serve God joyfully

Today for Bible Study in church, Reina led a very good BS session. In fact, it was a rather thought-provoking and ministering session. For the past few weeks, I've been struggling in the area of service for God. Which is what Reina shared=)

Why serve?

Why serve God?

Why serve not gladly?

Why serve non-Christians through Christians?

These were really thought-provoking questions, that had me stopped very often too, not because the brain was tired.. Rather, these questions caught me totally off-guard. They struck me hard. And if the questions were tough, check out the answers (if I can even verbalise them).

(As these questions are mostly issues each of us has to struggle and wrestle with God ourselves, I'll jump to the third question.)

Why serve not gladly?
1. no focus on God.
2. no absolute (due to lack of appreciation)
3. no love for God. *Ouch*

It is true. When we serve God, sometimes we may get disillusioned and be unhappy (for a whole list of reasons). But by doing so, it means we don't love God. Ok, I'm sure out of the bottom of our hearts, even when we are unhappy, we would at least love God 3% or maybe 20%. But, as long as we don't love God 100%, it isn't really love. So maybe we aren't exactly unhappy. We don't think, "darn, I hate doing this. Why am I doing this?" But, as long as we end up loving or seeking after something else, and God becomes, even a close second, we don't love God.

How do we serve then?
" We should ask how God wants to be served, not how we want to serve."

It's so deceiving sometimes, that we may think (at least, I know I did) that God calls us to serve Him in a certain area we are particularly good at, or we enjoy. But, there are times, if I may even dare to add, often at times, what God wants and what I want can be vastly different.

For the past few weeks, I was seriously contemplating if I should join a particular ministry. As if I hadn't learnt my lesson, from the previous 2 churches, I thought I would toy with the idea. Thank God for friends who prayed, and for God who intervened so swiftly, that the idea was snuffed out once again. God made it very clear that He wanted me to work with His people, His children in the background. Just as God had provided me in my teen years (gosh, I'm freaking old. To think I can look back and reminisce my 'teen years') with older Christians and pastors who bothered to take the time to guide me, and I had been richly blessed by their wisdom and time, God wanted me to do the same.

So, it's back to youth ministry, after a three-quarter year hiatus^ ^

Just to end off, I thought I'd leave with something highly ironic. You know how people often gripe and moan about how it's so tiring to serve God, that it takes too much of them (us)?

John 4:34
"My food," said Jesus, "s to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."

For Jesus, doing God's work gives him the strength, the 'food'.
Amazing, ain't it? By right, we should get energized and ministered when we serve God.

It's my prayer that each one of us would serve God joyfully in our whole lives:)

Oh my soul

evan led this song about a month ago at cbs, and i always thought it was a rather cool song. but, when D posted Isaiah40 on her blog, i was quite surprised to see that this song is actually an adaptation of Isaiah 40.

anyways, i'm not posting this song up just because it has a double cool factor. but, more so, the Bible& the lyrics are so true. I have already heard, been told from the beginning that the Lord is on my side. yet, i live out my life as if i've never heard this truth before, worried about stuff, which ultimately lies in God's hands.

Oh my soul

Oh my soul, do you not know,
Have you not heard,
It's been told from the beginning,
The Lord is on your side!

Oh my soul, don't be afraid,
Trust in the Lord,
By his righteousness and power,
He will strengthen, He will guide.

And I will soar on wings like eagles,
Held by the hand of God,
I will run and not grow tired
When on His name I call.

For the Lord is never weary,
His ways are beyond my thoughts,
I will trust in Him with all my heart.

nostalgia

i'm actually feeling a combination of tiredness (i just came back from young adult retreat), stickiness (i just played a lil' pickle ball), hunger (the fridge is still empty..).

inspired by the "wonderful" (haha) entry that the nuthead blogged for me (check out the next entry *points below*), because i was stoned. i've been thinking, actually i do miss ywav.ok, i don't need to think that i do miss them. sigh

here's some of my favourite pictures:


me, the nut and wen. ooh. and because i've finally moved, which means i finally get a washing machine, i can finally wear the white adidas shirt!! because i don't trust myself washing white clothes. yay!


sos girls. minus the one guy.


i actually take great pride when the younger youths grow taller than me. yes, i'm no longer in denial, clement is taller. i accept that.



my sec one, eh, no. these are my sec two jam girls.. aiyoh. so fast. i keep forgetting. it seems only yesterday they entered ywav. and it seems only yesterday i left qbc.

but, living beside church (wefc) now, which in case you do not already know, i've just moved last week, is quite funky. haha. caleb just yelled my brother's name from church. and all andrew had to do was stick his head out of the window and wave in response. it's hilarious. you want any fam-family member? just holler, we'll be down pronto. well, almost.

you know, i just realised, i don't have a pic of the new cg in church. oui, calling out to my cgls.. why no photo??

ok, i'm feeling drowsy. i should go sleep now. i'll blog more coherent stuff another day. i actually have a lot to say. and yes, i know i'm cheong hei=X

NATANIA INVADES :D

hihi. HIHI :D
This is Ade's one and only beloved adorable SLIM(!!) pretty daughter.
Darlie the Nuthead, as she so affectionately calls me -.-
It's really Mommy's honour to have invited me to blog for her.
even though you see her scowling like

(classic Ade smile. for more proof, sneak a peek at her NUS id/IC ;D)
she's actually rather adorable.
LOOKIE!

even though she LIED to me about an imaginary boyfriend at one time...

long enough.
I LOVE YOU MOMMY<3
(gasp! you just called me an evil freak! heartbreaks)

<333 NATANIA!