On a moody and lonely night, this poem penned by Irish-born Kristyn Getty soothed my soul...reminds me to fight on and persevere on despite my worn-out body and soul...despite my human logic and self-will...to fight against my selfish will so that i can obey His calling and perfect will.
I looked towards the wintering trees
To hush my dreadful soul
as they rise to face the icy sky, they hold fast beneath the snow
and their rings grow wide, their roots go deep that they might hold their height
and stand like valient soldiers through the watches of the night.
And no human shoulder ever bears the weight of all the world
but hearts can sink below the eck of troubles' sudden surge
Yet far beyond all knowing
there's a strong unsleeping light
that reaches around to hold me through the watches of the night
And i have cried upon the steps that seemed too steep for me to climb
And i have prayed against the burdens that i did not want to be mine
But here i am, and this is where You're calling me to fight
And You, i will remember through the watches of the night
You, i will remember through the watches of the night
By Kristyn Getty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIyXwldPup4
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Be Still my soul...amidst all these hectic days
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9zHn4QSH-8&feature=related
Why am i so busy and stressed out? Why are my days so hectic when i should be like all the others who are less busy and stressed?
Cast all your burdens to the LORD, you silly girl!...i say to myself...and not depend on yourself and do all by yourself...
Why am i so busy and stressed out? Why are my days so hectic when i should be like all the others who are less busy and stressed?
Cast all your burdens to the LORD, you silly girl!...i say to myself...and not depend on yourself and do all by yourself...
Saturday, April 2, 2011
My 1st faith milestone in 2011
Being able to drive - for most people, it's no problem at all.
But for me, it's something almost unimaginable for me to do a few years back.
I've always given and believed the excuse that i'm the kinda of person who can't multi-task - having to look front, look back, look side and move my hands and feet at the same time - is something too difficult to do. I can actually remember telling my friends that it's better and safer without me on the road...(something which i would like to retract as of now :))
To even embark on the idea of learning to drive is a faith journey for me. For most, it's a useful skill to pick up...but for me, it seemed that it's more of a God-idea than my own idea - to learn to drive and to learn MANUAL. For what? That i don't know, but for me, there're definitely practical reasons to do that but i know that it's not good enough for me to move myself to do it...knowing it's much more difficult. In fact, more than a few instructors i've met have questioned my decision to learn manual.
But every step of the way, from BTT to FTT to practical lessons, was God's strength and grace with me. I remember days whereby i have to go for driving lessons without sleep during my insomnia nights. Knowing that if this is what God wants me to learn, He'll carry me through...and before every lesson, i always prayed and committed it to Him, simply because i know i won't be able to do it without Him.
Now being able to pass the driving test, though on the second try nonetheless, testifies all the more to His grace and faithfulness. It's totally unexpected, so much so that i still couldn't believe it a few hours later that i actually did it. More than anything, God shows and demonstrates to me His ability, power and grace to bring me through what He wants me to do, no matter how hard it seemed for me to do, as long as i depended on Him. All Glory be to God!
But for me, it's something almost unimaginable for me to do a few years back.
I've always given and believed the excuse that i'm the kinda of person who can't multi-task - having to look front, look back, look side and move my hands and feet at the same time - is something too difficult to do. I can actually remember telling my friends that it's better and safer without me on the road...(something which i would like to retract as of now :))
To even embark on the idea of learning to drive is a faith journey for me. For most, it's a useful skill to pick up...but for me, it seemed that it's more of a God-idea than my own idea - to learn to drive and to learn MANUAL. For what? That i don't know, but for me, there're definitely practical reasons to do that but i know that it's not good enough for me to move myself to do it...knowing it's much more difficult. In fact, more than a few instructors i've met have questioned my decision to learn manual.
But every step of the way, from BTT to FTT to practical lessons, was God's strength and grace with me. I remember days whereby i have to go for driving lessons without sleep during my insomnia nights. Knowing that if this is what God wants me to learn, He'll carry me through...and before every lesson, i always prayed and committed it to Him, simply because i know i won't be able to do it without Him.
Now being able to pass the driving test, though on the second try nonetheless, testifies all the more to His grace and faithfulness. It's totally unexpected, so much so that i still couldn't believe it a few hours later that i actually did it. More than anything, God shows and demonstrates to me His ability, power and grace to bring me through what He wants me to do, no matter how hard it seemed for me to do, as long as i depended on Him. All Glory be to God!
Monday, March 7, 2011
I'm NOT...
I'm NOT...the clothes i wear, I'm NOT...the photograph, I'm NOT...the music that i hear.
I'm NOT...the bag i carry, I'm NOT...the face you see, I'm NOT...the places that i go.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Thy Word
The closing song for today's service - tunes me back to God from my distractions. Thank you, LORD!
Doulos
The last part of today's sermon struck me. :0)
It's like a drop of water on the parched dry ground of my soul. I guessed i've been dry spiritually for the past 2 or 3 weeks.
Pastor William, during the last part of his sermon, suddenly talked about the word 'doulos' and what it meant.
According to Pastor William and from Wikipedia,
Doulos may refer to:
In ancient Greece, a slave (δοῦλος)
Biblically it is commonly translated as bond-servant or servant, but literally the word meant slave.
And he said that we are slaves to God when we enter His kingdom. This is both a strong and provocative statement. I always sees it as bondservants, but he used the word "slave", which in turns provokes me to think more about my standing with God.
In further search of the definition of "doulos", i realised there's more to it than the meaning of 'slave'. It also depends where it's used (whether in ancient Rome or ancient Greece). From differing political viewpoints (depending on whether it's Athenian democracy or ancient Greek cities eg. Sparta), there also seemed be a disparity in definition of 'doulos'. In Athens, there was a distinction between 'doulos' and 'sklavos' (which is a more accurate translation of slave) but not so in Sparta. There are also different classes of 'duoloi' and treatment of 'duoloi' differed greatly in different places.
The search hasn't ended...but no matter what, i have a feeling that there's no exact pointing of the finger to a single definition. It can have a different meaning at a different place at a different time zone. And even so, i thanked God for the renewed realisation of how wrecked and worthless my status as a 'slave' to the world & myself in the past, but how God has bought me with a price (the great price of His Son) and Jesus (giving His life as payment for my life), so that He can make me not just his slave or servant but His friend, child and co-heir with Christ.
It's like a drop of water on the parched dry ground of my soul. I guessed i've been dry spiritually for the past 2 or 3 weeks.
Pastor William, during the last part of his sermon, suddenly talked about the word 'doulos' and what it meant.
According to Pastor William and from Wikipedia,
Doulos may refer to:
In ancient Greece, a slave (δοῦλος)
Biblically it is commonly translated as bond-servant or servant, but literally the word meant slave.
And he said that we are slaves to God when we enter His kingdom. This is both a strong and provocative statement. I always sees it as bondservants, but he used the word "slave", which in turns provokes me to think more about my standing with God.
In further search of the definition of "doulos", i realised there's more to it than the meaning of 'slave'. It also depends where it's used (whether in ancient Rome or ancient Greece). From differing political viewpoints (depending on whether it's Athenian democracy or ancient Greek cities eg. Sparta), there also seemed be a disparity in definition of 'doulos'. In Athens, there was a distinction between 'doulos' and 'sklavos' (which is a more accurate translation of slave) but not so in Sparta. There are also different classes of 'duoloi' and treatment of 'duoloi' differed greatly in different places.
The search hasn't ended...but no matter what, i have a feeling that there's no exact pointing of the finger to a single definition. It can have a different meaning at a different place at a different time zone. And even so, i thanked God for the renewed realisation of how wrecked and worthless my status as a 'slave' to the world & myself in the past, but how God has bought me with a price (the great price of His Son) and Jesus (giving His life as payment for my life), so that He can make me not just his slave or servant but His friend, child and co-heir with Christ.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)