GOODBYE

PLEASE NOTE.

Tropicana Ladies Cell has been transfered to a night family cell with immediate effect.

Our cell, CORNERSTONE, will officially start on 5th September 2007.

Our blog:

www.cornerstonesjourney.blogspot.com

Do visit and drop us a comment.

ANNA KOH

OUR LAST CELL PARTY

Ladies, thank you for the memories. Our last cell meeting was on the 15th August 2007. We ended it the way we started - with celebration!!

.

We celebrated Kelly and my birthday. It was bittersweet for me, well, you know why. Thanks everyone, for the cake, the present, the lunch - for everything.

Ladies, as Jacq said - in our hearts, TLC will always be OUR CELL!

.

Anna Koh

Thank you, God, for TLC

I decided I had to make an entry on this blog before the last official meeting of the Tropicana Ladies Cell on Wednesday. This cell holds a very special place in my heart indeed – so here’s my personal tribute to TLC.

After running away from God for a good 12 years, I made a decision to make my way back to Him again sometime in 2005 – after God, in His grace, mercy and love, patiently dealt with me to “take me from the ends of the earth and called me from its farthest corners” Isaiah 41:9. One of the first things that I knew I had to do was to find a church. Not knowing where to start, I asked God to help, but at the same time made some enquiries, thought about it, rationalised with myself …not knowing all the while that God had already found one for me.

I didn’t find SIB. SIB found me. The first time I heard about SIB was at a reunion lunch I had with 3 of my university study group friends, all of whom are Christians. I had not met up with them for years before that, and I still remember, at that luncheon at Souled Out, I started to make enquiries, and one of them mentioned SIB to me. This friend of mine, Chris, had been attending JIC for years. He told me how he met Pastor Chew when he was handling the sale and purchase of some property that involved SIB, and he was totally taken in by Pastor Chew’s dynamic personality. Pastor Chew invited Chris to visit SIB, and he did – and well, he has been there since.

After this incident, the name SIB seemed to invade my life. I cannot even remember how many times I was invited to visit this church – to the point where each time the name came up, I’d flinch – the words “not again!” would be the immediate reaction in my mind. Amongst the significant moments was when my little boy’s class teacher asked if I would consider sending him for Sunday school. Immediately I told her I really have been intending to, but was very worried about finding one where he would fit in – as his teacher, she and I knew that James had problems settling into new places then. And she told me that she could help because she served in her church, and would love to have James join her class, and thought that with her as his teacher, he would settle in much better. I was so relieved to hear that and was busy thanking God in my heart, and half lost her in the conversation … till she mentioned SIB. I nearly flipped. The “NOT AGAIN!” thought really resounded in my mind.

You’d think I’d be the first one to be in church next Sunday. No. That’s how slow to obey I was, drowning in worry and fear. Then weeks later, after being tormented by all my inner conflicts, I told myself – maybe I should find out if this SIB church has mid week activities like prayer meetings or something, so that I can “check it out” before I ask my husband and son to join me. And so I made up my mind to do just that – find out – but making up one’s mind is one thing, picking oneself up to actually do it is another. Trust me, I stopped at making up my mind.

But thankfully, God didn’t stop. A week later I made a sudden decision to take my mom and my son to lunch at Centre Point. I had never even been there for lunch before. For some reason, that afternoon, I suggested to my mom that we should try Centre Point. Little did I know that it was never my curiosity that led me there. It was nothing short of a divine appointment.

After lunch, my little boy wanted to play at the playground and I told him he could play for 5 minutes, while I went to pay parking fees at the autopay machine. When I got back to pick him up, he was talking to a lady sitting at the bench, and this lady looked up at me and smiled, and her first words to me were, “your son speaks really well!”. I smiled at her, and somehow we got talking while my son and hers played for a while. In that short 10 minutes, (I had to leave within 15 minutes of paying, so it really was 10 minutes!), we introduced ourselves and exchanged some pleasantries. Just as I was about to walk off with my son, she suddenly asked me if I wanted to join a ladies cell that met on Wednesday mornings – and when she mentioned that she was from SIB – I nearly fainted. Honest. And this time I said “Yes” without hesitation.

That was more than a year ago. The moment is fresh on my mind, like it was just yesterday. You see, God couldn’t wait for me to get off my lazy butt to do the finding out, He sent the cell leader out for me. Wow! Is that some invitation or not?

My previous experiences with cells were not the most pleasant. And I had never attended a ladies cell before. But yet, there was a great peace in my heart, and I was really looking forward to it. The following Wednesday I attended Tropicana Ladies Cell – and have been attending ever since. While they were wondering who this strange woman Anna had picked up from the streets (literally) – I knew deep in my heart that TLC was God sent for me.

I want to spend some time here to tell all the ladies I have met at the cell, how special each of them are to me. Anna, I will be ever grateful to you for allowing yourself to be used by God to find me. Thank you. Amy and Michelle – the core members at that time – thank you for welcoming me. Amy, your generous hospitality and warmth broke any ice I had in me. Mich – I will never forget all your words of encouragement during my early days and all your prayers for me.

And a little later, I joined the cell on a weekend excursion to Putrajaya, which turned out to be a trip I would never forget nor regret. I had never spent so much time with a group of ladies before this – and I had so much to learn from them. I was never much of a lady – have always wished I was more – and here, with me were a bunch of ladies whom I had so much to learn from!

To all of you ladies at TLC, then and now – you all represent the different characteristics that I had always wished I had and aspired to be. I hope you know that you have made a great impact in my life – I have learnt so much from you, each one of you – from your sharing and your openness. I could never thank you enough. And indeed, I hope, someday, I will be like you. And truly, you are God sent for me.

While we may be no longer an official ladies cell, I know that you will always be MY cell. In my heart. My time with you have been great – and nothing short of that. You, my friends, were God’s special way of welcoming me home. And, really, what a welcome!

I thank God for you. I really do. When I read Anna’s blog I couldn’t quite understand why she cried when blogging about closing TLC. Well, Anna, I do now, because as I am typing, my tears are flowing.

In closing, the only words that ring in my mind are :

Thank you, TLC. Thank you, God, for TLC. Thank you, God.

Jacq Chitty

LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST

Pic of Warren Buffet (not of Steven Chong)

Dear Friends,

Pls spare some time and read this , I do not agree with his views, as I personally believe that having money is not how much you have in your bank account, but how much you can spent to enrich your life's experience and ability to help those around you. Still, it's interesting to read the philosophy of this very very rich man.... There was a one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the second richest man who has donated $31 billion to charity.

Here are some very interesting aspects of his life:

1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him. 5. He never travels by private jet , although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO's only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
7. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to
make himself some pop corn and watch Television.
8. Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.

His advice to young people: "Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and Remember:

A. Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money.
B. Live your life as simple as you are.
C. Don't do what others say, just listen them, but do what you feel good.
D. Don't go on brand name; just wear those things in which u feel comfortable.
E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on them who really in need rather.
F. After all it's your life then why give chance to others to rule our life."

Steven Chong

THE SECRET

One day, one friend asked another,
"How is it that you are always so happy?
You have so much energy,
and you never seem to get down."

With her eyes smiling, she said,
"I know the Secret!"
"What secret is that?"
To which she replied,
"I'll tell you all about it,
but you have to promise to
share the Secret with others."
"The Secret is this:
I have learned there is little I can do
in my life that will make me truly happy.
I must depend on God to make
me happy and to meet my needs.
When a need arises in my life,
I have to trust God to supply
according to HIS riches.
I have learned most of the time
I don't need half of what I think I do.
He has never let me down.
Since I learned that 'Secret', I am happy."

The questioner's first thought was,
"That's too simple!"
But upon reflecting over her own life
she recalled how she thought a bigger house
would make her happy, but it didn't!
She thought a better paying job
would make her happy, but it hadn't.
When did she realize her greatest happiness?
Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren,
playing games, eating pizza or reading a story,
a simple gift from God.

Now you know it too!
We can't depend on people to make us happy.
Only GOD in His infinite wisdom can do that.
Trust HIM!
And now I pass the Secret on to you!
So once you get it, what will you do?

Sally Choong

When God rebukes

Just like a loving parent, God rebukes me every now and then, to wake me from my complacency. But through it all, His love and His mercy is evident – and yet, that is precisely what makes me more remorseful. However, He lovingly reminds me that His mercy is new every morning, and His grace is sufficient for me to pick myself up from the ground when I fall, to shake the dust off my clothes, and journey on. I write to share one of such encounter.

Rewind … Sunday, 8 July 2007. Pastor Lee Choo shared on the Season for Intensive Prayer. Amongst other things, she challenged parents to pray for their children – and for all to pray for the next generation. For if we do not, then we have no one to blame but ourselves, when trials and tribulations strike. Then, at our Wednesday cell meeting that followed, more study was done on prayer. The call was for ladies to pray for our children, for the younger generation, that they should be protected from the evil designs of the Devil. We were reminded that if we do not pray, there will come a time when it might be too late, for by then, “the hour has come.”

I heard, and I did nothing.

Forward … Friday, 13 July 2007. I received a call at 9.50 pm, informing me that my nephew had been detained by the police, with no clear indication of the charges, and no one knew exactly where he was. Family was frantic, in anguish. My sister in law merely asked that we pray along with them.

That night, with a heavy and troubled heart, I tried to pray. And as I was trying to pray, the Holy Spirit rebuked me, ever so gently, but struck me so deep that I felt immediate pain, remorse and guilt.

The truth was that some time back, when I first heard that my nephew was doing some work that had some linkage to some political party, I was very concerned and had several times voiced my fear that he was taking a huge risk and that there could be all kinds of consequences - arrest being one of them. The thought had always been on my mind, but apart from participating in small talk and voicing my concern, I did little else.

That night, I could hear God so clearly asking me – why did I not even bother to say a single prayer for my young nephew when the burden was in my heart? Why did I not ask God for covering, for protection, for wisdom, for discernment when I had the chance to? WHY WAIT TILL TRIALS STRIKE BEFORE WE ASK GOD FOR HELP? WHY WAIT TILL THE HOUR HAS COME? Everything that I had heard over the last week came flooding back to my mind.

I had no answer, no defence. Guilty as charged, God. Indeed, if I had been really concerned, I had a duty as an aunt, as a sister in Christ, to pray for him. Concern must come with responsibility. God doesn’t put burden in our hearts for us to make judgment, to make small talk. Burdens are placed in our hearts so that we can stand in the gap, intercede and be what Abraham was to Lot, his nephew, when he interceded and prayed for Lot’s safety in the midst of the evils of Sodom and Gomorrah. And I had failed.

But praise be to God. He is not a God of condemnation, far from it. He is a God of grace and mercy. Even when we fail, we are made righteous by His blood. And He is faithful. Hence, this day, when we are still in the midst of anxiety, I know I can still pray, and God will not hold my failure against me. I know He hears our prayers, and while I may not have the answers to everything, I know that He will be the source of our comfort, our strength and our deliverer.

To my dearest sister-in-law, brother-in-law, nephew and nieces – I can only say I am sorry I did not pray when the time was right. But I know I can still intercede for you – for though the hour has come, it is still not too late. God can still turn everything around for something good, if we persevere and have faith. For did God not agree not to destroy the whole city for the sake of ten, when Abraham persevered in prayer?

As a parent, I can only empathise with all parents who are in pain and anguish when their children go through suffering. No one can truly explain the pain and the sorrow of one who has to see one’s child suffer, for whatever the reason. And I will pray that in such times of difficulty, God will comfort all parents with His assurance – “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10)

My little boy of 5 said this to my husband and I on Saturday evening : “I know I have to be good, but when I grow up, I don’t know if I will be good or bad”. Oh, so much truth we see in that statement. It convicted us of our huge responsibility to pray for the younger generation so that they will always make the right choices in life.

And so, for all you young people out there – I pray that you will all grow with Godly wisdom and discernment to always know the good from the bad. And perhaps, more importantly, the courage and strength to always choose good, no matter what the consequence.

Jacq Chitty

DID I FIGHT FOR MY SON?

Yesterday my two sons and I went swimming.

The elder son, Justin, is four and a half years old. The younger one, Joshua, will turn three in three months time. Both of them don’t know how to swim but they can float around with their arm bands. Justin is quite confident and he can go around by himself without me stay close to him but he doesn’t know how to breath under water. Yesterday while I was taking Joshua swimming, Justin was playing at the stair of the swimming pool. We were about three meters away from Justin. Suddenly, there was one boy, about 5 years old walking passed by and he just pushed Justin fall into swimming pool. Thanks God that Justin was familiar with water. The water didn’t go into his nose and mouth but he was really shocked, scared and upset. He cried for sometime and kept saying ‘I don’t want that naughty boy push me’.

At that moment I was very angry with that boy. I don’t know who he is. I wanted to scold him and asked him to apologize to my son but I didn’t. At that moment, I think Justin need me to be with him and talk to him more than scolding that boy. I explained to him that in this world some people are good, some are not so. He has to learn to be cautious and careful. I told him that I was very proud of him that his skill in water improved. Water didn’t go into his mouth and nose at all. I was very sorry that I was not with him. And I asked him to forgive that boy even though he didn’t apologize to him. Surprised me that he said ‘YES’.

Some how I still think that I should have at least told that boy what he did is not right. Feel like I didn’t fight for my son.

What would you do if you were me?

Aey Hatchhanong

DOES MOM REALLY KNOW BEST?

MY GIRLS

Vanessa & Rachael

Read this article in a woman's mag and it made me wonder. Remember the advise our parents used to give us? It made almost perfect sense then but does it still apply in todays world? To be frank, I dont even agree with some of the advise, not even back then. Haha, ya, that's me all right.

I love and miss my parents so much, esp my Mom whom I never appreciated till I was at least 28. That'll be a story for another day. Hopefully, soon. =] Here were some of the advise i picked out from the magazine to which i added some of my own thoughts.

Mom : Dont date too many guys.
Me : I used to ignore that advise but SHE WAS RIGHT!!

Mom : Mind your reputation
Me : You do need to watch your reputation. However, as long as it's not illegal, immoral or hurt anyone, be confident of who you are.

Mom : Dont talk back.
Me : Be respectful, but please care enough to be able to give constructive comments and criticism. Imagine this scenario at the office. Boss : Any suggestions/comments? You : Duh...

Mom : Money isnt everything.
Me : True. You dont need the multi millionaire, that sports car or penthouse in Mont Kiara, but daughters, be willing to live by the means of the spouse you choose. The number one cause of quarrels in marriages has to do with the lack of money. I would instead stress the importance of the life style you choose and looking for a spouse who is responsible, hardworking and er, must have prospects lah. Try to stay away from dumb dumbs. (He He)

Mom: Find someone nice who can take care of you
Me : I've already emphasised the reality of money. Now here's the gem - a man who really loves you is priceless.

Mom : Eat properly, rest well and sleep enough
Me : Do it, eyebag removal very expensive.

Mom: Excercise so your butt wont grow to the size of a tent
Me : If it does, you wont find nice clothes - MNG and ZARA's biggest sizes are 12

Mom : Study Hard
Me : Dont wind up being the class geek. ( I must stress this one). Be an all rounder, socialise, be cool. Hey BUT get that degree.

Mom : Always respect your elders.
Me : Please do. Not just in words but deeds too.

Mom : Have children to continue the family legacy
Me : Only have children if you & your husband know you are ready and willing to give them your best effort.

Mom : Always look good (actually MY mom never told me this, it was always - SPEND LESS!)
Me : Yes, it is important to look good, even aft you are married. Take care of your appearance and countenance. Who wants to come home to a grouch who dresses like a bag lady.

Mom : Way to keep a marriage? Hey, the way to a man's heart is thru his stomach.
Me : A non-negotiable I pray you will keep is to only marry a man who has an intimate relationship with Jesus, just like you will.

Anything to add? Go post it in the comments.

Cheers!!


Anna

The Proposal

Dear Doc

I am not sure if it is the right thing to do to post such a long comment, so I will publish my response to you. I hope that is all right.

First of all, I think The Invitation was a beautiful piece of literary work. And I believe in all the virtues it exalted. But honestly, as I grow, I find it difficult to believe that it is possible to find someone as beautiful and as matured as it described, and if there is such a beautiful person, I am afraid she might be close to 100 at least … because all the traits therein are developed over time, and must be grown out of life’s experiences. If someone claims to have all those traits, I would be sceptical, and if you think you do, I’m sorry, I’m sceptical too.

More importantly, My personal belief is that, in looking for a “partner”, it is not about finding the “perfect” person as described. I believe the function of the partnership – or marriage – is the ability to live life together, and grow and mature together … to grow towards being all that you have described, together.

Therefore, for you, Doc, although I am a pessimist and am doubtful that you would find that perfect person, I believe you can find love. And my prayer is that you will find someone that you love enough for you to say the following words to, and, that she too, will be able to say the same to you.

God bless

Anonymous

The Proposal by a Life Believer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting in your heart's longing … and if you need the courage to do so, I want to be there to encourage you.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive … and if you fear risk, I want you to know that you need not fear, because I will be there for you.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain … and if you have, I want to be the one to help you come alive again, and see the beauty of love and life, even in the midst of sorrow.

I want to know if you can sit in pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it… and even if you think you can’t, I will be there to sit with you and hold your hand through it all.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tip of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human… and if you have any reservations, I want to be the one who will be able to free you.

It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul… and if you should fall, I want to believe that you deserve another chance, because I know we all do.

I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy… because I have faith in you, even when you lose faith in yourself.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty every day, and if you can source your life from God's presence… and if you have difficulty in doing so, I want to be your eyes, and stand in the gap for you to draw strength from God.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!" … and if you think you can’t, I want you to know that you can because I believe we can do it together.

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children… and when you feel that you can’t, I want you to know that you can depend on me to do it.

It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back… because you know I will do the same for you.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away… and if you don’t, I want to help you discover it.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments… and if you don’t, I want to help you find the love that you should have for yourself.

THE INVITATION

Hello All,

Requested my friends to submit interesting posts for this blog. Well, doc, thanks for your response. Fellow bloggers, please share your thoughts and comments. Here goes : -


Anna,

You once asked me what I'm looking for in a woman. Besides the standard Christian answer, which we all know and believe in, as well as the Proverbial woman/wife (Proverbs 31:10-30) who, Ps Lee Choo says, do not exist anymore in its entirety, I can't put it any better than these words of a Native American (Red Indian) elder:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Invitation By Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting in your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit in pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tip of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty every day, and if you can source your life from God's presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In case I am accused of double-standards, I would also want to be found to have these qualities for her to fall in love with me!

Doc

LEE CHOO'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Hey girls, finally, the photo's from Lee Choo Birthday party we celebrated at Flam's. Er, better late than never. Less said better ya.

Mug shot of those who 'ponteng' newlife to be at this party. hehehe
Chief culprit looking very pleased!!

(Hope Ps Chew doesnt read blogs)

Our sexy Jessie :-)

Birthday girl

Where's the food?

Our newest member in Christ - Wai Ling seated right upfront.

Our Angels

Suzanne & Pammy

Our Deserters!!

Wish all the members could have been there. We missed you!!!!!

Muaxs!!

Anna

PROUD OF OUR COOL YOUNG

( l-r : Tze Teng, Laura Ann, Me, Su Yan and Rach)

In the past 10 months, my journey has been most interesting. I have made quite a few young friends and I enjoy them tremendously. They are refreshing and I have learnt much from them. To name but a few of the treasures i found in them :-

• they are polite, most times more so than us adults (tsk, tsk)


• they speak their minds and express their opinions/feelings well
  
• they are multi talented
  
• they have great sense of fashion (super vain lah)
  
• they are adventurous


• they keep strange hours


• their lingo is quite cool (I'm still trying to learn it)


• they are more open to new ideas then we ever were


• they have great networking


• they are under tremendous pressure (peers, studies, work, family)


• some are totally spoilt
  
• they have more money than I do (how's that again?)

I could go on and on. What surprised me most is, I really enjoy their company. I enjoy their willingness to open up, their exuberance for life and their ability to speak up for what they believe in. Most of all, I envy their networking. What a great time to be young.

I must say, I am most proud of our SIB's youth. (yeah, so I am biased) I see great hope in them. They stand up for their faith in Christ, and yes, althou I sometimes see them struggle, yet, they keep their faith. Wow! How I wish I had friends like them to impact me in my youth.

It's never too late. Even as our youth now impact my children - they impact me too.

It's a beautiful world and we have a wonderful God.

Yahoo!!!!!

Anna

Putting what I learnt into practice ... 1st Step!

This shall go down as the first ever "blog" in my almost 39 years of life. Wow. Note the absence of the exclamation mark - that's how enthusiastic (or not) I am about blogging. If you are anything like me and think you have better things to do than to spend your time reading my thoughts - that's fine with me - I understand perfectly!!!

I will be honest. When our dear cell leader asked for posting on to the cell blog, I wasn't the most excited, to say the least. I have always had this prejudiced impression that blogging was more for those who really wanted to express themselves and, ultimately, had nothing else better to do with their time. I'm sorry, but that was how I felt.

So what am I doing, posting this? Am I a "blog" convert? No. But I believe there are good reasons behind my blogging, and you are welcome to challenge the "why" behind this "what" - and here they are.

We're a Team!
First and foremost, let me tell you that I have never been a loner. I love working in teams. Teamwork is something I enjoy, and find most rewarding. It was the feeling of being in a team, with a common purpose and shared values, that was the driving force behind my years in the corporate sector. I thrived on being a team player. And that, is what I miss most about my "past life".

I attended the recent IDMC and EdgeNet Conference in Church and it reminded me of all the importance, and fun of team work. I was reminded of my "past life" a great deal, and reminded of a lot of team work principles I used to not only practice, but preached throughout the corporation around the world. But more importantly, I learnt to see things from a new perspective - a more Godly perspective, I hope, and here's why I am blogging.

"Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43 : 18, 19

At the Conference, when my thoughts went back to my past, I was reminded of this scripture verse that God had planted in my heart a little while ago. I was reminded that I had to move on. And that was what I decided to do.

I am no longer part of that corporate team. I will not think, or compare my life now to my life then. God, in all His graciousness, heard my desperate cries and rescued me. That, is another story, perhaps for another time. And now, I have to learn to look for my new role in life.

I don't belong to any teams anymore, I thought. I am no leader in Church, and that was a Church leadership conference. But hey - I am a part of this Cell - and that, makes me part of a team, no matter how small. And I shall have to play my part as a team member, if I choose to stay in this team, for this season.

And as a team member, I need to honour my team members, and submit to authority. Not blind submission, but to support if I do not disagree with the "why" behind the "what" of this blog. And looking at the cell blog site - so far, postings have only been from the leader. Shame on me, I thought, what am I doing to support her efforts? Can I put personal opinion aside and submit to leadership - if I am not convicted of any wrongs in it?

The most important thing, to me, having attended days of conference, was to start acting on what I learn. So here it is. Active obedience, Pastor Edmund taught. Hence my contribution to the blog.

Humility
My return journey to God has been, to say the least, exciting - both in the up and in the down. But I have never appreciated God's words and God's teaching so much before. So much for being a long time Christian - it is only now, that I can really appreciate and savour the depth of His love and His teachings.

It is humbling. I used to think that God has been gracious in blessing me with certain gifts and talents, and I can use them to serve God. That may still be true, but it was humbling to learn that, in God's team, it's all about supernatural selection, and divine anointing and appointment. There is a great difference between leadership selection in God's Kingdom and in the world. I know that until and unless God chooses me for certain roles in His Kingdom - I am proud to be that team player, in any capacity. I may have been thought by some to be a great leader in my "past life", but in this new life, I have to live by supernatural standards, and look at things in a whole new perspective. Today, in God's Kingdom, I will start in whatever capacity I am put in. That, in itself, is a great honour.

I have many thoughts and lessons learnt from the last few days of conference, but I will start with these simple thoughts. Better few simple thoughts and acted on, than a whole load of stories without action.

Here's to you, my team. And while I struggle with the thought - "Who in the world would want to read my rantings? " The Holy Spirit said this to me (and I'm convinced He had said it with a smile!) - "Do you not think that even if only ONE soul has been ministered to or blessed with some of your thoughts, it is worth your time?"

I think it is. And I hope that there will be at least one of you will find something meaningful in this - and made it worth my while.

God bless.

Jacq Ong

PARENTS WISH

Received this website from a friend and althou i have viewed it before, this time it took new meaning for me. Suddenly something i could never understand abt "old folks" suddenly made complete sense, and ya ya, i know, it's cas i've become an old folk myself.

What did I understand? The last bit about "when we are old and decided we no longer wanna live, pls do not be angry. Someday you will understand" - I might change my mind tomorrow but today I can understand my mom better.

If i were to need more money than we had to spare to lenghten my life a short while and it's gonna put my family in debt or even just set them back for years, I know i will decide it was time i meet my God. After all, I have had a wonderful and fullfilling life. And what's best is, i will see my 'family' again. That's the beauty of knowing Jesus. :)

Pls go visit the website below and share your thoughts. (how to share thoughts ah, just click on the word comment on right corner and bingo.) Go try lah.

http://parentswish.com


Anna

MEOW EXPERIMENT

Was having a cosy chat with my Rach and she mentioned an interesting blog she read. So we decided to try it. I sent meow...meow.... (sms) and here are the response. (many serious/confused people simply went huh?)

-Celine - huh? meow what?
Gwen - yes pussy cat
Calvin - woof...woof...yes? still alive but your're not online
Catherine - yes my dear pussycat, how are you purring?
Megan - woof...woof?
Jenny Chua - yes, anything?
Kelly - hi(smiley)yes mea mea
Pammy - wow...wow (sounding like her huge dogs at home)
Joey - meow...meow...? since when u became a cat!!
Randolph - is it a cat looking 4 love n affection in this rainny wheather? (smiley)
Simon Yap - sorry, maybe i'm dense but meow meow? can speak england? He then calls and we have a great laugh.

Tony wong - Ha...(smiley) meow meow?
Jin May - ruff...ruff...hee...hee... later
JIn Iy - sorry dont understand your msg
Belinda - aiks! M i supposeto meow back or bark? haha. or..isit becoz u n rach miss me too much...haha
Sandy - :-p
Linda - r u sure u text to the right person? haha
Ps Andy Loh - err....meow? (smiley)
Amir - ???(smiley)
Jackie Teo - Helloooo...watcha doing?
Ps Lindy - Meow?
Tze Teng - r u meowing like rach? haha..is today happy cat's day?
Laura Ann - ruff..ruff.. haha is this rachael or miss anna playing the cat and dog game?hmmm
Bernard - (irate aft failing to get explaination from rach) wats with the meow lah?
Janice - i dont undersand the meow

aft explaining to some those who gave cool replys

Randolph - careful. Curiosity kills d cat. Meow...Me.....o,,,w,,,
Kelly - wah u r playing smtg is it?
Jin May - al rite...call me cool babe. So cutelah u. Dat made me smile
Linda - do u know meow meow is mau mau. mating time
Andy Loh - hahaha..i would like to know more abt this. sounds pretty interesting
Andy Loh - hahaha cool cool
Jackie Teo - actually my immediately response was woof woof but that wld mean that i shld hv bollocks, right?

Rec calls from Amy, David, Rod, Laura, Simon and many more (shared good laugh together) but the best came from Vince

Vince - (in sexy drawl) Hello Annaa
me - HI
Vince - Vince here
me - oh hellooo
Vince - you saw me isit?
me - no
Vince -eh, would hv been appropriate if you did
me - why
Vince - cas today i am wearing a very tight pair of pants, tight t-shirt and driving my new porshe
we both went - hahahaha

then again my dear friend Amy tried the same experiment on her friends and got this remarkable response

- Shoo!!

thanks everyone.

ANNA

THE BATHTUB TEST

It doesn't hurt to take a hard look at yourself from time to time, and this should help get you started.

During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked theDirector what the criterion was which defined whether or nota patient should be institutionalized.
"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then weoffer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient andask him or her to empty the bathtub"
"Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person woulduse the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull theplug. Do you want a bed near the window?"

*DID YOU PASS, OR DO YOU WANT THE BED NEXT TO MINE?*

HeHe cute joke.

Anna

Hey

Hey ladies! Welcome to TLC blogsite! =)

This is Rachael and I've started this blogsite specially for all of you . (forced by my mum actually.. hahah) Hope all of you can log in and share your testimonies, holidays, comments, interesting experieces that you wanna share... and not forgetting those photos! =)

Have fun!! Byeeeee