honeymoon with Jesus

will my honeymoon will Jesus come to pass, O Lord?
with all the unconfirmed timetables, will all work out?
we have all eternity to tell of the victories to Christ but only a sunset to win them.
patience, my dear girl.

is your all on the altar?

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Matthew 19.29

Have I forsaken all?

Am I singing lies in church when I sing

"I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy name"

Teach me how to number my days and apply my heart unto wisdom, O Lord.

tender loving care

receiving hugs and kisses from the children makes me look forward to work each day!

walk by faith and not by sight.

Trusting God

Trust the Lord with all my heart,

lean NOT to my own understanding,

in ALL my ways,

acknowledge HIM and

He will make my paths straight!

Happy Valentine's Day

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

– Romans 8:39-39

Calvary Love

If I myself dominate myself,

if my thoughts revolve around myself,

if I am so occupied with myself I rarely have "a heart at leisure from itself,"

then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I say, "Yes, I forgive, but I cannot forget,"

as though the God,

who twice a day washes all the sands on all the shores of all the world,

could not wash such memories from my mind,

then I know nothing of Calvary love.

Amy Carmichael

Good morning!

"I am sick so I cannot eat fruits today."

:)

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talk less and listen more!

bless others with my words.

Forgetting things that are behind and pressing on toward the upward call!

“Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment my moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, guidance, are given.
Fear not tomorrows, Child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, ‘DO THE NEXT THING.’
Do it immediately; do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His Hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing,
Leave all resultings, ‘DO THE NEXT THING.’”

--author unknown

"It is in the going forward that God will meet you." J.C. Ryle

Music and God

Dear Lord Jesus,

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You have ignited and rekindled an arousing interest in me for piano-playing again!

I dream of playing the piano as well as my piano teacher; the agility of the fingers, the smooth coordination of the mind and the syncopation of the fingers, the adrenaline rush from the excitement from the heart-.

Thank God for being the Creator of music!

I wonder how the Heavenly Orchestra will sound like.

The standing ovation, the seraphims and cherubims, the angels, the saints... it will be quite a spectacle!

Bravo it will be! ;)

This morning, I have been trying to...

(a quote by Pete Fleming, missionary to the Aucas, sums it up pretty succinctly.)

"in appreciation of beauty, mountains, music, poetry, knowledge, people, science- even the tang of an apple- God is there, to reflect the JOY of His presence in the believer who will realise God's purpose in ALL things."

"ALL things are yours... and ye are Christ's, and Christ's God!" 1 Corinthians 3.22-23

Isn't it so heartening to know that Christ has given us ALL things? :)

Missions is not the end of man, obedience is. :)

He will lead me- every step of the way.

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!

I have heard this from somewhere:

Time and distance may fade a small love, but it only makes a Great Love bigger.

How true!

Only a relationship anchored in Jesus Christ will be eternal.

There is a limit to human love,

but boundless and everlasting love in Christ!

music calms the soul

God is good!
my favourite hymns are being played on abidingradio right now! :) :) :)

My Heart in His Hands (Ann Judson) by Sharon James

She studied the Bible daily, using the works of Guise, Orton and Scott, and read Hopkins, Bellamy, Edwards, Doddridge and others, taking notes of Jonathan Edwards' work on Redemption. (p.29)

...he advised us to make resolutions, for the government of our daily conduct. I feel myself unable to keep any resolutions that I may make; but humbly relying on the grace of God for assistance, I will try. I do desire to live wholly devoted to God, and to have every sin in my heart entirely slain.

Resolutions:

1. when i first awake, solemnly devote myself to God, for the day.

2. read several passages of the Scripture, and then spend as long time in prayer, as circumstances permit.

3. Read 2 chapters of OT and 1 in the NT, and meditate thereon.

4. Attend to duties of my chamber.

5. If I have no needlework to do, read in some religious book.

6. at school, diligently attend to the duties before me, and let not one moment pass unimproved.

7. at noon, read a portion of Scripture, pray for the blessing of God, and spend the remainder of the intermission, in reading some improving or religious book.

8. In ALL my duties, be careful to maintain a humble dependence on divine assistance.

9. In the evening, if i attend a religious meeting, or any other place for instruction, before going, read a portion of Scripture.

If not, spend the evening in reading, and close the day as I began.

10. Resolve to strive against the first risings of discontentment, fretfulness and anger; to be meek, and humble, and patient; constantly to bear in mind, that I am in the presence of God; habitually LOOK UP to Him for deliverance from temptations; and in ALL cases, to do to others as I would have them do to me. (p.29and30)

... I felt very unqualified to have the charge of little and immortal souls; but the hope of doing them good, by endeavouring to impress their young and tender minds with divine truth, and the obligation I feel to try to be useful, have induced me to comply. I was enabled to open the school with prayer. Though the cross was very great, I felt constrained by a sense of duty to take it up... O may I have grace to be faithful, in instructing these little immortals, in such a way that is pleasing to my Heavenly Father. (p.31)

... He has my heart in His Hands, and when I am called to face danger, to pass through scenes of terror and distress, He can inspire me with fortitude, and enable me to trust in Him. Jesus is faithful; His promises are precious. (p. 37)

on slaves in the Isle of France,

But O, my dear sisters, how much more wretched is the spiritual than the temporal state of these slaves! They have none to tell them of their danger, none to lead them to the Savior who is equally the friend of the slave and the master. (p.61)

But I most sincerely hope that we shall be able to remain at Rangoon, among Burmans, a people who have never heard the sound of the Gospel, read, in their own language, of the love of Christ... We cannot expect to do much, in such a rough, uncultivated field; yet if we may be instrumental in removing some of the rubbish, and preparing the way for others, it will be a sufficient reward. (p.69)

Ann and Adoniram had no sense of God 'needing' them; in a real sense they believed that what happened to them was of secondary importance. A sovereign God could use them as long as He wanted and raise up others in their place. Their religion was God-centered, not man-centered.(p.203)

Near to the Heart of God

dear gracious Lord,

these present afflictions are not worthy as compared to the revelation of Your eternal glory when I see You face to face.

fearing for their souls which will perish in the lake of fire and brimstone.

thereafter, there will be life no more.

Lord, change their cold hearts and melt them with Thy Heavenly Love.

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“He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.” Isaiah 40:11

There is a place of quiet rest

Near to the Heart of God

A place where sin cannot molest

Near to the Heart of God

O Jesus, blest Redeemer

Sent from the Heart of God

Hold us who wait before Thee

Near to the Heart of God

There is a place of comfort sweet,

Near to the Heart of God

A place where we our Savior meet

Near to the Heart of God

There is a place of full release

Near to the Heart of God

A place where all is joy and peace

Near to the Heart of God.

Cleland B, McAfee

1866-1944

Story

Cleland B. McAfee is known for this one hymn. It is a “one-hit-wonder”. Mr. McAfee wrote the hymn Near to the Heart of God in 1903, after two daughters of his brother Howard died of diphtheria within 24 hours of each other. The choir of Park College went to Howard McAfee’s quarantined house and sang it outside the window to encourage the grieving family.

hymnpod

If you are reading this post, I covet your prayers for my family's salvation. Thank you!

Desires

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It is a safe thing to trust HIM

to fulfill the desires which He creates.

-Amy Carmichael

Thanksgivings

God is good!

Guess what?

By God's grace, He has granted me the endurance to stick to my Bible Reading Plan for the month of January and I have completed the book of Joshua (24 chapters!)

However, I would need to revise to recollect what I have learnt and most crucially, to apply the spiritual truths and see that the Lord is at work in my life today as He was in the lives of the Israelites back then.

I particularly love how the book of Joshua ended.

"...ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that NOT ONE thing hath failed ALL of the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you: ALL are come to pass unto you and NOT ONE THING hath failed thereof. Therefore it shall come to pass that as ALL GOOD THINGS are upon you which the LORD your God promised you..." Joshua 23.14-15

Echoing the Old Testament, God's faithfulness and promises are "yea" and "amen" in Christ Jesus in the New Testament as well. So long God is leading and writing the Script of my life, all things will come to pass.

"... your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt, and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season... NOW therefore FEAR the LORD and serve Him in SINCERITY and in TRUTH: and PUT AWAY the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve the LORD. And it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, CHOOSE you this day whom ye will serve... ye cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God..." Joshua 24. 7, 14,15 and 19

"NOW therefore put away, said He, the strange gods which are among you, and INCLINE YOUR HEART unto the LORD GOD of Israel" Joshua 24.23

God has given each a free will so we may choose. Serving the LORD and inclining my heart unto Him is a choice as well.

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Had a lovely meet-up with Sis Dolly after a year!

(Time is really ebbing away.)

We patronised the freshly-opened Clementi Mall and last evening marked our maiden trip to the shopping centre which opened in September last year.

Concluded the mall looks great- even better with the yummy food awaiting our stomachs!

After dinner, we had desserts at a Hong Kong Cafe on the basement level.

I LOVE DESSERTS....

especially those made-in-HK. ;)

The two bowls of paste were definitely a treat to our gastronomic juices.

ah bo lings in sesame paste

almond and sesame paste

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Dear Lord,

Life is fleeting on earth, help me to serve You in sincerity and in the light of Thy truth. Help me by Thy grace to put away the strange gods- tangible or intangible. "If any man serve Him (Christ), him will my Father honor." John 12.26. May you have the rightful place in my heart!