The disciple whom Jesus loves

NCC played a video of Pastor Prince's message overseas and the title of His message, I believe, was the Definition of Love.

Now I thought of 1 Cor 13 immediately in my heart but he pointed out that those were the characteristics of Love - ie love is patient, love is kind...

The definition of love is found in 1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

I never caught on to this: that John in the gospel repeatedly and shamelessly pronounced himself as the disciple whom Jesus loves! Instead of writing "me" or "I" or "the author" or even "the other disciple" - John's identity was revealed in this - he is the one whom Jesus' loves!!

Here are his amazing (and sometimes amusing) proclamation of himself in this strange but wonderful way -

1. John 13:23-35
2. John 19:26-27
3. John 20:2-4
4. John 21: 4-7
5. John 21:20

Does that mean then that Jesus didn't love the other disciples? No - He died for all of them! But they didnt catch on to this agape love. They didnt personalise it for themselves.

Just like what we would do now - we recognise that God so loved us/the world that He sent Jesus to die on the cross - but has it sunk into your heart that actually, God so loves YOU that He sent Jesus to sacrifice on the cross. It's not they, them, us... it's ME & YOU!

I used to have this phrase that I hold dear to my heart - I am the beloved of God. And i cherish that identity - that i belong to Him, that no matter what i do, have done, will do - I am His beloved.

I think that is the crux of Christianity - not what I do, but what He has done for me.

Always on your side

God is... always on Your Side.

Romans 8:31 If God is for us, who can be against us.

This has been on my mind for the past few days.. of how much God is FOR us. Imagine - He didn't have to send His only Son to die. Im sure there are many alternatives. But He sent His very best. The ultimate sacrifice. There's no stopping Him now.. He has done the extreme for someone He loves the most. Me. and You.

Why should He stop at giving us substandard health? Why stop at giving us some material blessing? Why give us a mediocre career or payslip? Why bless us with some things and not everything?

There is NO reason why. It's so crucial to have a clear revelation of God. Of how much He has loved and is loving. Then we will never have any doubt that He wants the best for us. After all, He has given His best to us.

To my friend

To my friend: We hooked up in 1994 and it was one of the funnest n bestest BFF relationships i've ever had! we were inseparable in JC...or so i thot...sniff*.

Jac
11:01pm September 13th

oh GOD! I realise i didn't say CONGRATS on your marriage...must've slipped my mind coz so distracted that i found u. Tell me more ley. how long were u dating before? when was the wedding? who is he? what did u do in melbourne? what u been doing since JC? But most important of all, even if u don't have time to fill me in, can u pls tell me what on earth happened all those years ago that came btwn us? I'm still totally bewildered till today, and it always left me feeling so confused coz one minute we were so close and the next we weren't even talking and u were with michelle and her frds :( did i do smthg bad? pls tell me. whatever it may be ok? for what it's worth i'm sorry, coz it really was a pity, to have our friendship end. sniff sniff.

k, hv a gd wknd! my no. is xxxx if u wanna sms or call anytime.


Me
7:50pm September 16th

And about us... i actually thought for a few days about what happened... and the wierdest thing is... I really can't remember!!! I dont think it was anything we did.. we were so close and I guess we needed some space.. but i dont know why we werent even talking??? really? Im sorry if i seem to have a memory lapse.. which i tend to have... but really, i think it may have been me - i tend to withdraw from people sometimes.. and i just didnt know myself that well then.. Im much more aware of my crazy temperament now..I wasn't very good at expressing myself.but hey, no worries.. everything's good.

but the biggest change about me isn't really all that... i think the most important thing that happened to me was/is that i became a Christian right before i met my husband... and that has definitely changed my life completely :)

I'll give you a ring one of these days? my husband's always travelling and when he's back, i try to spend as much time as possible with him :)

Jac, I'm sorry I never called. It was the bestest and funnest BFF relationship I had... thank you for your love and your friendship. I wish I had told you that in person.

Loss of an old friend..

I got news that my college friend passed away today.

We've lost touch for 12 years... and how fast these years have gone by. We recently got in touch again through facebook and she shared about her failing health.. and she gave me her number and I promised that I'll call her... and I let it slip for nearly a month now.

I regret that i didnt get the last chance to speak to her. I really wanted to visit her, pray for her and offer her my friendship again.

Im glad we managed to clear some things up about why we fell out, and why we didn't keep in touch.. I should have known something was wrong when she stopped the emails.. i really didnt think it would be so fast.

sometimes we just got to do what we want to do.... else life just passes us by...

Fight from victory, not for victory

Today's lesson for me.

Jesus has paid the price on the cross. We have won the battles in our lives.
No matter what we do - we won.

We won.

My most favoritest song of worship

Avalon - Can't live without you

i could live life alone
And never fill the longings of my heart
The healing warmth of someone's arms
And I could live without dreams
And never know the thrill of what could be
With every star so far and out of reach
I could live without many things
And I could carry on, but...

CHORUS
I couldn't face my life tomorrow
Without Your hope in my heart I know
I can't live a day without You
Lord, there's no night and there's no morning
Without Your loving arms to hold me
You're the heartbeat of all I do
I can't live a day without You

I could travel the world
See all the wonders beautiful and new
They'd only make me think of You
And I could have all life offers
Riches that were far beyond compare
To grant my every wish without a care
Oh, I could do anything, oh yes
But if You weren't in it all...

Oh, Jesus, I live because You live
You're like the air I breathe
Oh, Jesus, I have because You give
You're everything to me

Encounter with...

Pastor Mark :)

Bumped into him and his wife at some event...

I couldn't contain myself.. i went up to him beaming... i had to tell him about the good news! My mum was saved at the Mid Autumn Festival event where he preached!!!

I just kept thanking him.. and of course, we give glory to God alone!

But i forgot to encourage him by telling him that God has given him a great anointing to reach out to the "aunties" and "uncles" of Singapore...

AH! God is sooooo good. His plans are perfect.

I feel

completely drained...

The whole world rejoice!

In April this year, the husband and I went to the Benny Hinn miracle cursade with my best friend and some out of town friends. During the conference, God spoke very clearly to me on several issues:

1. My family will be saved by the end of this year.
2. I saw a vision of Jesus in my husband's (then fiance) living room - i have no idea what this means except that with Jesus in the house, only GOOD things can happen!!!

And although so many months have passed and I almost forgot (or rather didnt consciously try to remember) about what He spoke to me, occassionally, I will proclaim His goodness and His faithfulness over my unsaved loved ones.

Pastor Prince also encouraged us continously by telling us that because we are saved, our households matter to God, and it has opened a big hole for the Lord's hands to come in and change their hearts.

AND IT'S TRUE!

I hold true to the belief that - what matters to me, matters to God. The salvation of my family matters to me, and I know that it is a great concern for God. Why? Because He loves me!!!!

To cut a long story short, my mum got saved!!! At a mid autumn festival event organised by NCC last saturday. I was actually in Bangkok (as per my last blog) and it was weighing heavily on my mind whether to go for the holiday, or to stay back in Singapore and make sure my mum goes to the event. Thank God my sister could make it... and I am forever grateful to her to make the time to accompany her (cos i was quite certain she wouldnt have gone if no one pushed her to).

According to my sis, they arrived late and missed part of the drama ( I expected that) but I know that once the sermon starts, they will be blown away... but I didnt expect them to "start crying half way through the sermon" hahahha... how the Holy Spirit moves!!

So a double bonus is that my aunt, whom mum brought along for a free box of mooncakes, also accepted Christ!!!

Of course I wished my father and sister went instead... But I now know for sure that God is in control of everything. And in His time, they will also come to know the Lord as their personal Saviour.

This song keeps playing in my head!!!

CHRIS TOMLIN - How Can I Keep From Singing

There is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring

And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives

And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give

I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne

1408 - The Movie

*Spoiler alert - if you haven't watched the movie and intends to, please read NO further.

The movie is really quite freaky... simply because it's not something out there. If the writer encountered a spooky ghost or what not, it gradually loses it "scariness"... but if you are trapped in a time and place where there is no way out.... i think that's SCARY!!!

In the movie, John Cusack was a writer of haunted places, or ghost stories and travels to renowned haunted places to stay in the hotel and write about his encounters. Basically, he is a skeptic. He doesnt believe in ghosts or spirits because he hasn't seen one - he doesnt believe in things moving etc... and until he actually sees one, he's not convinced.

So off he goes to check out this hotel room which has been rumoured to be haunted and 56 people have died grisly deaths in the room. And what follows is a series of events that has a little of everything - things being moved, ghoulish apparitions, time warp, revisiting of his daughter's death and events etc...

I think what made it scary was that it wasn't that he saw something, or felt something but rather (as the husband pointed out) he was transported somewhere. When he entered the room, he entered a spirit realm. And he was trapped there.

And where he was trapped, was pretty much like hell (as the bible describes it). It is a place where time has no meaning (signified by the clock resetting) and there is no way out (except in his case, death). Hell is where each moment is agonizing, sad, lonely, helpless and the deep torment of hopelessness...and there is no reprieve.

God is Not Punishing You For Some Sin

From Daily Devotional From New Creation Church, 26th Aug 2007

Ephesians 1:77
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Some Christians believe that although you have forgiveness of sins, you are not free from the penalties of your sins. In other words, you can still expect punishment from God.

For example, some married Christian couples have been told by ministers that they are childless because God is punishing them for having had pre-marital sex. So although God has forgiven them of that sin, He still has to punish them for it.

I am not encouraging pre-marital sex, but I want you to know that God, who is the only one who can fully appreciate the full value of His Son’s blood and who is completely satisfied by His Son’s sacrifice, is at rest in His heart today concerning your sins! That is why He is not against you when you sin. Neither is He out to punish you when you sin. No, He still loves you, is for you and wants to help you overcome that sin.

In the Old Testament, the blood of bulls and goats could only “cover” sins and not take them away. (Hebrews 10:4) But the blood of Jesus is not like the blood of animals! For by one sacrifice, the eternal blood of the Son of God has forever removed your sins (Hebrews 8:12) and cleansed you of all unrighteousness! (1 John 1:9). In fact, God is so satisfied with His Son’s perfect work that He says to you today, “Your sins and lawless deeds I will by no means remember!” (Hebrews 10:17) And if God does not remember them, why should He punish you for them?

Beloved, you “have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”. Because Jesus’ work is complete, all your sins have been completely forgiven. And complete forgiveness means that the penalties for your sins can no longer fall on you because they already fell on Jesus at the cross. (Isaiah 53:5)

So should something bad happen to you, don’t think for one moment that God is punishing you for some sin. Look to the cross, instead, and know that all your sins have already been fully punished in the body of Christ!

Me: Hallelujah!!! Praise the Lord!!! For He loves me!!!!

Confirmation from the Spirit

A few weeks ago, I wrote something about a book on healing...

And naturally, some doubts crept into my mind.. was I too hasty in trusting that all we had to do was rely on the goodness of God? Maybe we need to ask ourselves what is the sin that caused this illness, confess it to God because it is good to confess our sins... and if we don't think for ourselves which sins led to this 'effect'... then we may still dwell in the sin and we cannot be completely healed?

So Satan was very subtle... i didnt feel worried or anxious. It just came little by little, wave by wave... and I didn't even have time to think or pray about it.

And then when I went to church this Sunday, Pastor Prince (though he was on the topic of Favor of God), I really believe he was led by the Spirit, clarified on this exact subject!

His point was that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross means that we are continually being washed by His blood. God continually sees us as perfect and righteous. If that is the case, there is no need for us to confess our sins in order to be healed.

Confessions of sins is good.
But confessions of sins is not a prerequisite to healing and wholeness.

Jesus is our prerequisite for healing, wholeness and prosperity.

He is our qualifier.

And amazingly, Pastor Prince used the same analogy in my previous blog!!! He said: Jesus didnt ask the leper - what are your sins that made you a leper?

Whenever Jesus healed anyone in the bible - He never asked them what was the cause of the disease. He only said He is willing.

And that's all that matters.

SET YOUR HOPE

Today's Scripture
“Set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed” (I Peter 1:13).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
Is your hope set on God’s divine favor in your life today? One translation of this verse says, “Look forward to more and more of God’s favor.” That’s God’s dream—to pour out His goodness and grace upon you. He wants to help you get ahead in this life. He wants to lead you to the right job. He wants to lead you to the right relationship. But here’s the key: we have to be on the lookout for more of God’s favor. That tells me that we can’t get stagnant. Don’t ever think that you can’t rise any higher. God wants to do more than you can even ask or think. It says in Ephesians, He wants to show us the immeasurable, limitless, surpassing greatness of His free favor. In other words, God wants to go far and above what we’re used to! He wants to show you favor in unusual and extraordinary ways. Set your hopes higher today. Increase your expectations of what God will do in your life. As you open your heart and mind to His unlimited favor, you will experience the abundance He has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today
Father, thank You for your increase in every area of my life today. I choose to set my hope in You knowing that You want to do more in my life than I can ever imagine. Teach me to be a vessel used by You today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

For more : www.joelosteen.com

Facebook...

is my new fascination.

IT IS TRUE

that God meets us at the place of our expectations, when we put all our hopes in Christ.

YIPPEE!!!!!

Three days ago, we met with some opposition to some of our plans. ok, not exactly an opposition but a 70% of our expectations...

I was stunned and felt it was absurd and a small part of me kinda went - what happened??

And then for the past few nights, the husband and I just worshipped God, we worship Him for His greatness, for His sovereignty, for His grace and His Favor (read my blog 2 days ago). And I knew that I knew that I knew that He was just waiting for us to release all our hopes and desire unto HIM.

He was just waiting for us to declare with our hearts and our mouths that YES LORD! GRANT US YOUR FAVOR IN THIS SITUATION. WE DECLARE YOUR FAVOR OVER THIS SITUATION!

And today - we got His reply - I'm giving you a 100% because you dared to believe in Me.

WOWEE!!!!

The husband: God will bless us according to our faith.

And faith comes so easy when we just look to Jesus.
Just look to HIM!!!

2003

I was reflecting on how my life has changed in the years since I came back.

I came back in May/June 2003 - and i think it was possibly the lowest point for the nation (ravaged by SARS and the economy), it was also the lowest point for my family and because i chose to come back, it was the lowest point for my relationship.

I was far from God then because I was looking at my circumstances and I thought I needed to rely on my own strength. I need to do something with my life. I needed to support my loved ones, I needed to find a job which was practically impossible as people were getting retrenched and companies weren't hiring..

Thinking back, I was probably very down and quite depressed. I was able and willing but had no job so I spent most of my days doing housework and moping around... and I had to travel all the way to the library to get internet access.

I felt so helpless and so small.

And when I finally got a part time job at Yamaha as a receptionist, I was so grateful but then I got sacked after 2 weeks! On my first job! I couldn't believe it. I was so broken... But God was setting me up for something much better. He had to take me away from that situation so that I could come to a place of total reliance on HIM.

He had to take me away from that and He knew the only way was to sack me. Hahaha.

He did that so that I could start looking around for another job. And I did. Although it took me another 2 months in a crap recep job to get into my first real job... I knew it was His hand at work.

I thank God that even when I was down and ready to give up, He didn't give up on me. He was always there for me, opening doors of opportunities.

I was and still am so grateful that He placed me in a position to get wealth and to provide for my loved ones because He cares. He cares about what I care about.

So if you are at a place where every which way seems dark and you don't know which way to go, turn to Jesus.

He knows. He is able. And the best part is, He is willing.

Joel Osteen

http://www.joelosteen.com/
The husband and I had a great time listening to Joel Osteen on The Favor of God last night. Just a 30 minute sermon and it totally refreshed my soul. It reminded me that Jesus paid a price for God's grace, favor and blessings to fall continously on His children!


I like Joel Osteen because he looks like a movie star (noted by the husband), has great charisma, a brilliant smile and he draws you in with his persuasion of how good God is. He is truly anointed!

It's amazing how the Holy Spirit reminded me of God's favor this morning. He whispered to me that yes! God is going to grant me favor with the things that has been on my mind. He wants to give me favor in my workplace, my career, my family, my finances, my health. He wants to give me unprecedented favor when I go to the supermarket, when I go to the bank, when I go and meet my friends... He has so much to give me! And all I have to do is rest in the knowledge that He wants to meet me at the place of my expectations.

Wow.

I love these trees!!!!

Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, O my soul:
and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgives all my iniquities;
Who heals all my diseases;
Who redeems my life from destruction;
Who crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfies my mouth with good things;
So that my youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Astronomical Grace

How amazing that God has created the entire universe, with all its galaxies and stars and planets...

How amazing that Jesus Christ, who has made the worlds, on which we live in, we make our homes, families and careers in, has come to this world which He made, to die on the cross He created, so that we can be reconciled with God the Father.

How GREAT is our Lord?
He holds the universe in the span of His hands.

How GREAT is His grace?
He sent His only Son to die on the cross to redeem you and me.

The husband was led by the Spirit to lead this family(ie: me) into a time of devotion, if you're interested, pls go to http://www.northpointministries.org/
Pastor Louie Giglio is quite awesome.

I got a call from...

My husband!

Asking me out for lunch!

Yippee!

*note to self - don't get tired of the small things in a marriage.

:)

BOOST

Had a great breakfast this morning as I tried to de-tox all that meat I had yesterday...

So i walked into Boost at OUB centre and ordered a Brekkie-to-gogo.
Its absolutely delicious!!!

A delicious, refreshing blend of

• yoghurt
• bananas
• muesli
• honey

In case you're wondering, Boost is a juice bar from Australia and when I was studying in Melbourne, it was so painful to fork out that kinda money for juice... so i settled for Lucky Cup Bubble Tea most of the time (which was like AUD$3 ea)...

If you're a health freak, check them out - boostjuicebars.com.sg

I just don't get why it cost me 6 bucks...

Ah well. I could have done it for a lot less if I bought all the ingredients and bought a blender and got up early to make it... but then I'll have to wash up... so maybe it was worth it. ha!

Discerning the Spirit

So the husband and I sat down to listen to a sermon by Pastor Rajan that the FIL gave us.

During our trip back to Perth in Dec 06, this pastor prophesied over us and we were just so bowled over. He was so precise and detailed about God's plans for us... and we were just thrilled when Pastor Matthews who officiated at our wedding gave the confirmation in May.

So because what we learned was so powerful and so relevant to all believers, here's a summary:

How does God speak to us?

• Word of God (99% of the time)
• Dreams & visions
• Circumstances
• Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit - tongues, interpretation, prophecy
• In a still small voice

How do believers discern God's voice?

• God speaks not only to our mind but to our whole being
• when God speaks, there is always comfort
• there is peace in our hearts
• it produces faith in us
• there is clarity (no confusion)
• He is not in a hurry
• it is not shortlived - it will stay with me
• always accompanied with joy & satisfaction

I'll share my best friend's story in another post. An unbelievable story of His neverending love, His great plans for us, His perfect timing and how we just need to obey.

Now, im gonna get prepared for a National Day bbq with some friends :)

My contribution is apple salad and I hope it's edible!!

Beautiful Seed

Had a great time at the concert which was held at the University Cultural Centre!

The husband's favourite song is 5 loaves & 2 fishes and mine's 33.

I thought it was a simple gig with a lot of heart.

And of course the best part is listening to songs about my Jesus :)

Corrine May rocks!!

Read this book

Sorry for the long rant, if indeed you managed to persist and read through my last blog.

In contrast, here's a good book you should check out. www.destined2reign.com

Isaiah 53

I was given a book some time ago on how to heal the sick. For reasons unknown to me, I haven't touched the book for several months, until yesterday. If you know me, I tend to devour books immediately, like the second I get my hands on them.

So I found out why yesterday.

This book, started off well-meaning, and certainly sounded spiritual and 'right', was advocating that in order to heal the sick, the author has found several ways to do it, one of which is to identify the root of the problem - for example unforgiveness, bitterness, generational curses etc.
(That's when I chucked it to the farthest corner of the room. I might burn it later.)

I mean what the? I already knew that! The root of all our problems (sickness, financial lack, fear & condemnation) is SIN!

BUT, and Im so glad I know this - there is no need to identify and deal with the root of the problem, because our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, has already identified AND dealt with SIN two thousand years ago. He nailed it to the cross. He said - It is finished!!!

Not that there is no more sin in this world (who am i kidding?) but He has taken the penalty of sin unto Himself, so for believers, we do not need to bear the consequences.

He has taken our sickness and diseases on Himself, so we may proclaim loudly today :YES! Jesus has borne our sicknesses and diseases on the cross, so that BY HIS STRIPES, we believers are healed. He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.

And sometimes when I meditate on this truth, on His grace and His unending mercies, His great sacrifice, of which we will never fully comprehend, I literally break down and cry out - You are a GOOD GOD!

He has never set conditions in order for us to be delivered.
He said to the leper : I am willing, be healed.
He said to the prostitute : Take heart, your faith has healed you.


Matthew 10 Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil[a] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[b]drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.


Read the bible.
Jesus never set conditions for the people he met to be healed. He didn't say to the leper - do you know why you have leprosy? Is it the sins of your father or mother? Could it be unforgiveness in your heart? Ok, bcos you have to get to the root of your problem before I heal you?

NO! He said - I AM WILLING. BE HEALED.

Perth

A friend asked me today for a list of things to do in Perth as she was going there over the National Day weekend. Which got me all excited ( I know it's hard to imagine being excited over Perth).

But the truth is, I really really like Perth.

Sure, it's not exciting like Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei etc.. and sort of pales in comparison to the more ' advanced' and 'cosmopolitan' eastern cities like Sydney and Melbourne... BUT, it's a really beautiful place! It's a place for a real holiday - a place to have some unhurried shopping, visit some of the wineries, relax by the famous beaches and connect with another person.

And that's what I like the most - that I'm not overwhelmed by the noise, the sights, the buildings, the shops... I can connect with someone and feel like time has slowed somewhat.

So here are some of the places I love to go when in Western Australia:

1. Cottesloe and coffee at The Blue Duck (my all time favourite)
2. King’s Park
3. Mathilda Bay (took our wedding pics there :)
4. Harbourtown for some shopping
5. Swan Valley
6. Kaili’s Fish Market then to Little Creatures (Fremantle)
7. Fremantle Markets
8. Carousel (as in the shopping mall)
9. Margaret River ( where we fell in love Summer of 1999)

And for the husband and I, the most beautiful thing about Perth is the family. We always have the best time because the people we love are there - and maybe that's why I love Perth this special way.

Ask Google

The husband and I were considering doing something major recently which requires some legal advice... at a loss, we called my father-in-law in Australia.

FIL: You know who you should ask.... Ask Google... *chuckles*

Now I know where he got his sense of humour from.

Corrine May

Im so excited about the Corrine May concert this Friday!!!!
I can't wait! I can't wait!

All thanks to the husband for this pleasant surprise :)

Check her out:
www.corrinemay.com

Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow

I had an absolutely great time at the Comedy Fest. I think it was the dinner at Brussel Sprouts (which was really good) that set the mood.

Although I didn't get a few of the "cheem" Aussie jokes, I did manage to get most of the jokes and I think it was a good mix of different types of humour.

Funny that we spent 4 years in Melbourne and didnt manage to go to the Melbourne Comedy Festival once. Well, we promised ourselves that when we go back, we'll do that and Australian Open (Tennis) and F1 and Moomba and the list goes on...

My favourite comedian of the night was:

Harley Breen from Queensland:

"known for his flare for making up comedy on the spot. With rapid energy and physicality, Harley delivers his bizarre and absurd takes on the world, captivating his audience with unmarked ideas and surreal images in a mission to unravel rigid beliefs and preset assumptions that mostly subside cunningly deep within institutions and establishments... what does that mean? Go to the show and find out!"

Top 10 Beaches

I was watching Discovery Travel and Living - Top Ten Beaches in the World. And I spent an hour of my precious Friday off time to see if my favourite beach made it to the top 10... and i was absolutely flaberghasted to discover that NOT ONE, as in NONE of the Australian beaches made it into the Top 10 Beaches in the WORLD!!!

Well, just in case you're just as pissed off as me, here you go:

http://www.westernaustralia.com/
If you're in WA, the Top 10 Beaches are:

1. Turquise Bay
2. Cable Beach
3. Esperance (been there :)
4. City Beach (was abit rough)
5. Cottesloe Beach (DUH)
6. Green's Pool
7. Scarborough (didnt really fancy it, dunno why)
8. Monkey Mia
9. Eighty Mile Beach
10. Shell Beach

And if you're anywhere else in Australia, the Top 10 Beaches are:

1. Esperance, Western Australia
2. Cable Beach, Broome
3. Surfers Point, Margaret River
4. Hawkes Nest, Mid-North Coast NSW
5. Shelly (Manly), Sydney
6. Ninety Mile Beach, Gippsland Located just over 250 kilometres from Melbourne,
7. Bells Beach, Great Ocean Road
8. Capricorn Coast, Queensland
9. Stokes Bay, Kangaroo Island
10. Wineglass Bay, Freycinet NP Tasmania's Freycinet National Park
    

No Man is an Island

Origin
This is a quotation from John Donne (1572-1631). It appears in Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII:
"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

Oi! Oi! Oi!

We're contemplating taking a year off from work to study/bum in Perth.

Does that sound like a great idea or what? I think it's probably the greatest idea we've ever come up with. We're newly married, no kids, no liabilities (so Singaporean to say that!) and we're not entirely satisfied with our careers right now. I mean who are we kidding? Slogging at work, feeling underpaid, zero job satisfaction and dealing with terrible colleagues ain't exactly what was listed in the job scope!

So yes, Im taking time off work right now to dream about what life could be about... Cotts. Driving down south. Wine tours. Cotts. BBQs. Cotts??

And just so I know there's more to Perth than what everyone thinks.
Here's proof there's life in Perth. Only if you dare.

Festivals & Events in Perth

January
Perth Cup, Ascot Racecourse: Jan 1
Australia Day Skyworks: 26th Jan
Hopman Cup: Burswood Dome Jan 6
Symphony at Sandalford, Swan Valley

February
City Food & Wine Festival
Perth International Arts Festival: Various locations, 9 Feb-4 March
Rottnest Channel Swim: 17 Feb
Swan Valley Midsummer Feast Festival: 16-18th

March
Auto One Classic Car Show, Whiteman ParkAwesome International Children's Festival
Crabfest, Mandurah: 1 -18thFestival of Melville: 11 March
Musselfest, Rockingham Rottnest Open Water Classic
Festival: Minnawarra Park, 13 March-April 1
West Coast Blues'n'Roots Music Festival: Fremantle March 31-April 1

April
Fremantle Children's Fiesta: Samson Park, April 1
Fremantle Street Arts Festival: Various locations, 7-16thAnzac Day Parade: April 25
Rottnest Island Triathlon: April 28Taste of the Valley: Swan Valley, 1-29th

May
Fremantle Heritage Festival: Various locations, 27 May-14 June
Stretch Art Festival, Mandurah

June

Winter Arts Festival: 1 June-31 Aug

September

Perth Royal Show: 29 Sept-6 Oct

Kings Park & Botanic Gardens Wildflower Festival: 28 Sept-2 Oct

October
Mandurah Boat & Fishing Show: 12-14th
Rottnest Marathon
Spring in the Valley: Swan Valley, 13-14th

November
Armadale Highland Gathering & Cycle Classic
Awesome Festival: Various locations, 16-25th
Beach to Bush Festival, Wanneroo
Darlington Arts Festival
Fremantle Festival
Houghton Winery Jazz Wine Picnic
Rockingham Spring Festival

December
Christmas in the City
Classic & Wooden Boat Festival
Cockburn Sound Regatta
Rottnest Swim Thru’
Summer Racing Carnival

I Miss Cotts.

I miss the view, the soft soft sand, the sun, oh the sun!!! And I definitely miss the fresh air. Deliciously good.

The Power of Your Words

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

I have been so blessed by Pastor Prince's teachings and one of the truths I have started to meditate on is that there is POWER in what I say.

Yet, the truth is that every word you speak has power — to build or destroy hopes and dreams, to restore or cause loss, to heal or break the spirit, to bring delight or despair, to bless or curse — for God’s Word says that death and life are in the power of your tongue.

God wants you to have a life filled with good days and an abundance of every good thing. So say, “In the name of Jesus, I prophesy blessings, favour, health, prosperity, protection, dominion and power to fill my life and my family’s!”

For more GOOD NEWS:
http://www.newcreation.org.sg/resources/dailydevotion/dailydevo.asp

Perception is not Reality

Perception
In psychology and the cognitive sciences, perception is the process of acquiring, interpreting, selecting, and organizing sensory information. The word perception comes from the Latin perception-, percepio, , meaning "receiving, collecting, action of taking possession, apprehension with the mind or senses." --OED.com.

Reality
God's Word.

The question is this: Is my perception in line with God's Word?
If not, what i perceive.... is NOT real.

I love Oprah!

I love love love Oprah!!!

I can't help it. She makes me feel that I can make the world a better place. She makes me cry and laugh. She makes me feel motivated to go out and make someone feel special.

And most importantly, she made me realise that My Life is SO Blessed!

Marriage was created by God

My new life has just begun.

Im so excited!!!

This will be the place where I remember all the good things that is gonna happen for us :)

And yes, there will only be good things because we believe in a good God, so good He sent His Only Son, Jesus Christ, to come to this earth and made the ultimate sacrifice so His children can have zoe life - life more abundant.