THINK before speaking

T Is it true?

H Is it helpful?

I Is it inspiring?

N Is it necessary?

K Is it kind?

Inspiration droplets...

Men stumble over the truth from time to time but most pick themselves up as if nothing had happened.
-Sir Winston Churchill

Rejuvenating moments

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. -Colossians 3:23-24

... I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. - 2 Timothy 1:6-7

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to another withour grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. - 1 Peter 4:7-11

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7

On Love

-Kahlil Gibran 1923

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep,
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.
Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.
When you love you should not say, 'God is in my heart,' but rather, 'I am in the heart of God.'
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night,
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Patience endures

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
-Ecclesiastes 7:8

Community

Humble beginnings

Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be. -Job 8:7

Simplify Your Faith

- Excerpt from Grace for the moment 2 by Max Lucado

There are some who position themselves between you and God. There are some who suggest the only way to get to God is through them. There is the great teacher who has the final word on Bible teaching. There is the father who must bless your acts. There is the spiritual master who will tell you what God wants you to do. Jesus’ message for complicated religion is to remove these middlemen. “You have only one Master, the Christ.”
He’s not saying that you don’t need teachers, elders or counselors. He is saying however, that we are all brothers and sisters and have equal access to the Father. Simplify your faith by seeking God for yourself. No confusing ceremonies necessary. No mysterious rituals required. No elaborate channels of command or levels of access.
You have a Bible? You can study. You have heart? You can pray. You have a mind? You can think.

Count Your Blessings

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Chorus:
Count your blessings name them one by one;
Count your blessings see what God hath done;
Count your blessings name them one by one;
Count your many blessings see what God hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessing ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings money cannot buy,
Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged God is over all;
Count your many blessings angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

Thank you, Lord

For the trials that come my way,
In that way I can grow each day,
As I let you lead;
And I thank you, Lord,
For the patience those trials bring,
In the process of growing
I can learn to care.

Chorus
But it goes against the way I am,
To put my human nature down
And let the Spirit take control of all I do,
'Cause when those trials come
My human nature shouts the thing to do,
And God's soft prompting,
can be easily ignored.

But I thank you Lord,
With each trial I feel inside
That Tou're there to help, lead and guide
Me away from wrong
'cos you promised, Lord,
That with every testing
That your way of escaping's easier to bear.

Yes I thank you, Lord.
For the vict'ry that growing brings
In surrender of everything,
Life is so worthwhile;

And I thank you, Lord,
That when everything's put in place,
Out in front I can see your face,
And it's there You belong.

Freely you have received, freely give...

I came across a reflection message, " The Gift of understanding" ! May God gives me this gift today as I ask of it so that I can give it to others too!

The Gift of Understanding

Sometimes, when we love someone, we feel we just can't give them enough. We may even do without things we need ourselves. I think most parents feel that way about their children. Love makes us generous.

But generosity is more than giving.

If anyone could have showered gifts on those he loves, it was Jesus Christ. But he didn't. He provided for their basic needs; he saw to it that they had shelter and enough to eat. He watched them counting coins when he could have filled their laps with riches.

Jesus gave something more precious and more lasting than gifts. He gave understanding. He knew how hard it is to live in this world. He felt what others felt and couldn't put into words. And out of understanding he gave what people truly need, such as forgiveness for Zacchaeus's guilt, hope for cynical woman at the well, recovery for a dying child.

The next time you want to give a gift to someone you love, don't worry about how much you can afford to spend or how big the present ought to be. Consider, instead, what generosity really means: understanding. That's something each of us can afford to give- all the time.

A sweet tune

In moments like this

I whisper a prayer

I whisper a prayer to Jesus

In moments like this

I lift up my voice

& sing out a Psalm to the Lord.

Singing I need you Lord

Singing I need you Lord

Singing I need you Lord

... I need you.

The winning frog

The deaf frog emerged as a winner among other frogs. It was not the one with the strongest muscles and it was not the youngest one as well. Its strongest asset lies in its deafness. (-,-"')!

Spirit

Romans 8:13 reads: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (NKJV)

I asked God for a verse and I was given this.

Definition of a university

A university is not just an object of pride and prestige, nor only an instrument for acquiring knowledge and skills, but also a home in which the human spirit can find freedom, and draw inspiration. - Lee Kong Chian

Smiles~*

I am staying in Raffles Hall this semester and I am thankful that God blesses me with friendly neighbours. Some nights when I have to be out for tuitions, they will help me to taobao food. I also like to hear from different people. I met someone named "Luvy" and I find the name special. Classes have started. I enjoyed the first lecture of Yesterday as the lecturer really prepared very well, even coming up with an opening speech. Oh, two of the modules that I have taken this semester, I will have my preceptor at NCC ( National Cancer Centre ) as my lecturer/tutor. Not sure whether it is good or bad. In God's eyes, I think it is GOOD. If not, He will not have brought me through. Thank God for all the friends and people in my life! Bless me in every work of my hands! May I have a divine touch at things. May God's protection surrounds me everyday! That's my wishlist this semester! May there also be world peace and peace in the hearts of everyone!! Yea~* =)

For Every Mountain

-Kurt Carr

I've got so much to thank God for
So many blessings and so many open doors
A brand new mercy
Along with each new day
That's why I praise You
For this I give You praise

For waking me up this morning
That's why I praise You
For starting me on my way
That's why I praise You
For letting me see the sunlight of a new brand day
A brand new mercy along with each new day
That's why I praise You
For this I give You praise

You're Jehovah Jireh
That's why I praise You
You've been my provider
That's why I praise You
So many times You met my need,
So many times You rescued me
That's why I praise You
I wanna thank You for the blessings
You give to me each day
That's why I praise You

For this I give You praise
For every mountain You brought me over
For every trial you've seen me through
For every blessing
Hallelujah, for this I give You praise

Day Twelve

Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. - Matthew 15:25-28

- I hold fast to God's Word with tenacity until my healing is manisfested. I refuse to give up, because I know that God's Word works!

Seven New Words I have learnt that will revolutionize our people skills.
1) PHENOMENOLOGY- see the other person's point of view. Practice listening to be sure you understand what the other person means.

2) ZEITGEIST- cooperate with the inevitable. Practice holding your tongue when you can't change things. Don't criticize a leopard's spots.

3) SERENDIPITY- look for the good; you will find it. Practice at least at first, looking for the good in people.

4) HEURISTIC- separate good from bad; find good in bad. Practice finding good, even in hopeless situations.

5) TELEOLOGY- plan for good in the future. Practice being optimistic about what is going to happen tomorrow, and take evil one day at a time.

6) SYNERGISTIC- work together and make things happen. Practice being a cooperative team player whenever you can.

7) ENTROPY- deal with your problems to get strength for others. Practice getting yourself together well before you attempt to heal others.

Day Eleven

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt mediate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. -Joshua 1:8

-I have planted God's Word in my heart, and that Word is life to me and health to all my flesh. Because I mediate on God's Word, I deal wisely in all affairs of life.

Words that speak to me

If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.
-Ecclesiastes 10:10

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17

God' s grace will not lead us to do things at the expense of our future. Servitude and morality go hand in hand as we give our best to our work. Secure people serve with the right focus. We thrive even in heat. We are people who can stand the heat of life.

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
-Jeremiah 17:7-8

I cannot help but read on...

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." - Jeremiah 17:9-10

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. -Proverbs 4:23.

There is only one person that knows our hearts and He is God. Not even my family understands me at times. Man looks at outward appearances, be it results or looks. I guess this is because those are tangible things that reflect a person. Man is afterall human being. God, however, looks at our hearts. He alone knows our deepest dreams, thoughts and feelings.

May joy and wisdom abound more and more in our lives! Yea~*=)

Day Ten

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. -1 Timothy 6:12

- I overcome every test, every trial, and every symptom with God's Word and the name of Jesus. I will not be discouraged, I will not fear, and I will not quit. I come out of every test stronger because I am growing in faith!

Happy National Day!

Bird's eye view from the 53rd storey of Swissotel! Fireworks. Cool wind. I chatted with people from France, Germany, Laos and Singapore. Different cultures- from the tranquil ones to the wild ones. Crowded. I cannot imagine I am just one person out of the multitude of people. A drop of water in the ocean. Amazing. =)

Day Nine

My brethen, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. - James 1:2-4

-My faith thrives in the midst of a trial. When symptoms come, i tell my body," You're healed because Jesus bore your sickness!" I'm not sick trying to get healed. I am the healed, and in Jesus' name the symptoms have to leave!

Days Seven & Eight

... and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. - Numbers 21:4

-Through the blood of Jesus, my Father has delivered me, protected me, provided for me, and healed me. Therefore, no matter what I face, I focus my spiritual eyes on my faithful God.

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.- Colossians 1:12

-I am free from sin and all its effects- from worry, anxiety, and fear; from sickness, disease, and pain. God's inheritance affects all areas of my life- spirit, soul, and body.

Further random thoughts:
- A person with strong character is able to
1) forgive
2) persist in trials with alacrity
3) overlook others' faults and
4) constantly brings out the best in self and others.
- Patience with others is Love, Patience with self is Hope, Patience with God is Faith.
May Love, Hope and Faith abound more and more in our lives! =)

Wow~*

Today I received dedication of words from some solid people. Just want to post it for sharing!

"It's a song of the heart
A race in the wind
A light in the dark
That's freedom

It's a measure of trust
When love is alive
It's tender and tough
That's freedom
It's all love is about
The opening up and letting it out
Let freedom ring"
- John Farnham, Singer

May I have the Courage to do things differently, Responsibility to face any consequences and Connection with I am experiencing! Somehow as much as I want myself to sink into a routine and lead a more organised life like that of others, I often find that I have difficulty with that. Maybe that's why I often delay decisions and commitments. The bible's recommendation of " Simply let your Yes be Yes and No be No or you'll be condemned." gives me a real headache. Another person has a different interpretation to that, that is, let your Real yes be yes and your Real no be no. Congruence perhaps It's kind of fun to explore with life and it's even better that there are people around to share life's best treasures- sweet memories- with. I think that the flower of wonders is slowly unfolding.

~ Precious words ~

He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend.
-Proverbs 22:11

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.
-Proverbs 22:15

May wisdom and self-discipline abound more and more in our lives! =)

Day Six

-Therefore I say unto you. What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.- Mark 11:24

-Today I make my point of contact with God. By faith I open the spillgate of His goodness, and His healing power flows into me as I believe I receive!