Capital 'A'

It's been a while since i've written anything on my blog. I mean, i felt, there never really was a need to write one. What with the ease and use of facebook, who needs a blog nowadays?

But i've come to realise, this is for me. And for those who read them still.
This is where my thoughts and my heart are laid bare. And it remains for keeps. Not overshadowed after a day or two by new and more recent news feeds.

Anyway, i got my 'mojo' back (sorry to borrow a line from you, Austin Powers).
I'm in the mood to write again.

Lately, i keep finding friends from high school on facebook. And it brings back sooo many memories of our younger years. Remember our slum book years? Questions we try to wittingly answer hoping our future would turn out to be so. Oh well, now i see these friends of mine, and it puts a big smile on my face how we all turned out to be. After more than 10years, its great to know we still look the same (well, some of us anyway). Ha ha!

But what i wanted to really talk about is the thing that's bugging me.

Assumptions and how it can make or break a man.

One makes assumptions without facts and believes it to be so. Therefore bringing in doubts and suspicions that causes one to distrust the other.

I see this all the time. In my family, this was the cause of my parent's distrust for one another. With some group of friends, it causes disunity and within a relationship, it breaks it apart.

Now, we all make assumptions. Whether in big or small ways, its our nature to do so. We assume, mom will not allow us to go out so we sneak out instead. Or we assume the baby is hungry so we overfeed him.
We make so many assumptions, in the end it burns us out from worrying and deep thinking. What if?!?

Some assumptions aren't further from the truth. Some could have some truth in it but without real honest facts, how can you be so sure?

I guess that's where honesty comes in. How can you go wrong if you don't wander from the truth? And how can you know the truth if you don't ask? Or speak what's on your mind so you can talk about it. There's nothing more honest than taking the route to humility. Admitting that you've made assumptions doesn't make you lesser of a man. Talking about your doubts opens up the other to see his/ her faults. What if you were wrong all along?

As for me, it all depends on how much you trust and love a person. I do believe any doubts and fears can be overcome with the confidence that God alone can give.

I'm just grateful that despite of my shortcomings and weaknesses, He remains.
His love does endure forever.

Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 13
Love never fails....And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (NIV)

Psalm 15
LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts..... He who does these things will never be shaken.

How to become rich

(Source: The Daily Bread)

I find it interesting that Jesus taught more about money than anything else. And He wasn’t trying to ratchet up the treasury. As far as we know, He never even asked for an offering. The reason He taught extensively on the subject is that nothing clogs our spiritual arteries more quickly than money—either working to have a lot of it or wishing that we had.

Think of the man who brazenly asked Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (Luke 12:13). Amazing! He had an opportunity to “go deep” with Jesus, but instead he wanted deep pockets.

Jesus responded with a stunning, counterintuitive statement: “Beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (v.15). He then went on to tell the parable of a rich man who was wildly successful from a worldly standpoint—having so many crops that he had to keep building bigger barns—but who, in God’s eyes, was actually a “fool.” Not because he was rich, but because he was not rich toward God.

You’ll hear a lot of advice about how to become rich. But only Jesus tells it to us straight. It’s not about the money. It’s about the richness of our relationship with Him and the joy of turning our greed into generosity. — Joe Stowell

The riches of this world are vain,
They vanish in a day;
But sweet the treasures of God’s love—
They never pass away. —Bosch

Learning how to be rich toward God yields eternal dividends.

Luke 12:13-21 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Rich Fool
13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

14Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Tell your story

I thought to put this on my blog to remind me and those who get to read this blog how important our testimonies are.

(Source: Our Daily Bread)
READ: Mark 5:1-20

An organizational consultant in New York says that his graduate students typically recall only 5 percent of the main ideas in a presentation of graphs and charts, while they generally remember half of the stories told in the same presentation. There is a growing consensus among communication experts about the power of the personal touch in relating an experience. While facts and figures often put listeners to sleep, an illustration from real life can motivate them to action. Author Annette Simmons says, “The missing ingredient in most failed communication is humanity.”

Mark 5:1-20 gives the dramatic account of Jesus setting a violent, self-destructive man free from the powerful demons that possessed him. When the restored man begged to stay with Jesus as He traveled, the Lord told him, “?‘Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.’ And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled” (vv.19-20).

Knowledge and eloquence are often overrated in the process of communicating the good news of Jesus Christ. Never underestimate the power of what God has done for you, and don’t be afraid to tell your story to others. — David C. McCasland

Take control of my words today,
May they tell of Your great love;
And may the story of Your grace
Turn some heart to You above. —Sees

Sharing the gospel is one person telling another good news.

Inspirational videos online

The following are some of my favourite videos online:

Paul Washer - the man who feared God



'Laminin' talk by Louie Giglio



"The Bridge"



'My Redeemer lives'

The greatest gift

The 'Ber' months have now arrived once more. Aside from the expected brrrr! cold weather, the month of good tidings and cheers, DECEMBER that is, is fast approaching. Yesterday, i was just strolling along Camden high street and went inside the Woolworths shop to look for a belated gift for my pastor's youngest daughter, Melbelle Rose when i heard something that made me smile. 'Chestnuts roasting on a open fire....' Ahhhh.. The warm fuzzy feeling.. Christmas, it's just around the corner.

While pondering the thought of the most awaited year end celebration, I remembered a song I wrote three years ago. It was November 2005 when it only took me an hour to finish two verses and a chorus of a song that I'd say is the best one i've ever written, I mean, the one God inspired me to write and sing about. It's called the THE GREATEST GIFT.. I know, so much and so many have already been written about Christmas that I would never compete or even claim to have composed a classic. For me, it just speaks so true of my heart, I'm just privileged to have been used for His purpose.

And just this week, while I was working, I was suddenly inspired to write a bridge for the song. It's taken me more than two years to make the addition but it was worth the wait. I was quite emotional when the words to the bridge were beginning to form. By the time i was singing the complete song, I was crying.

I give all the glory to God! For He alone deserves it. May it bless you just as it has blessed me!

THE GREATEST GIFT

Verse 1
A gift could bring a smile to someone's face
It brings surprise and warms the heart with joy
But once it's been unwrapped and been revealed
The moment's passed yet our lives go unchanged

Refrain
But/ So think about the One who gave away
The greatest gift someone could ever give to anyone
He had but one Son that He so loved
Yet chose to give Him up
So we could live and be redeemed
Back to Him

Chorus:
And so it came upon
A night like no other
Where a baby's to be born
On a lowly manger
To fulfill a destined promise
That's to redeem all of men
He was to be the perfect sacrifice
He is the greatest gift

Verse 2
What could drive a God so great and pure
To give so dear a person as His Son
For such a piece of nothing as a sinful man
It's because of love, it's because of love

(Repeat Refrain and Chorus)

Bridge:
Who am I?
That You promised to offer
The gift of life
That could last forever
It's so hard to believe
How much love You have shown me
On the cross where You suffered and died
Just to save me
There's nothing much I can give
This gift o Lord,
I receive

Thank God for the lemonade

I've been listening to Chris Rice lately and I am so loving his music and his songs...

If indeed life gave you lemons, thank God for the lemonade!




I love the part where it goes, "we're gonna need another straw. We're gonna need another straaaaaww.............."


So much for sad songs, eh!


Some of his songs i like:
- So much for sad songs
- Clumsy
- Pardon my dust
- Home tonight
- Spare an angel
- Cartoons

and many more...

Here I am to give

I thank God for the music and the words He has given me for this song.

HERE I AM TO GIVE
(Dec 28, 2007)

Here I am to give You glory
For all that You have done
Here I am to sing with gladness
the praises You deserve

Every song I sing
May it bless Your name
Every hand I raise
May it magnify You

So here I am to give
All to You my heart
To live for You forever
To give to You my everything
In all my days,
I will trust Your ways
For You are The Way, The Truth, The Life