journey would be challenging and like buildings with weak foundation, it will be unstable, especially when God is not the foundation of it.

Being in a relationship as a christian couple is like a love triangle – the couple and God. Since my foundation years as a believer, I have always been taught that – as we grow closer to God as an individual, we will grow closer to each other. This is a principle that I hold on to so closely that I want to practice it when I am in a relationship. In the last sentence of  the introduction of ‘Too Close Too Soon – avoiding the heartache of premature intimacy’ (this is one book that I may need to start reading) by Dr. Jim Tally and Dr. Dolly Reed, it reads

Care enough about your relationship to learn how it can be better.

The wise man said when we met -

It all depends how serious you are in this relationship.

I guess this sentence nailed it for me, every journey is a learning process and every process is determined by how serious you are. Personally, it is about having openness with each other as a couple and also going through the journey with the mentors through accountability. Purpose of accountability is not about restriction, but freedom – the freedom to share and pour out, the freedom to learn and the freedom to submit. And I thank God that I have not 1 pair, but 2 pairs of mentors whom I can go to for advice.

I would like to add, how much I want to better this relationship also depends on how much I surrender to the Lord. BFF told me before in the beginning of her courtship (12 years ago) with the husband, that Pastor told her this -

this relationship is a gift from the Lord, receive with open hands and if one day, the Lord chooses to take it away, release it freely.

I thought, that is easiest to just receive, but releasing it and surrendering is the most difficult. My prayer is that all Christian relationships will be one that is Godly, we have Jesus, that makes the difference. Being in a love triangle with Jesus is the best thing that can ever happen.

Jesus died for me

What is so good about Good Friday, you may ask, rather, your answer could be – Public Holiday.

Good Friday is about the Love of God for me, though we celebrate Christmas for the birth of Christ, but Good Friday has greater meaning to us Christians, because it is about God, who came to earth and died for us. The truth is there is no perfect man in this world, except Jesus, perfect and sinless. The righteous died for us sinners, with God making a way for mortals, grace being uleashed for all those who believe.

Jesus never fails to amaze me by what He did and over and again, I’m grateful for this love displayed. Taken from Isaiah 53, this song written by one of my friends, sums it all up – ” Jesus died for me”. Hope you will be ministered by this.

He walked the road and He carried my cross

He laid His life, and He died to save the lost

He had no beauty, or majesty

A man of sorrow and familiar with suffering

God struck his son, For me, For me

What have I done to deserve love like this

Thank you Jesus, for dying for me on the cross.