Giving up our idols

Forgoing our creature comforts or symbols that we chase in particular communication devices personally shall get me fasting on something...for the better;)

What can I do?

There is a longing only You can fill....

My deliverer, I will wait for you oh Lord, for Your mighty hand to save...

When all crumbles in, when all fails, where can I go? what can I do? but to look to You...

I hope I run to You straight away rather than lean on my strength

Redeemed(:

I know I'm weak,

I know I'm unworthy to call upon Your name.

but because of Grace,

because of Your mercy

I stand here unashamed......

Kids some days

Forgetting to shave cos facial hair's not one of those things that grow really fast on me., while looking on at the dark eye bags that accumulate from late nights such as these,this emerged monday afternoon.

" Teacher Jacob, you have a mouthstache. My daddy too." says the pair of twins under my charge.

and I smiled and laughed while saying, "is that so?oh my....." looking in disbelief
and we laughed even more.

such simple conversations that make you sit a while, pause and admire His creation of these little ones(:

Quietness

In a day yesterday, I sent 2 groups of a people in the morning and person in the evening, most indirectly and not physically there, but in energy and spirit that I would have been(:

To be spoken to about God's promised future that He planted in us and an army friend who's future manifest in the few years he studies over there.

in the silence of my household, you allow your thoughts finally to get rested and through in your inner being, without the hustle and bustle of getting completing A today, completing B tomrrow.

and having conversations with a few people that I would not have talked to not for rest tonight, and also reminding me of going to God first, and the encouragement of people gathered in intercession.

stop whining and start moving before I waste the energy on the former.

and thank God for rest(:

New Era

Sitting here, behaving like a punter, jotting down the figures from the election results,
witnessing how the opposition has won over the GRC in Aljunid yet empathsising with the PAP suddenly...
Good contest and everybody's eyes on how an opposition will take the lead in bringing the
1st world parliment that was talked about after the buzz of a rousing election and perhaps hype of bringing an alternative voice into the parliment even at the supposed expense of mentioned appointment holders.

For the Lord to watch over this new era moving ahead, for the best interests of the people of this nation.

ChangerMaker

A gleaning from Joel Loke

Don’t wait. Don’t wait to change the lives and communities around you significantly. Once you discover that you can visualize the next step society should take, and then you discover that you can lead others to turn your visions into reality, you can do anything. The only way to know you are a changemaker is to have been one- and the younger the better. If you changed the world in middle or high school, you will be changing it again and again throughout your life. Becoming a changemaker is quite like getting on a bicycle and mastering its Zen. You will not ‘get’ it by merely reading or thinking about it. If you start too late, it may indeed be too late. What is the key to making your first, life-defining commitment to changing your world? Just give yourself permission. Many will tell you that you cannot. Please ignore them- for those whose lives are limited because they never gave themselves permission, your stepping out stirs regret. That is what you are hearing. Far better to listen to your own imagination

thank God for the week(:

2 'S'-es

S- igns

Signs for me to be part of the Angkor of Faith this year, with renewed leave, with renewed help, Use me Lord for Your glory...

S - wift

It was a 'Carpe Diem' moment that happened tonight having decided that a previlege to be part of the journey in Cambodia this year. The concentration to book the correct flights, contemplating flight details as I balanced the increased costs in flights with dedication of this trip to my G-man immediately.

Remembering how Satan lurks ever closer when you are near the Lord.

Align my spirit with yours Oh Lord.
Align yours my friends(:

see you later

Amanda&Pamela's grandma was called finally home to the Lord, moving on 3 years after their grandad did so, while remembering having that contact with her as Grandpa Soo went ahead that week.

Though physically you're gonna miss the person, but its in this calmness that she was called back as a child of God(:

Have a blessed week my friends(:

I praise you Lord

I praise you Lord
for who You are
and all the mighty things You done
You saved my soul
You made me whole
and now I sing my praise to You

When I was lost and deep in sin,
You sent your Holy Spirit in
You cleanse my heart and made it new
and now I sing my praise to You.

it reminded me of the first Angkor of Faith as Joel taught us, sitting in a hot balcony and praising our Father in unison, the more in tuned people letting the Spirit minister to them while I was at a stage of my moment trying to get notes right for new songs. I looked back and laughed with a chuckle, "how time flies" and how different i approach the new songs that I come across now since that earlier encounter.

So this year is into its 5th year,
what's installed for the land that His people will plant their feet on?
We will just have to seek His will, listen, really open our hearts for His love to outpour to the people.

Not "Singaporeans love you, but God loves you"(:

Need to open my 'ears' to listen to His direction.
Hope you do too my friends(:

Renewal

its 3am, just completed 1 of my tasks this week, not believing that I could actually do it.
but Thank God.
Its in the quietness when you really retreat away, away from all distractions, literally when everyone's asleep now, unless you're burning midnight oil doing something.

But thank Him(:

My Sunday

Wonderful Merciful Saviour
Precious Redeemer and Friend

Who would have thought that a lamb could
rescue the souls of men
Oh You rescue the souls of men

Counselor Comforter Keeper,
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
hopelessly lost our way,
Oh we hopelessly lost our way.

You are the One that we Praise
You are the One we adore,
You give the healing and grace
Our, hearts always hunger for
Oh our hearts always hunger for.

Almighty Infinite Father
Faithfully loving your own
Here in our weaknesses you find us
Falling before your throne
Oh we fallen before your throne.

My hearing increased in sensitivity during sermon to the fact that Kaboom was actually gonna be amiss on 1st weeks of the month, but thank God for the video that uncle Mark shared watching His creation, I just could not hesitate to gasps in the awe of its creation, and actually the aspiration to at least witness it live if I'm given the privilege to.

Today, as we dedicated each ministry to HIS glory, it was thanksgiving after thanksgiving amongst the different ministries, but more importantly, the next thought raced in was, "remember to uphold it to the Maker's hands"

And the songs aligning with today's theme, led by Joshua in hymms and songs brought back nostalgia to times
in Thailand,
and when I was still tenor in pitch moving down the scale towards the bass range.
Our dear director, Eoin who led us in enduring sessions of choir, starting off with hymms, to the above song that was shared at cell.

Songs just bring about expressions that sometimes through my words I just couldn't string the right ones together.
Thank God(:

and that in your week you have a song to praise HIM......

What's Kaboom?

So in the meeting for Kaboom(thank God) that finally set the tone for 2011,

a concluding question posed to a 8 year old Daphne from mum,

"what comes to your mind when we say Kaboom?"

"praise and worship"

Its a moment when you take in and give thanks that this child was actually what was envisioned, children that praise God.

Not just them, but us who lead these young ones to actually grow in our relationship with our Father and using praises as an offering.

May you find a moment to praise HIM each day(:

Learnings

In walking everyday, there are actually so many windows of learning, even up to the simplest learning or re-learning of
placing Him 1st,
patience while queuing instead of sulking
embracing the silence in the wilds travelling,
give thanks & look positive instead of whining about what couldn't be done
actively finding time set aside for my Maker
Intercessory prayers,
preparing ahead,
thinking before speaking,

this year is coming to a close, so what have we done with the life we had this year?
How have we seen the goodness of the Lord working amongst us, not necessarily on us this year?

Have a blessed week counting down to the thanksgivings my friends(:

walking how far?

counting the days from the last entry,
17 days just whizzed by, like how time passed setting up the things at my new school these few days.

Yesterday was day 1 at Holland Drive officially after 2 months odd at Jurong West. leaving missing these children who gave me joy that comes with the anger&frustration that taught me as a teacher to manage their child-like nature.

watching very hard God moving in the midst though i'm blinded/distracted a lot from the physical fatigue, things on my mind to hold on that I have this fear of fading if I took it off too long.
just the lack of discipline to pen down my thoughts that I have with my Father
cos I realised the memory of mine is very temporary.
Was walking home monday night without a flat phone,
thinking back what I saw in the
Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader past friday.

Apart from 'WAH's & other sound effects that accompanied my seat in all movies so far:X

It struck me when they began the voyage, where they were forewarn of temptations, portrayed in smoky green things that slowly seek to engulf you,buzzing around you.
I was like, don't you just want these things to just not appear in the first place and all the struggle to stay strong need not take place, but that's actually what we encounter in life walking the journey isn't it?
with perseverance & 'Aslan' revealing Himself to steer you back.

And when Aslan, dug the claws into the sand, roared at Eustace disintegrating the 'dragon scales' on the outside
reminded me of the time when Corney saw sharing from Isaiah 53:5 in his summary that
" by his stripes, impossible is nothing." from the 3 stripes in the sand.

which actually had the description of the moment Aslan ws brought to the stone to be killed by the ice queen in the 1st movie before he was resurrected.


the next part of thougts
revolved around relationships with people dear to me,
the significance/purpose of the trip to Cambodia, taking myself out of being like this
'I know what's it like to be there' mindset and clearly seeking what He's saying to me.
before it continued, prayer followed in& I reached the lift for an interruption.

My heart to quieten with my Maker
Blessed week my dear friends(:

The Greatness of His Creation & Forgiveness

Give me eyes to see
More of who You are
May what I behold,
still my anxious heart.
Take what I have known
And break it all apart
For You my God, are greater still.


No sky contains,
No doubt restrains,
All You are,
The greatness of our God.
I spend my life to know,
And I'm far from close
To all You are,
The greatness of our God.


Give me grace to see
Beyond this moment here.
To believe that there
Is nothing left to fear.

That You alone are high above it all.
For You my God, are greater still.


And there is nothing
That can ever separate us.
There is nothing that can ever
separate us from Your love.
No life, no death, of this I am convinced.
You my God, are greater still.


And no words can say, or song convey,
all You are the greatness of our God.
I spend my life to know,
And I'm far from close
to all You are,
the greatness of our God

I was spoken to through the song, Thank you Lord(:
Did you?

Lifting my praise

From the mountains, to the valleys,
hear our praises rise to You
From the heavens to the nations
Hear the singing, fill the air


Will always be researching for actions for the Kaboom Worship songs on Youtube especially on Fridays,even Saturday nights. & the number of potential songs and actions I get surprised and excited over at while looking for the ones that I was suppose to just makes me go 'Wow'.
An art form to praise God.

So just clicking and clicking, you find old songs you heared from Life Meetings at Campus Crusde during your polytechnic days, or from some devotion, praise time you had somewhere with a group of brothers and sisters in Christ to Praise God.

So I found one, and Darlene Zschech then, Darlene Zschech now,
but this time the Lead worshipper that has gradually pushed the next generation up,
passing the mantle.

Remembering Elijah doing so with Elisha before he was brought up to heaven.
And what i need to do.

Hear our Praises-Hillsongs

Xin Qi Yi!

sleeping late is not a very good idea. especially with a day ahead and training on conducting informal gym activities using the school's gym room in the evening.

Reading in the train this morning, Something that I was reading talked about Christians that are 'busy doing GOd's work'. That all this doing without a heart change is meaningless.
Was reflecting upon the things that I do, and asked myself, "what about you Jacob?"
moving into more focused purpose of saying you're serving in the Lord's Kingdom & whom is this for?

When people praise you for an attribute that they saw you in[which seems to be happening to me], remember to who's glory it goes to(:

It's by God' Grace that I still have energy to be up now[sleeping soon of course].
The evening training was very fun, it's more of doing instead of sitting there to listen what activities can be done. It was by Carmee Lim, wow, I really salute her for never-ending attitude towards learning & being excited about new things/discoveries.

Learning about how the brain grows, why we do certain exercises, how to facilitate the growth of differet parts of brain for child's neurons to make effective connections.If you set your mind on something, You will be able to do it, keep practising and working in the area...
We have 100billion of these neurons from birth. Wow....

there's live demostration from her 4 grandchildren, timely & effectively presentation. But children being children, you see them in the moment trying to impress grandma doing the higher level steps while grandma, moving around none stop, with lots of adrenaline in their blood.
That's children for you
Was wonderful to see the teachers coming out to participate and trying it and so eager to test it out with their children in the mornings

Will miss the children, teachers the school that I spent with for 2months, and into a new season in life.

Something i took away from the training.
-Neurons and 'fire' together, wire together-

Praying for people who's still in te midst of exam marathon...jia you jia you!

Working people, be His Witness as you live your life daily amongst HIS people(:

12th August 2008

Have to credit Naveen for sharing this video!Terima kasih abang[thank you bro] (:

How has everyone been?haha, I have received 2 notifications to update my blog. Which is quite true, what's a blog without updates of reflections from Life & walking with HIM. Between the previous post and now, there are 3 entries squished in between. Jacob has gotten a little lazy in blogging things that I come across daily. really interesting things.

Teacher: "We are gonna celebrate Singapore's Birthday tomorrow children"[Friday]
Child: " Singapore is coming to the school?"

A brief giggle in celebration of child's response to Singapore's Birthday
-the innocence that children exhibit-

Hope everyone is going well. No one goes well all the time. When you don't, Allow Him to minister to you.
P.S: The pictures are coming!don't put off too long:D
Take care my Friends

Shalom(:

Kaboom + Durians/Liew Lian Season is here!

Today at Kaboom Worship with the children, It was one of those sundays where sharing the lesson, I didn't really bring out the essence of what I wanted to, and their activity became a little hard to associate with the lesson. A reminder yet again about conducting any lesson for children. PREPARATION!

The thoughts that have been with me since some time ago came back again.
we wanna make their time at the kaboom worship worthwhile, to grow in their relationship with GOD.

It's a week after week affair to give our best for the Lord and his people, the children, and not grow weary for our strength, if in him we will be renewed with HIM. Praise the Lord for that(:

After Choir that afternoon, Phebe brought out a durian cake to relish. YumYum, the durian season!

-Durain Cake!-

From Top-Left Clockwise:
Han,Eoin, Keen Hoe, Phebe

Mr Foo a.k.a Yao

From left : Yao & Myself

During the whole ordeal, there was talk about going to have MORE durian. And off we set off to Toa Payoh Lorong 7 to the durian stall.

I know why 3 durians cost 20 dollars, the size of the seed with aound of flesh on it spoke for it self.

Think there's something in the fruit. We had a good laugh as I began to laugh in joy. The taste of the durian in a long while and eating by the stall with church mates is quite a fellowship.
Durians- another way to get 'high'

-From Top-left,clockwise: Phebe, Shadrach, Yao, Eoin-

While eating it, had this thought that whizzed in my mind.
Sometimes we are like durians, thorny, hard to open, but GOd doesn't give up, he keeps trying to open it, for he knows of the good fruit that is waiting in there.
Am sure others can form another analogy form another point of view.

Hope everyone walks this week with courage, Love and strength. Assignments and school,tests even work does use lots of it.

Take care & GOd blesss my friends(: