My life

I'm back here!

Simply because there's problem with MySpace... and I desperately need a room to share my thoughts. Even if nobody is reading this, I want to record this down for future reference, or rather, to serve as an encouragement for me in the future.

Life has changed tremendously since 3 months ago.

3 months ago, I'm not sure whether Hope is where I belong to; 3 months later, I've seen God's hand moving in my life. He has touched me times and again with His love and my spiritual growth is progressing well. I have settled down in this church and I have found a loving family to call myself part of it. I enjoy every single moment I spend with my friends in care group as well as in church. They brighten up my day and give me emotional support when I don't know where to turn to. They understand me and they keep me in prayer. We all care for each other and we accept each other. I'm so thankful God has given this care group to me as a gift. I am so blessed to be part of this family, and more importantly, I've found good friends here. We share the same beliefs, and we share the same sense of value. Although we come from great variety of backgrounds, we become united in Jesus.

Oceania Convention 2007 has certainly marked a significant milestone in my life. Growing up in a traditional church, pentecostal movement is something new to me. Speaking in tongue and lively praise and worship have never been parts of my life. But God assured me that it's okay for me to remain in this church. Softly and gently He spoke to me, my dear daughter, it may take time for you to fit in, but slowly and surely, you will adjust perfectly well in this church. This is a family I have given to you. Cherish it. I know God will carry me through those obstacles I'm going to face in the future. He's going to help me to break down the barriers in my heart. And He'll soften my heart so that I become less resistant to all these new doctrines and teaching in this apostalic church.

Sunday is often an exciting day for me. I'll wake up early in the morning, thanking God for a special day He has designated for us to rest. Sunday morning is always a happy morning. I can take my own time to prepare breakfast and dress up nicely for church. About 8.20 a.m. I'll wait for the pick-up at the car park of my hall (Richardson Hall). There is pre-service prayer at 9.00 a.m. and I always think I'm blessed to be there. Well, to some extent, it prepares my heart to worship God, and to have some expectations of God. I really thank God for having Christina as my buddy when it comes to prayer meeting. We always hold hand together and pray, and her hands are always warm. I'm glad God puts her in my life, and she is really a supportive friend! Later on, the 2-hour-service begins with praise and worship, testimony sharing and offering, followed by prayer and sermon, before it ends with song and prayers. Pastor Ian is a humble preacher and he is soft-spoken, yet a man of great faith and God-fearing heart. His godly wisdom and his tender love for God are written in his life - his speech and his action speak them all.

CDS - Christian Development School is another part of the church I benefit from. I enjoy the Bible teaching during this session. There are so much more for me to learn and it's a good thing Bible teaching is given great emphasis in this church. Discipleship is a strong element in this church and I love this idea! How good it is if all christians know Bible well enough to live according to God's will in their lives! How wonderful it is if every follower of Jesus knows the heart of God and listens to Him from His Word! And how sweet it is if God's Word is being treasured in a church with the whole congregation zealous for God's Word! I'm glad I choose to stay in this church. I love its mission and vision statement, because they speak my dream.

Mission of Hope Church, Waverly Centre:
To help fulfill the Great Commission by building strong biblical people to plant strong biblical churches in Melbourne, Australia and all over the world.

Vission statement:
Hope Melbourne Christian church, Waverly Centre brings the healing work of Jesus Christ to our community and is a place of refuge and restoration for all kinds of people. It also equips those belonging to the Waverly Centre in the healing ministry and in building strong biblical churches. Its most prominent characteristics are prayer, joy, unity, sincere love and the presence of people from many cultures.

I enjoy serving in this church as well =) I learn to cook for care group as well as for church lunch. It takes time, but it worths the effort, because I'm giving it to Jesus. Yesterday I cooked chicken and tauhu with Lester. It was my first time cooking this all by myself without Jessica. I had no confidence in myself and I didn't know what would it turn out to be like. I just prayed and asked God to give me wisdom to handle everything. It was hectic and chaotic to keep an eye on 3 pots of chicken at the same time. The kitchen was in a mess and the chicken was burnt! I felt bad for myself as we cleaned up the mess. The frying pan was spoilt. Lester's pot was damaged too. I told him I always believe that when we lose something, we will gain something at the same time. But I asked myself, what did I gain? I returned to the room, feeling tired and exhausted after the three-hour-cooking in the kitchen. My stomach wasn't feeling very well, so I took a rest first before I wrote my assignment for CDS.

Suddenly, I thought of the little boy in the story - Jesus fed the five thousand. There was a great crowd and the people were listening to Jesus eagerly. When the sky turned dark and people became hungry. But where to get food to feed these many people? A small boy gave Jesus his five SMALL barley loaves and two SMALL fish. His lunch box was meant for himself, and the amount was so insignificant, yet after Jesus gave thanks for the food, it multiplied and fed the five thousand with 12 baskets of leftovers. It was a miracle! I thought of myself as the little boy. I have nothing much to give to God. I am so insignificant. I do not have great cooking skill and what I can give is so little. Just like the little boy in the story, I want to Jesus the very best I can give. Even though it is just 3kg of chicken, I know Jesus will treasure it. It didn't taste really good, but God will bless it, and it is sufficient in Jesus' hand. With this, I thank God for reminding me of this story. A childhood bedtime story has become a comfort to a 20-year-old miserable girl who strives to give Jesus her very best.

------------------------------------------------------------

For the past week I've been dealing with some personal issue. There are many couples among my friends and I feel very bad about this. Not that I'm jealous of them, I really feel sorry for them. Maybe I am a bit too judgmental, or self-righteous, but I just can't help wondering why can't they wait for a year or so before they pair up. Could this be true love? But they are old enough to tell. I do not feel comfortable among them also. But my gracious Heavenly Father reminds me to love them the way He loves me, and accept them the way He accepts me. It is somewhat difficult for me to accept them but I'm learning to love them. Afterall, my capacity to love is limited, and I need God's help to love them. I am really sad for Christian friends who choose to find a BF/GF who is non-Christian. How could the believer and unbeliever bear the same yoke? I don't understand. Father, helps me not to question when I doubt. When my faith is shaken, remind me that You are faithful.. Indeed, the rainbow across the sky speaks of Your faithfulness from time to time. God has really been good to me. When I am down, He sends His angel to give me comfort. When I lose the sense of identity, He helps me to regain it by giving me His word. When I am lonely, He gives friends. He provides and He cares for even a tiny creature of His in this tiny spot on the Earth. Thank you Father =)

I've learned a great deal of things in the last 3 months. Thank you God, for taking control of my life. Indeed, it is my prayer that You take me deeper in Your love... that Your will be done in my life as it is in Heaven. I'm starting to believe that I can do something for You in this kingdom. Although I am just a little girl with big dreams, You never fail to show me You love me... Thanks!