Ministry: Makeup just ain't me

Makeup just ain't me. I wanted costume designing but in the end they told me the church website is too backdated and they only offered makeup at the interview.
There and then I thought to myself, "If I wanna serve I can serve anywhere.", so I agreed to join the makeup team. Thereafter I tried to "psycho' myself into thinking tt its still illustration only that with makeup its on a human canvas instead of paper.

Yet after tryin' it out I feel its so not me and I dun see my purpose in the ministry. And the fact that I've always believed that makeup is a waste of money didn't help. Haha... I think a true beauty needs no makeup and makeup clogs up the skin. Haha... Anyway, everytime I think about e ministry I feel so down. So I've finially reached a threshold and told Jason that I want a switch. Thank God he emailed me the ministry form immediately. Excellent! But I think I'll keep my promise and finish serving at EMERGE before saying "bye-bye" to makeup ministry.

Now that I know I'll be changing ministry I feel so liberated. All the more I feel convinced that makeup is really not for me. I want to use my talents to make an impact in the lives of others and I do not see myself doing that in makeup ministry even though in my head I could easily create 101 reasons how I can also make an impact in makeup ministry. At the end of the day, its the heart and not the head that really leads. =) Hee. Wonder which ministry to choose... I was deciding betw multimedia and costume design originally. So maybe multimedia? Heh heh... wanna do graphics design leh...wonder which ministry I can go into to do tt...

Rem some time back Jason was asking which subject we were best at back in secondary school. I topped art for a few years over the whole cohort back then and I was the head of the art and crafts society for my CCA. Jason then said that I should put that creative talent into good use. I want to too.

Gotta pray about it now... Whoever is reading, please pray for me too.
I really hate ministry-hopping; seriously wanna find one that is right, take root and really serve...

God is good and He is a God of open doors.
He will surely lead.

Meanwhile I'm trying to find time to learn these hokkien gospel songs my GSK regulatory director passed me so that I reach out to my parents and grandpa. Hee.

Reflection: Not perfect but striving for perfection

Thought of this "slogan" while I was encouraging a friend who was tired of continuing her walk with Christ; she was tired of trying to be perfect.

And while trying to encourage her this came, "I'm not perfect by nature, but e HS can help me practice perfect solutions in any situation. None of us have ARRIVED at perfection, but we can STRIVE to be perfect. Perfection is not a criterion for salvation but it is a goal for all of us as we transform into the likeness of Christ."

Genesis 1:26
At the very beginning of the life of men, God says something that implies a great deal more: that He would make man "in Our image." In a nutshell, this is God's purpose for mankind.

Isaiah 6:10
In simple terms, convert also means "to change," as in ice to water or dollars to pesos. Theologically, it means changing from sinner to saint, filthy to holy, worldly to godly. In Acts 3:19, Peter uses "repent" and "convert" together. Both entail a recognition of self and sin and beating a hasty path to righteousness. Paul explains the repentance, conversion, and salvation process by contrasting two terms. We must not be conformed to the world ("similar to, identical to, in agreement with, or compliant"), but transformed ("changed in composition or structure, character, or condition, converted"). Repentance means changing one's whole life!

2Corinthian 3:18
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

2 Thessalonians 2:13
Sanctification is also known as becoming holy (Ephesians 1:4) and being conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). It cannot be left out of God's purpose because it is the step whereby we are transformed into the image of His Son, as well as into the image of the Father. It is in this step that we begin to take on the characteristics of the Family窶背here we begin to think and act like the current members of the Family of God. The character, the mindset, the attitudes, the perspective, the way we think, the way we look at things begins to become just like the God's.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:14, 16 that "a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works." Sanctification窶琶f it is taking place in a person窶把annot be hidden. Why is God so concerned about sanctification? Because 1) this is the step in His purpose in which the major portion of the transformation takes place, and 2) it can be seen窶杯his is how we make a witness! Thus, when Paul sees the working faith, the laboring love, and the patient hope of the Thessalonians, he writes:

. . . remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. (I Thessalonians 1:3-4)

Seeing the fruits of their lives, he knew that they had been begotten by God窶杯hat they had God's Spirit窶巴ecause they had begun "looking" like the Family. Therefore, if a person claims to be a son of God but habitually lives in sin窶派e is deceiving himself. Those qualities that identify his "spiritual ancestry" begin to show. "Family ties" can be seen.

_______________________

Repentance is not an one-time thing.
Its a lifelong process until one reaches perfection.

Do not be weary of doing good.

Growing to perfection:
http://bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.show/CT/ARTB/k/609

Travel: Graduation Trip to Redang Island

It was awesome just snorkeling next to schools of various varieties of fishes in the crystal clear blue sea. The water was so clear you could see the sea beds and corals from above! And it was super cool to almost have my head bitten off by this GIANT (about 60cm long) parrot fish. Haha. Thrilling...

I miss the oceans already!



For more photos, click here

Redang Island

Tropical saltwater fishes I saw during the 3 snorkelling trips:

1. Clownfish/Anemone Fish
2. Yellow Tang
3. Emperor angelfish
4. French angelfish
5. Copperband butterfly fish
6. Racoon butterfly fish
7. Neon Goby
8. Ocellated Dragonet/ Scooter Dragonet
9. Eyelash Blenny
10. Magnificent Foxface Rabbitfish
11. One Spot Rabbitfish Foxface
12. Moorish Idol
13. Picasso Triggerfish
14. Parrotfish in all sorts of colours

For the pics of some of e fishes I saw on the trip, go to:

Tropical Fish Profiles

Newspaper CATS Recruit: 5 Qualities of effective, motivated people

1. Responsibility
2. Reliability
3. Resoluteness
4. Resourcefulnes
5. Re-learning and Re-thinking

School: Pharmacy Dinner and Dance

FWAAH!!!
I'm gonna be Emcee for part of the dinner; need a dress!!! Or maybe I can rent a tux! Or should I wear my Yukata? Aiyoh..need to get a proper obi belt in tt case! Profs and the Sci Dean will be there!
And to think I was planning to wear some pathetic dress I got back in JC cuz I tht I'll be offstage just pigging out...dang...

To do list:

1. Insert logo for DnD poster before printing
2. Type up 3 ego-speeches for nominees for e best-dressed category.
3. Prepare Emcee stuff and wellwishes from absent profs.
4. Get dress or tux!
5. Coordinate payment for all guests.
6. Meet up with planning committee to do run down on program and plan event finance.

Someone please remind me to do all these.
Tend to forget!

Reflection: See and Perceive

Dun just see, perceive.
Dun just hear, listen and understand.
Dun just talk, walk.

Baptism: Into the JOY ANd Abundance of the Lord

Hm, think she doesn't know it yet but I sure hope she will be happy with what I made her.
Its my most ingenious creation yet! Well, I'm very sure she doesn't know what I'm doing cuz she was just sulking and being iritated with me over our Bali trip just a minute ago. But I seriously have more important things to do and its for her. She just doesn't know... So I shan't be angry or disappointed. But I shd snigger away naughtily cuz she doesn't know the little things I have made. =) Hee...so proud of my creations. Esp since the materials were already prepared one week ago... I couldn't help but feel that God had led me to prepare the raw materials beforehand even before I knew what I was making and helped make these gifts with me. Cuz it was just so coincidental that Ivan called to tell me he doesn't want to buy the entire pack of candles for just one or two tea lights. He was meant to get the candles and salt on behalf of the cg... It was really divine; it was all planned that these little gifts shall be made by my little hands. Hee... Just really amused by this chain of little events.

I wonder if she is going to use that name I gave her...

Anyhow, it will be a grand event to see her share my experience of sheer cleansing joy of baptism this Sunday. And she has invited her non-Christian friends too. What a good chance to show them the love of God too. Hm, seriously you never know who you introduce Christ to; they can be the next Benny Hinn, Auror Roberts or even Pst Kong. And I'm sure she will be great for God; possibly a great evangelist for Christ's harvest field.

7 May 2006 (Sun) 2.30 p.m.Roof Garden Baptism Pool Jurong West St 91
All candidates are to assemble 1/2 hour before the baptism service starts.

Hee..she just doesn't know...

Though sometimes u just get so sad and even cry because a friend just doesn't understand the love you have for them. But today I learnt to enjoy the immense joy of loving someone in silence without any reward nor acknowledgement or credit.
And God made it all possible. Its a breakthrough.

In retrospect: In Commemoration of My Russian Winter White

I miss squeezing my hamster; my Hamko. Yet I have no time to take care of hamsters now and mum just freaked out in my face this morning when I said that I missed having hamster babies to play with. She knew what I had on my mind; no wonder she's my mum. So before I can say any more she warned me; she said that if I wanted to keep hamsters again I'll have to wait till I get married so that I can keep them at my own place. Haha... I can still rem how happy she was when I decided to take a break from keeping hamsters after Hamko went to heaven.
Oh well... I guess that means I can only look at pics for now.

Eeeee...baby-baby...(squeeze-squeeze)

In retrospect: My Birthday

=) Was going through some old emails that my class rep sent in search for the list of profs whom we are buying gifts for and I found 'this'.
It brought a smile to my heart.
It was really nice to be remembered.

p/s: I am that Ministress of Finance he was talking about. Yes, I'm the treasurer of the class.

Part of an email sent by our Pharmacy class rep Mr Lew Kuang Yuan to the whole class on March 13th 2006 :

"Birthday
I was looking thro the contacts and realize that our Ministress of Finance birthday is this coming Saturday. Fear her before she starts hanging pig heads窶ｦ. So for those who still owe her money, it is a good time to give her money to buy bday present窶ｦand maybe add a kiss to build out good rapport. "

Lesson: Don't be a Talebearer

From Mark Conner's Service
- Protect the unity of the church.

If you think a brother sins against you GO to the brother or sister involved directly.

• Not share your unhappiness with someone else
• Not pray about it.
• Not bear a grudge.

Matthew 18:15
A Brother Who Sins Against You
"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.
If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

When I heard him (Mark Conner) I couldn't agree any less.

I've been misunderstood by someone before and when I finally found out it was when other people (who were not even involved in or present at the incident) came to ask me why I did this and that? Wow! I was "slaughtered" without my knowing. And when I called the person involved, that person didn't even want to talk about it. So it was all very strange. Till today I still do not know what EXACTLY this person told others that made them think about me the way they did. Sigh.
I have jumped into wrong conclusions about others too. And after having a firsthand experience of being wronged taught me one lesson; deep. Though I'm the type who would rather bottle things up than to share them with the world, the lesson made me understand the "toxicity" of a misunderstanding. This is why I'm now making a constant effort to avoid ambiguities in communication and opportunities for negative speculations; I make sure I confront people directly to clarify matters though some complained that it makes me rather blunt. So now the trick is to be clear but yet tactful. Anyhow, this is way better than blowing things up into a million pieces in front of people (who aren't even involved), realise you blew up based on "wrong info"/ a misunderstanding, find yourself too tired or prideful to clean up the unnecessary mess you've made, and leave that poor maligned fella a criminal in people's hearts for life.

In a nut shell:
Its always better to clarify FIRST with the person involved (directly) instead of jumping into all kinds of conclusions. To speculate or share things with others even before confirmation is the lowest, even if you share it with a disclaimer that you are only guessing or under the sugar coating of "being concerned". What if we have misunderstood our brother/sister? Wouldn't sharing our tainted impressions with someone else before we clarified things make us bearers of false accounts of/ witnesses to our brother/ sister?

And what does the bible say about murmuring and lying?

So...
GO direct to the root of the problem!
Dun stop to share with others until you and that person involved have reached a verbal consensus that both parties are holding on to a right account of each other, and have agreed to allow sharing of the matter.

In our modern yet ironically "uncivilised" society, ppl just tend to forget basic courtesy issues.

Reflection: Answering Nonsense with Sensibility

A friend's action recently "amused" me and I had a revelation.

"Answer immaturity with maturity,
impatience with even greater patience,
impulsive actions with even clear + careful consideration and
hate with love."

The world says an eye for an eye, but God says "love".

Leviticus 19:18
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Two immature people makes the situation worse.
And bickering with an impulsive person makes you no better than that very person you are trying to correct.

Matthew 7:3
And why do you look at the speck in your brother窶冱 eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

True, a rebuke from a friend is better than the praise of an enemy.
Yet God also said "love" and give grace.

So my verdict --> rebuke lovingly, gently and with grace.

"A gentle rebuke gives grace and allows space for that person to change."

Jesus did not tolerate sin but He also forgave and loved,
and corrected His disciples by being a good example.