W387

2007-11-28T02:04:00.000+08:00

I was just reading this book about praying by E.M. bounds... its really quite interesting and i think it has given me a new perspective of what prayers or rather praying really means.

It is divided into a few chapters
1. Prayer and faith
2. Prayer that gets results
3. Prayer and trusting God
4. Prayer and desire
5. Prayer and enthusiasm
6. Prayer that is persistent
7. Prayer that motivates God
8. Prayer and christian conduct
9. Prayer and obedience
10. prayer and full surrender
11. Prayer and spiritual warfare
12. Prayer and God's promises
13. Prayer and the word of God
14. Prayer and the house of God

Yupps. hopefully this spurs yer interest and if ever you're interested, sms me to lend u the book. I thought it would be good to share lar.

-elfy

2007-11-15T19:08:00.000+08:00

Hey guys, and girls!!! :D I wanted to post this up a loooong time ago..thought it would be good for us to rise up to the next level! :D

If boys would be men, would girls be ladies?

Let's Be Men.
First, I want to talk to the men. Men, we have our work cut out for us, and we need to take it very seriously. What business do we have persuing a relationship with a girl when we still haven't figured out what it means to be a man? We owe it to the women in our lives, our future wives, and to God to figure this out.

Elsabeth Elliot, a woman I deeply respect, wrote to her nephew Pete, "The world cries for men who are strong -- strong in conviction, strong to lead, to stand, to suffer. I pray that you will be that kind of man -- glad that God made you a man, glad to shoulder the burden of manliness in a time when to do so will often bring contempt."

I want to be that kind of man. I have a long way to go. I fail more often than I succeed. I let my sin, my fear, and my laziness get the best of me. But I want to change. I know that God has made me a man for a reason. No matter what culture says, or even what some women say, I want to gladly "shoulder the burden of manliness."

It's not the easiest path. Earlier I told you a book that encouraged men to be passive in relationships. According to the author, the only alternative to passivity is being aggressive and overbearing. Sadly, these are the two courses many men take. But God wants us to reject both of them. Biblical masculinity is neither passive nor rudely aggressive. God calls us to be servant initiators--firm, but gentle; masculine, yet caring; leaders, yet servants. We're called to be protectors, not seducters.

Here are four practical ways you can do these things in your relationships with women.

1) Assume the responsibility of leading and initiating in your relationships with women.

Leading is a form of serving. When you provide direction, suggest ideas, and initiate conversation or activities, you're serving your sisters.

This does not mean that you treat women as if you were their husband and the one to lead them in important life decisions. Even during the season of courtship, this isn't your place. Until you're a woman's husband, she is under no obligation to submit to your leadership. If she has a Christian father, that protection and oversight should come from him. But while you shouldn't overstep your bounds, you can serve a woman (and win her trust for the future) by leading and initiating in small ways.

For example, you can serve your sisters by being the one to plan times together. This applies to a courtship as well as friendships with women. My single friends Jacob and Ryan frequently plan get-together at their apartment. They do the work of organizing activities and inviting other guys and girls to participate.

One woman told me what a burden it is when her male friends sit around waiting for women to plan everything. "I don't like it when a man sits there asking, 'So what do you want to do?'" she said, "I want them to make a decision!"

The same principle applies in your courtship (or friendships). Do you initiate conversations? Do you carefully plan your dates? Are you thinking ahead and directing the course of the courtship? It's your job to make sure that it's continuing to grow at a healthy rate. It's your responsibility to make sure you're both guarding your hearts.

As you can see, servant leadership requires work. It means sacrifice. It means going out on a limb and proposing ideas, setting direction, and inviting others to follow. It means listening, taking others' interests and needs into account, and adjusting as neccessary. It means deferring to others at times. Leadership isn't tyranny; it's service rendered. It's difficult, but it's a big part of what it means a man.

2) Be a spiritual leader in your relationships with women.

Men, we should set the spiritual pace in our relationships with women.

We should be the ones to make sure our relationships aren't merely, superficial and entertainment oriented, but deep, God focused, and characterized by biblical fellowship.

The first important step is to make your own personal growth in godliness a priority. Don't be content to be spiritually lukewarm-strive to set an example of passive for God.

My friend Joseph sets a terrific example in this area. When he's with a group of friends, at some point in the conversation he'll ask a question like "So what did you think of the sermon on Sunday?" or "Can I share something God is showing me?" or "What's the area God is helping you to grow in?"

Do you know what is Joseph doing? He's initiating biblical fellowship. He's asking questions that help him and his friends share the new life they have because of Jesus. He's leading them in talking about reality of God in their lives.

Joseph isn't a spiritual show-off. That should never be our motive. His goal is to serve his friends and enrich his own life. He knows how easy it is to let a whole night go by without having a serious a serious, God-focus conversation. He knows that in fellowships he and his friends are truly growing closer.

Men, in marriage we'll be called to be spiritual leaders of our homes. Before marriage, let's practice leading in biblical fellowship with friends and during courtship. Then we'll be that much more prepared to do so with our wives and children.

3) Do Little Things In Your Relationships With Women That Communicate

Your Care, Respect, and Desire to protect.

This doesn't have to be complicated. Simply be a gentleman to the women in your life. Your goal is to show through your actions that their status as a woman is a noble one.

Let them feel your concern and respect in as many ways as you possibly can. You can do this through small actions: open the door for them, pull out their chair, escort them to their car (or house) at the end of the night. If you need more guidance, ask a few Christian women for pointers. You'll be amazed how willing they'll help educate you!

In your courtship, remember that you're not doing these things merely to impress or to win a woman's heart. You are doing these things for God's glory. You do them to serve a sister in Christ and honor her as a woman.

(A brief aside to women: If you're just friends with a man, and he's trying to treat you like a lady, don't assume he has a romantic interest in you. One of the fastest ways to derail a man's attempts to practice servant leadership is to interpret his actions as romantic overtures. As my friend Jen put it, "Girls should assume that until a guy express interest, they're just friends")

4) Encourage Women to Embrace Godly Femininity.

Look for ways to encourage your sisters in godly femininity. When they make room for you to practice leadership, thank them. When they're humble and gentle, encourage them. Femininity is not weakness. It requires great strength of character for a women to be gentle in an age that screams for her to do otherwise.

When you see woman going against the grain of culture by culivating a skill that will serve her family someday, compliment her. When a girl is pursuing a demanding career, but it is still being feminine, let her know you notice. Let her know you respect her.

Men should be the biggest encouragers and prayer warriors for women who are seeking to glorify God by practicing godly femininity.

A Challenge to the Girls: Be Godly Ladies

I think I can understand how you feel. I'm sure that you can think of ways these biblical truths have been misused and misapplied by domineering and chauvinistic men. I'm sorry that has been the case. Please know that there are many men today who want to spend their lives proving that that's not what biblical masculininity is about.

Don't give up on us. We need your support. We need your prayers. We need you to fix your eyes on God-not on the men who have misrepresented His plan-and live your life in response to His commands for you as a woman.

Here are the four ways you can be sisters to the men in you life and practice mature femininity.

1) In Your Relationship with Godly Men, Encourage and Make Room for Them to Practice Servant Leadership.

If a man's biggest temptation is to be passive, a woman's biggest temptation is to take control. The man isn't setting a course, so the woman grabs the steering wheel. It might fix things in the short term, but in the long run it only discoutages men from playing their God-given role as initiators.

You can encourage men to be men by refusing to do the work of leading for them. What you want to avoid is developing a habit initiating your relationships with men. This doesn't mean you never do so, but that it's not the normal pattern in your life. Neither does this mean that when you're single, you're supposed to submit to every man you meet. God asks a woman to submit to her husband. But a single woman can, with men whose character warrants it, encourage servant leadership and respond to their initiative.

So if you're in a courtship, make room for him to lead. Step back and let him be one to take charge. How else will he learn to lead? How else can you practice for the time when you will follow a husband?

Sylvia, who is in her thirties, gave me one example of how women can let men lead. "We ladies can be too quick to fill the silence in a conversation." she said. "We're like, 'Oh no, he's not talking! I need to say something.' But I think it's important for us to let there be awkward moments of silence so the men can step up and lead the conversation."

2) Be a Sister to the Man in Your Life.

What are the categories you have for Christian men in your life-potential boyfriend, potential husband, no potential whatsoever? I encourage you to drop these categories. The first way you should view a Christian guy is as a brother.

Be a sister to the men in your life. Pray for them. Be yourself. Don't put up a front. Be a friend.
And remember, encourage men to lead and to initiate doesn't mean that girls never start a conversation or have ideas for activities. My coworker Dawn and her three roommates make a practice of inviting a group of guys over for dinner every two weeks. They use these temes to reach out to new people in their singles ministry and to develop friendships. Dawn and her roommates are being sisters to their brothers in the Lord.

3) Cultivate the Attitude that Motherhood is a Noble and Fulfilling Calling.

Today many people scorn motherhood and the skills associated with managing a home. In our culture children are viewed as a nuisance, and motherhood is considered a waste of a woman's talents. A college counselor once told me that majority of the female students she worked with secretly longed to get married and have kids, but they were too ashamed to admit it. What a tragedy!

Please don't believe our culture's lies about motherhood. If God has placed that desire in your heart, don't be embarrassed about it. The Bible encourages younger women to learn homemaking skills from older women. Learning to keep a home and love husband and children is part of God's plan for the complete training of younger women (see Titus 2:3). Don't hesitate to learn the practical skills that will one day allow you to serve a family. Search out godly mothers in your loval church from whom you can learn.

You can pocess biblical femininity without being married or having children. As a single woman, you can express your femininity by practicing hospitalty and by caring for and nurturing the people in your life. But you can also honor God's plan for womanhood by agreeing that motherhood is a high and noble calling.

4) Cultivate Godliness and Inward Beauty in Your Life

A girl once wrote to tell me how God had used Proverbs 7:5 to convict her of being like the wayward woman who led men astray. "I don't want to be a seductress like her," she wrote. "I don't want flirtatiousness or immodest clothing to keep guys from seeing me as a sister in Christ."
If you want godly men to respect and cherish you as a woman, refuse to buy in to our culture's obsession with being physically beautiful and sexually alluring. This is an attitude that springs from the motives of your heart and extends to the way you dress and act around men.

Is your wardrobe an expression of your love for God? Shannon often says to women, "There's a big difference between dressing attractively and dressing to attract." What's your motive? Have you ever asked your father or another Christian woman to honestly evaluate your clothing? Are you willing to sacrifice fashion to be obedient to God?

During out courtship, Shannon honored me by always acting and dressing modestly. A few times that meant getting rid of outfits that she didn't think would cause a problem (Ladies, you'll never know just how differently we're wired until you get married!". Once when I told her that a particular pair of shorts were a little too short and were causing me to struggle, she quickly replace them.

In Scripture, Peter tell Christian women that their beauty should be that of their inner selves - "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight" (1 Peter 3:4).

2007-10-25T22:58:00.000+08:00

hey, just wanna share this with you guys, hope that we all will want to be like the little boy...

A guy got a very nice car from his brother for a present. When he stopped outside a shop to buy things, he came out he saw a little street boy admiring his car.

The boy asked him where he got the car. He said his brother gave it to him, and he thought the little boy would say he wished he had a brother like that. But the boy said he wished he could BE a brother like tat!

Then they guy asked why the boy said that. It turns out, he had a crippled brother at home and he always carried his crippled brother out during Christmas to admire the decorations in the streets, but this year the brother is too big for him to carry.

So the guy was touched and drove the little boy, and his brother, all over the town. The guy was touched and brought the boy home to the door step, thinking the boy would show off tat there is a big car outside his house. But instead, the boy carried his brother out and told him, 'see that? That’s they car I told you about just now. And someday, I will buy it for you and you don't have to pay a cent. Just wait, someday I will buy it for you.

the message, according to my friend, was shared not only in church, but ALSO at her sch, where they preached it during the service in the morning there... ( their sch has a period specially for service ) so i think its v. impt lar, since it was shared twice, some more, recently... hahas...

-_ending post here_- *eli*

Rejoice in the Lord

2007-10-21T18:34:00.000+08:00

Yo people...
took a little time out to post on our beloved blog
seriously someone need to update...
well, it cant always be alvina... so now its my turn

Rejoice n Rejoice!!!! For the exams are over for us.
But still, do not forget to continue praying for the people still having exams
They need ur prayers, they need ur support, moreover, they need ur strength
So, rejoice everyday, rejoice for urself n others.
What could be better, if we can all rejoice after we finished our exams.
So people, we must still continue the walk together.
Help each other out, pull each other up, bring one another to a higher level.
For rejoicing alone is minute to rejoicing together

For God will bless everyone in our cell, so let us believe
We will shine for God...Till the very end

God bless

posted by Alwin(back to studying)

When I survey

2007-10-07T17:51:00.000+08:00

Beeleng shared with us a poem on " When i survey" on saturday during cg. I thought it sounded a familiar... so i went to check out my track list and found out that i had e song! wahahaha, not too bad a hymn. ^^ Jesus reigns forever!

celtic version:

normal version:

The poem:
Verse 1
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Verse 2
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

Verse 3
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Verse 4
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Verse 5
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

The lyrics:
I'll find it some other day ^^

proudly posted by curly elfy
wellwell...

2007-09-22T21:04:00.000+08:00

Refiner's Silver
Malachi 3:3 says:"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;"This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered how this statement related to the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot. Then she thought again about the verse that says: He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.The woman was silent for a moment.
Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until he sees His image in you.

"disclaimer: ripped it from another blog" I thought it was great and would like to share ^^
-elf

Study Time!

2007-09-22T11:05:00.001+08:00

Most of us were Studying last night...
Especially this person here -- he worked really hard, teaching and studying
But the rest of us took a break after studying

Yes, I Kept taking pictures...
But let's just guess who are these...

.... Answers at the next post!

Study hard guys, let's shine for Him!

Exams Red Alert!!!

2007-08-28T22:18:00.000+08:00

RED ALERT!!!!!

the exams are round the corner for some of us.

we want to pray and FIGHT the devil
so that we may SHINE for CHRIST!!!

so let's pray and intercede for each other!

Let me know when are your exam dates, so tt we can do something about it!

Right now, here's Alvina's Exam dates.. Let's pray!

~~24/09: Eng (I) + MT (I)~~
~~25/09: Singapore Studies~~
~~26/09: History~~
~~27/09: Chemistry~~
~~28/09: Maths (I)~~
~~01/10: Eng (II)~~
~~02/10: MT (II)~~
~~03/10: Physics~~
~~04/10: Project Work~~
05/10: Maths (II)

loves, jiaying :)

ALVINA'S ESSAY! egoegoegoegoego! lalalalalala

2007-08-16T18:50:00.000+08:00

人间有情
这张照片是我这个假期去日本旅游时所拍的。水俁病實際為有機水銀中毒。患上水俁病的人十分冤枉。他们手足麻痺，甚至步行困難、運動障礙、失智、聽力及言語障礙。有些人还神經錯亂，最後死亡。發病起三個月內約有半數重症者死亡，懷孕婦女亦會將這種水銀中毒遺產給胎中幼兒。由于受害者以及死亡率即达万余人，日本政府便建造了这纪念碑表示真诚的遗憾和抱歉。它上面刻着一些安慰话并叫那些因水俁病而死亡的“人”和平地离去。上面也写着他们保证以后再也不会发生这种事。放在碑上的小玩意儿是水误的小学同学细心做的泥土模型并献给死者的。所以我想这纪念碑表示了人间有情。
虽然这事件已经是1965 年的往事，但人们仍然没有忘记那些因人们的一时糊涂和对环保的不顾而死亡的人。我想，在我们的人生里，总会遇到种种的困难与不幸。我们可能会怪老天爷不公平的对待，也可能会埋怨自己的苦命。但是，不管怎样，我们要知道在这世间里，身旁的亲朋好友即使不能关照我们或帮助我们对付困难也会同情与安慰我们的。
像水俁病患者一样，他们在早期被其他健康无病的人抛弃，不让他们靠近自己甚至把他们从渔村里赶走。那时人们以为这怪病会传然给其他的居民才这么无情地把他们赶走。有许多水俁病患者觉得他们这么做十分残忍，十分自私。可是，从这石碑上，我们可以看出那时‘无情无义’的人是逼不得以才这么做的。
至今，住在水俁的居民不但为水误病人建造纪念碑，他们也很努力地增进資源回收再利用的计划，让水俁病者死得有价值。水俁病患者患上这种病的确无奈，但我们不能否认人间有情。
梁育玮(1)

* Note that there are fan2 ti3 zi4 at the front of the essay.haha, my chinese teacher was like," Yu wei, you've improved a great deal in your writing skill, you did very well in this assignment... but then... YOU copy-paste the front part right!", and my friends' reaction were o.O Haha, dumbdumb me!Anyway, this is my first time getting a high grade for my chinese essay, what more FULL-MARK. well, it may not sound great when you read it, but it means a great deal to me^^ heehee, do comment. (I'm FLYING in circles!).

This photo is actually a tombstone memorial for the minamata diseased patients who died due to mercury poisoning. Took this during my history field trip to Japan, during the Emerge season >,< but i had mt fun lar.

Hear ye! Hear ye!

2007-08-13T02:45:00.000+08:00

Dear All,

This is a very important announcement.

SATURDAY STUDY GROUP!!!!!
please please please, come down for study group! We will meet at jon's(Blk 137) void deck at 10am in the morning and study till 1230pm. Then we'll go for Lunch at tai shan!!! then it'll be Cell group at 2!!! :)

Let's make it happen on saturday man!

Study Warriors, Let's do it!!!

Grrrrrr.....

Yours,
Jia Ying :)

You're all I want

2007-08-07T02:54:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! This is video that my friend showed me, and it really really really touched my heart.. :)

Much Love, Jia Ying

National Fever

2007-08-01T00:36:00.001+08:00

Hi guys! The National Day is Comin! :P
3 videos for you to enjoy ya! :)
(take it w a pinch of salt ya!!! Have fun!!!)

Dick Lee's little teaser on one of our national songs

Ruby Pan's satire of our speaking standard english! (in Last year's "Talking Cock in Parliament" -- fantastic!!!)

Hossan Leong's Rockin-Version of Singapore's-History-in-a-song! (haha, I showed my children this in class during Social Studies Lessons.. haha..)

Enjoy!

-jiaying (hugs!)

2007-07-22T20:37:00.001+08:00

Matthew 19:26
And Jesus said:... With God All Things are possible
.

God is always there for us... We must Seek His Kingdom First and always put Him First in everything we do.
we must always trust that he will make things possible.

Nothing is Impossible for Him

So whatever we do, we must always believe in Him n have Faith in Him.For He is our Father, He will love us.

Enjoy!

Love, B1 n B2

2007-07-19T17:34:00.000+08:00

Philippians 4:19
My God shall supply all your need according to
His riches and glory by Christ Jesus.

God has an unending supply of abundance that He wants to bring into our lives! All we gotta do is stay connected to Him.

No need is too big that He can't supply!

There's a miracle of God waiting for you; to supply your needs supernaturally as you start to pour out what you have.

Enjoy!

Love, Wendy<3

2007-07-16T17:08:00.000+08:00

OK people...

if u wanna post ur prayer list just contact anyone senior in the cg

username n pass can be taken from me or jiaying so u are free to post anything

or maybe not anything...

Remember!!!! this is a cell group blog so....

Remember to always sign off when u post so we noe who post it

God bless

Alwin

2007-07-15T21:34:00.000+08:00

This is a testing post