God is healing Janice from her milk allergies

God is awesome and worthy to be praised! After praying for a long time for Janice's allergies to be gone, God has finally answered our prayers!

On 23rd Nov 2009, Janice took her skin prick test to check for allergic reactions from certain substances. The test results were as such:

Substance Diameter

Control Histamine = 5mm

Milk = 5mm

Egg = 15mm

Peanut = 7mm

These results showed that Janice had significant reactions to milk, peanuts and eggs. The larger the diameter, the more serious the allergy.

Since we have relocated back to Singapore we were still praying hard that God would heal her of her allergies. Her condition had certain implications such as being selective when preparing meals for her, being careful of what we feel her and what others 'unknowingly' feed her, what she can consume at Child Care and also her specially prescribed milk 'Neocate' which would cost us $70 per can here in Singapore.

As we prayed, we wanted to also believe that God's healing hand is at work. Thus Yen made an appointment with the allergist at NUH whom was a doctor referred to us from our allergist in Gold Coast. When we were at NUH, the doctor saw the report of Janice's last skin prick test said that there is no point in taking another test as such conditions don't 'change overnight'. After hearing that, we were quite insistent on having the test, cause we know full well that God is able to heal.

When the test results came out, Janice's skin reaction towards milk was almost non existent!!! The diameter for milk was smaller than the control histamine! This must be GOD! So the Doctor advised us to slowly expose Janice to normal baby milk and see if there is any allergic reaction. We took the Doc's advice and start by putting some milk on her lips. To date, Janice has been feeling great. she even drank 60ml of normal baby milk!! PRAISE THE LORD!!

What I took back from today's Staff Devotion

Today at staff devotion, we had a guest speaker come and share with us as our Division leaders went away for a retreat. Just wanted to note it down so that I won't forget. He was sharing about his difficulties in ministry with the youths and how it is so challenging, not so much the youths but many times, their parents can really be a pain as well.

Amongst his sharing, he mentioned how a parent got upset with him cause he had to tell their child to step down from ministry cause his relationship with God wasn't going well and it was starting to reflect outwardly in his ministry. And he went to still apologize to the parent. He told us "I apologized not because I did something wrong to her son, but I apologized because I hurt them."

When I heard that, it really touched my heart to know that we don't apologize because of the action that we did, but instead for the reaction that was caused by the initial action (which might not be wrong in the first place). This was something that I want to hold onto in every area of my life; my relationship with God, my family, my friends and my ministry.

Took a long break from blogging, took up Facebooking instead

Been missing in action because I realized that FaceBook is much easier to use since there is the Iphone which makes uploading of photos a breeze. But I guess unless you are added as friends on Facebook, otherwise viewing of content would not be possible. So I thought I better try to blog once in a while, so here goes.

I had the privilege yesterday to spend the entire day with Janice. Woke up with her, had meals with her, had a really long nap (2hrs) with her and bathe her as well. it was such a memorable day for me. On the normal days I love to play with Janice and all, but looking into the details of her life like naps and meals and bathing really isn't my forte. Only my close to perfect wife would be able to remember every single detail that needs to be done for Janice. But now, since both of us are working and my day off is on wednesday, I was able to have this opportunity to look after Janice by myself.

To have this time with Janice would be the start of our 'dates with daddy' times. I must really make it a point to do this regularly even when she grows up. I realized that a father's role in a child's life is so important. Not belittling the roles that mums play (which is very important as well), the dads would sometimes help be a good role model of the sort of man that our daughters would be looking for in future. Helping my daughter see that she deserves a man that truly loves her for who she is. And more importantly that Janice would come to me and tell me about the guys that would be asking her out and stuff. I want to be her listening ear and support whenever she needs me.

These are my ideals, I know that ministry sometimes would make all that sound impossible. But today it has been made known to me that in full time ministry, we are juggling my balls, but there are some balls that we must never drop and that is God and our Family. Ps Benny Ho mentioned about spending 1 hr a day, 2 to 3 hrs a week, 1 day a month and 2 to 3 days a quarter to spend with God. Time allocated with family is also very crucial, my family must know that they are more important to me than the ministries I am in. This is something that I am constantly learning and adjusting so that there would be a balance; but boy is that balance hard to find. I don't know if I will ever find that balance, but I know for sure that I will keep trying.

Receiving God's Revelation

Great stuff from Bill Johnson! Got infected by Mr Li and I have been reading quite a bit from Bill Johnson. So rather than just keeping it at mere knowledge, I am going to try to apply them in my life. So I will have to work on these 8 insights starting at having that Childlike faith in approaching God and His word. Will set aside 8 weeks to try my best to work on all 8 of them in becoming more of God's friend. Hope you all will be encouraged as well.

The following is a list of practical suggestions for those wanting to grow in revelation from God.

1. Become childlike. Simplicity and humility of heart helps qualify a person to hear from God, while the desire to be profound is a wasted desire. What many discover after years of teaching is that the word that is simple is often the most profound. “At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” (Matthew 11:25)

2. Obey what you know. Jesus taught His followers, “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” (John 7:17) “If anyone wills . . . he shall know” – Clarity comes to the one willing to do the will of God. The willingness to obey attracts revelation, because God is the ultimate steward, investing His treasures into fertile ground – the surrendered heart.

3. Learn the biblical art of ‘meditation’. “I call to remembrance my song in the night; I will meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.” (Psalms 77:6) Biblical meditation is a diligent search. Whereas religious cults teach people to empty their minds as the means of meditation, the Bible teaches us to fill our minds with God’s Word. Meditation has a quiet heart and a ‘directed’ mind. Mulling a word over in our heart, with a pursuit that springs from the inquisitive child’s heart, is meditation.

4. Live in faith. “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) Revelation comes to the one expressing faith! Live with the understanding that God has already willed to give you His mysteries (Matthew 13:11), and ask accordingly. Then thank Him in advance.

5. Acquire an understanding heart. This sort of heart has the foundations in place for something to be constructed upon it. These are the basic concepts of the King and His kingdom. Proper foundations attract the builder (revelator) to come and add to those foundations. “But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.” (Proverbs 14:6) God wisely stewards fresh insight to those who have the basic principles in place. When fresh insights come, the understanding heart has a “slot to put it in”. It is not lost as seed spilled on the ground.

6. Give God your nights. I try to end each day with my heart’s affection stirred up and directed to the Holy Spirit. What an amazing way to go to sleep. The Song of Solomon reveals this poetically, “I sleep, but my heart is awake.” (Song of Solomon 5:2) God loves to visit us in the night and give us instruction that we would have a hard time receiving during the day.

7. Give away what you have already received. He draws out of the deep places in our hearts things that are not yet a part of our conscious thought processes. (Proverbs 20:5)

8. Become a friend of God. God shares His secrets with His friends. “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

Serving with Great People - Judah 4

I am simply amazed at how God's people would rise up to the occasion to give and serve beyond their physical limitations. Last Friday we had our huge event which catered for 46 people! There were so many new visitors that night too! Praise God for that!
When it came to the night before the event, the people were working so hard trying to get everything together and ready for the big night. I am so blessed to have people with such heart to serve God. We even have new visitors that came to help out. It is just so obvious that the heart of servant hood has been passed on through the people.
I want to do my best to lead this unit into greater heights in God. May God's hand be so evident in my service towards Him as well.

FireProofing Your Marriage - Commitment of a Life Time

Watched the movie 'Fireproof' last night with Yen and it was such a great reminder of how much we need each other and that no matter how tough times and situations can get; out is NEVER an option!

The movie really brought in so much truths about what a marriage is meant to be. Marriage in this time and age has reduced it's significance and standing in our society. People get married in the heat of passion and in the name of love and feelings. But there wasn't time to put the relationship to a test of heat and trials of commitment. And when tough times come, suddenly there isn't anymore passion, love and feelings for each other. Only the things that iritate you stands out so clearly about your spouse. Worst of all, a broken marriage not only affects the couple involved, but if they have kids, their upbringing would be somewhat incomplete and inbalanced.

Marriage is not just built upon the foundations of love and feelings. Marriage being such a tall and important structure in God's house, surely it requires God to be in the centre of it all, and also built upon the foundations of a covenant of being there for each other whether richer or poorer, health or sickness, good or bad time and till death do us part.

Just recently, there has been some marriages of my friends that I have heard about that were already broken and couples decided to throw in the towel; many are my age or slightly older. How painful that must be for them, leaving such a scar in each others' lives. And the word 'commitment' would never have the same definition in their lives again.

Media these days is not really helping people gain that definition either. Thus I realise that I must really be able to conduct myself with my family to be able to live out a life of commitment to God, my wife and family. May my life set the example for my youths to desire to imitate as I try with all my might to imitate the life of Christ.

Passion vs Commitment

Yesterday at Ablaze conference 2009, we made it there in time to listen to Ps Ben of Lifeplace shared at the workshop. Having travelled all the way to Yandina just for that session, I felt it was so worthwhile! Ablaze conference rocks!!! God bless you guys at Ablaze even more over today and tomorrow morning.

During the workshop, we had a Q&A time where someone asked the question "What happens when I no longer have the passion to serve God"? When I heard Ps Ben's reply to that, I was so encouraged. He said along the lines of - serving God something Christians should be doing. It is not dependent on your feelings or passion. If that's how we walk in our Christian life, then there will always be lots of ups and downs, which makes our relationship and walk with God very unstable. If I had to choose, I'll choose commitment over passion.

That was so true and something that I had close to myself. Times when I feel so down and out, but still on the roster it says KM on worship leading. I would be dragging my feet to practise and all. But without fail, on Sunday pre-service practise will always sound like the worst session ever and it just gets worst. But when service starts, the time of Praise and Worship is handed over to God, I can just feel God ministering to myself as I lead. It is such a privilege and honor to serve God.

So when time comes where passion is all lost, remind yourself that as Jesus had to drag himself to carry the cross to Calvary, we too sometimes just have to pick up our cross and follow Christ no matter what!

Press on my fellow Christians!!!! Passion will come when we serve God wholeheartedly even when it is doing the lowest of tasks!

Multiplying Christ like people - Will God use me more in that area?

Yesterday was Day 1 of our Church conference 'EXPONENTIAL' Multiplying Christ like people. It was a good time where Ps Wilson was really reaffirming the hearts of the current mentors and also inspiring the future mentors to rise up as well.

It has been such a privilege to serve together with my core team, they have made serving God so much more fun and enjoyable. Today was the start of the guys coming together to develop both their spirit and physical man! It was so encouraging to see Jason, Wenyu, Josh and David meeting with myself to do a short run and 20 counts of star jumps at the Regatta Citycat Terminal. After waking ourselves up with the run, we went on to pray.

I really hope that this would last longer, just that some of the guys live a little further, thus it might be hard to do it on a daily basis, but at least on a weekly basis would be great as well!
In our prayer together, we prayed for:

• God to increase in us as we decrease.
• God to help us surrender our 'idols' in our lives
• God to help the guys in Judah 4 rise up even more to lead and serve the unit
• the upcoming IES July orientation that we'll see 2 groups of guys coming in. firstly guys that are not Christians but have hungry and ready heart to listen and accept the grace and forgiveness of God into their lives, secondly Christian guys whom God has built a strong foundations of convictions that will not weaver who are ready to serve God as His mouth piece together with us on IES.

And at the prayer, I also made a great discovery, that David is a really talented guitarist! He just started learning less than 1 year and he can already play songs like 'Hosanna'!! Praise God for raising up another guitarist!

After all that God has sparked off in the hearts of the males in the group, I really pray that the fire will continue to burn even stronger until the coming of Christ! Thanks guys!

Zoom in and out

Do you sometimes find it extremely hard to take account of your daily lives especially when the pace is running relatively fast and by the time the end of the day comes you are already looking into what is happening tomorrow? There are days upon coming home late and I find myself scurrying around, trying to get my next day sorted out, pack some lunch for the Kel and myself. And before i know it, i hit the sack and its tomorrow. It's only when i was browsing through different people's blogs that i begin to think what this blog is all about. What's the purpose of it, what should i pen down etc. It was meant to be a sort of journal for me, ok, now since we are sharing the blog as a family, for Kel and me. I say some sort of journal because we're definitely not those who will write down the details of what we have done through the day, neither are we people who has got many thoughts and opinions. We're normal people, who yeah have thoughts and opinions but many a times we talk and almost forgot about it. Meanwhile let this place be a place of spontaneous entries unless any of you readers have some sort of preferences, just leave us a note.

I try to look back each week of what has been done and achieved so that i can better take stock of what is ahead. I think something that was significant to me personally was the teaching i prepared and taught over life group last Friday. Though the lesson was not an extraordinary lesson, touching on God's holiness and us pursuing holiness, still it was one of those lessons, as i prepared, I could feel the holy spirit alongside, so that was great. There were things i have been wanting to touch on, areas like the way we lead our lives, areas where there is no absolute rights or wrongs. In fact many areas are not even close to being scripturally wrong. However, being stewards of our lives, we could lead a life that seeks to please Him more, proactively, and at the same time proactively growing, not just in life but spiritually too. To engage in activities that will not only be great fun but lead us to be more passionate for Him and His purposes too! Hey, no we can still have fun, just that we need to constantly remember to take stock of our lives, popping this question often, are we growing and having increasing passion for Him each day? Its an area I have been constantly challenged in. In the past, i have gone with such a mentality, i work hard for ministry and i will come to this one day that I switch off anything that is related to the things of God. I told God, just let me be, its MY day. I come to realise that God tugs in my heart and revealed to me His Big heart. Isn't He the air i breathe each day? Each day shouldnt be missed without Him in my life, and that includes His purposes too. I am learning, that in days of relaxation, I think of Him and His heart, learning to involve Him and say goodbye to private areas of my life. I was glad to have taken the lesson, and really its more blessed to give than to receive, because as i gave my time for preparation and teaching, He blessed me heaps more with insights too. What a steep learning curve to perfection!

Its going to be a long night tonight. Finished work and going to zoom home for a quick dinner of leftovers and zoom back to office for worship practice. Good thing for an effective Monday where i could cook more for the week (save up for days like this, busy but still have storage of food) and caught up on some housework, vacuum, mop, cook wash, all in 2 hrs. Not bad.

Alrighty, gonna zoom off. Cheers.