BEST

Is God’s Work more important than having more people come join us? If not, why do we show that way? Why are we more obsessed with getting the things done than saving more people? Isn’t saving more souls the ultimate result of doing God’s Work?

0104, I’m sorry for always seeming so busy. I’m sorry for not being able to stop and discuss about how to make our study programme better for our kids. I’m sorry for not being able to let u catch me so that you can finally talk to me. I’m sorry for not being able play ‘big fish, small fish’ with you (actually, I’m not really sure how to play la... -..-). I’m sorry for not being able to answer ALL your questions (err.. some questions are best left for God to answer la..).

BUT!

Let our times in Church be as fulfilling as possible ok?? I totally agree with CL when she said that during weekends, she can’t wait to evolve into multiple ‘her’, so that she can do many, many things.

So youths, please don’t say that there is nothing for you to do in Charis. CHARIS LOVES A WILLING HEART; AND SO DOES GOD! As long as you are willing, you will never be short of things to do!

Clearing up the mess (doesn’t matter who made it), touching people’s lives and making that special difference, making sure that the elderly are seated at the most comfortable place (instead of our own butts already being there), getting people to pray with us for our new friends and upcoming activities, thinking through every single corner of our new Church building to see what we can do to make it even better… AND LOADS MORE!!!!



“For those who are willing to make an effort, great miracles and wonderful treasures are in store.” ~ Issac Bashevis Singer
Remember how we can 积宝在天? Here’s one way.

“There are many of us who are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.” ~ Dwight L. Moody
Are we willing to be the few who are willing to do little things for God?

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci
Having a willing heart is good; having actual help is better.

Youths! Be the best that we can ok?!!

Let your life bloom to its fullest for God.


Disclaimer: I still gotta do what I’ve gotta do la… so some games are best left for other times and some questions are best left for other times of the DAY. >.<

some thoughts amidst my busy everyday life..

hello proud members of 0104! it's been some time since i last posted something.. and this blog is becoming stagnant when everyone's been caught up in their everyday lives.. (let's see how long this post takes to be noticed)..

anws, im here to share some thoughts and afterthoughts! :D since June hols are ending.. ):

this whole June hol, i slept a lot, ate a lot, caught up with friends and studied a little.. but i was also able to finish a few books.. Eric & Leslie Ludy's "When God Writes Your Life Story" (courtesy of jj) and Max Lucado's "In the Eye of the Storm" (courtesy of lx).. and im currently reading "When God Writes Your Love Story", 2nd series of Eric n Leslie Ludy again.. it's really good!

yes yes.. also, for those of you who missed out on our TGY and our VALUABLE discussion with mu shi until 5am that morning.. i dontknow how to explain to you what you've missed!

to me, it wasnt a formal, big discussion, but it impacted me and strengthened my Faith, and i needed that, esp when im all living in a society that constantly tells me: "Wah Piang Eh! your religion abit lao pok sia! so many rules.. and so busy somemore!"

today in tq, when we sat together during cell group time.. we spent time talking about our 'rules' again.. how we should sit while listening, abt the importance of having pen and paper ready, abt BGR and the crazy things we get into when emotions get the better of us.. (you know, teenagers n their raging hormones. haha~) ww having to explain so much, it's really tough on her. thankyou, ww..

but i hope you caught the GIST of our discussion today.. no matter how many rules we set: abt giving 10% faithfully, abt BGR, not smsing n calling at night, not going out alone w e opp sex, even small things like how to give support when someone is talking, and to help with cleaning up..

i salute all of you for being willing to listen to e rules and ask questions.. shows that you're interested! wow.. and even better, obey the rules when other pple outside may say "HUH? cannot go out alone w the opp sex? r u living in year 2008 or not? this is singapore leh, not ancient chinaaaa.."

but people ah people!! im afraid that you guys will miss e point. (cause i missed it initially too! so here i write BIG BIG in red)
it all boils down to pleasing God with our actions! meaning, that we can set a hundred 'rules', and you can obey them all but at the same time feel that you are being forced to comply. (c'mon la, admit it!)

then that will be different from wanting to please God, and thus, be really, sincerely, truthfully listening to what the leaders say.

imagine 2 scenarios:
1. your parents just held a big party.. and they forced you to clean up the kitchen after that. the whole place is a mess! and the whole time you complained, saying "you're treating me like cinderella!", but you clean up anyways.. cause you were aware of the consequences if you dont. but the whole time you were asking "can i stop now? am i done yet?".. until your parents finally let you off the hook and you FLEE to your room to start the maple story appointment with a friend online.

2. your parents are out for the day. you're alone at home and the kitchen's in a mess but no one asked you to clean up. suddenly, you had an idea.. you started cleaning up the kitchen, wiping ALL the counters, mopped the floor, and did a thorough job (now that's really going e 2nd mile).. just for the sake of surprising your parents.. when they returned, they were indeed surprised and exclaimed "who did this? it's wonderful!".. do you feel the joy?

there's a big difference between the 2.. same thing leh. if you oblige by 0104's rules, understand that you do so, to please God.. not to make sure ww wun get any chance to scold you hor!

Guys, let's build our lives in God, not build God in our lives.. okay?

when you love God, really love Him, you will be able to say w David e psalmist, "I desire to do ur will, O my God" (Psalm 40:8) it will flow from within, not from rules we set.. (not that they're a bad thing la.. but you get my point)

if God is going to write your life story, He's going to need your pen.

Jesus said, "Daily you must trust me, surrendering everything, including the blood in your veins, and the breath in your lungs for me to do as i see fit. if you want to join up w me, you must let me lead." (luke 9:23, paraphrase in "When God Writes Your Love Story")

maybe we'll hesitate to pass God our pen.. cause that will mean not being able to do things our way, in our time. but if we really realise that God is The One who understands us more than we understand ourselves, and really knows what He's doing.. we'll be more than willing to pass him our pen. we'll pass him the pencils, the crayons, the markers too! (im still learning also.. we learn tgt la?)

look, we've all been through the playing-around-the-rules-but-still-obeying-them. it's tiring.. right? let's just focus on pleasing God with our actions for now. im sure he'll show 0104 the way to grow strong, tight, and right!

jiayou (:
(eh, if you've got the stamina to read until here, wa seh, you are good. tag in the board so i know! lol.. gd luck when sch reopens dears!)

love, char..

Give, love, grow... Today!

Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life's blood. But everyone has something to give.

GIVE TODAY.

Love is always open arms. If you close your arms about love you will find that you are left holding only yourself.

LOVE TODAY.

You know that children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers have meanings. --John J. Plomp

GROW TODAY.

It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give.
And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.
~Amanda McBrooom~

Start living today!

Native American Proverb

The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives.

Love one another, youths.

Apologise when you need to.

Thank and appreciate as much as you can.

Remember to pray for each other.

Send smses of encouragements.

Write a card with your heart.

Smile to the one beside you.

Allow others to cry on your shoulders.

Don't see what hasn't been done to you.

Think of what could have been done to others.

Don't drink up your own pond, 0104, Charis.
That's not wise.
Let's be wise...

Report from East Coast...

Those who didn't go, you'll be please to know that we've all enjoyed and reached home safe and sound. Was a humid day and although we wasted some time resting because the girls butts are complaining and the guys were saying of not able to have as many children... Blah. Excuses as you know us.

Everyone ready to move?! Gears and brakes checked?!

Haven't even started already blocking the traffic's way as usual. And taking out own sweet time to move off...
It's never easy to get 0104 started on the move. Our warming-up is long~
Our ZA. I did my part in advicing him to eat more and to wear heavy material's clothing to cover his bones. Now you have to do your part to buy him food and clothes! Hahaha...

ZY. The usual smile he generously shares all the time. To take this photo, he has to cycle super slowly and thus maintaining his balance was a difficult as maintaining his smile. Appreciate the effort -..-

Seriously he's more stable than he looked. He only fell a few times and flew once to the fence and got 2 cuts on his forehead. He's not as bad as I sound. He's more stable, really. So GIVE WAY!

This boy. Looks steady. But tell you a secret. Fell the most number of times. More importantly, caused most jam-ups and accidents within ourselves. We were thinking of banning him from the next trip. Before that, GIVE WAY!

This man. See until don't want to see. But someone we cannot have without.

I think this ah-pek can memorise SBS and SMRT guide in his lifetime. He's a walking directory! Guess everyone needs him too...

I had to shout to WW to take photos. As you guessed. She's always blocked.

For DQ, most of his photos are like this: Result of sliding specs.

And our own monkey-ways. As usual.

FINALLY after lots of paddling, we found a place too beautiful to miss. (EXCUSES. Cause we were plain tired.)


Nice throw of Frisbie!
That's of course a nice catch too!


Little girl: "?!? Swing is for boys this kind of age?!"

DQ: "See what see? Kor kor also can swing high high ok!"
"See! You can?! Na-nee-na-nee-bu-boo..."


After the cycle, the frisbie, the swings... We are tired.


But it surely was an adventurous and fun day for all!

Don't blame them, it was WJ's idea... And don't blame WJ also. All he needs is time to change.


Man, you just have to look at the backview to envy us. Backview frontview, all God's creations! (This is the only photo with Victor didi... Because he came later than us. But look at the way he stood, haha!)


It's always the same feeling being out together. Blissfully annoyed by all your nonsenses. What's new in 0104? It's the "Home Huui-Lingg" that never changes.

With Love,
CL :)

stop, lOOK, reflect..

our God never gives us less than what we need.

Know your Creator in the days of youth...

I love you. Sometimes I really would like to say this to you. But sometimes fear ate up the chance, lack of courage visited, or moments of anger brushed that thought of. But all these didn't had any value that last... Because, I love you.

Come to think of our 0203 and 0104, there are many things which you all did are amazing. How you all faithfully attend service and tq without having to call and how you all willing fulfill demanding requests made just because people would think youths have lots of free time. We shouldn't take all these efforts that you guys made for granted!

From time to time, you grow into more mature and thinking-alike with Jesus. From time to time, you start to understand the confusions in life. Nevertheless from time to time, you also find the higher purpose of living. That's growing up, and that's healthy!
From letting your leaders track your tithes and doing up styroforms wordings for services and weddings... Your energy to talk all night round, your strength to move the sound systems, your willingness to come few hours early for most of the events... WOW! So much efforts put in!

Although we always make mistakes, anger the adults and frighten our parents especially with our results, but at least we live a life truthful to ourselves. We are living a life of our own. However, as you grow, you may find life beyond your control in many more areas. And you'll find yourself struggling to balance what you want to do, what you should do and then comes up with something kind of balancing both.

That kind of life has more value, because you start to live for others more than for yourselves. Moreover, for Christ. But there's a good news to this kind of life! And the secret is... You can enjoy it! Yes, I'm saying you can enjoy the struggles and the troubles which comes along the way. Not that we will enjoy struggling or troubling, but these trials often bring about greater joy, peace and love to your life.

Find your position. Find your balance. Don't be upset if you're trying very hard but seems just not to get it right. Sometimes it's only the process you have to go through to make you a better and stronger person. Eagles carry their babies high up in the sky and throw them down. Their mothers look at them struggle, kick about and many a times in great frustrations. Before they reach the ground, their parent will be there to pick them up safely and carry them to heights to throw them down again.

Youth days are like that. It's the few throws you are facing now which will prepare you to soar higher than other birds. Don't worry, His hands will always be there to reach out for you before you crash to ground, He's in total control!

0204 and 0104 have been brave and I'm so proud of all of you. Sometimes whenever I have chance, I'll brag about how good our youth performance, unity and mature values are to other churches... Oh I really think many many many of us should learn from you guys in a lot of ways. Like, your sincerity, your courage and humbleness.

SO let's keep up the good work, and not let our guards down, because in time to come, YOU are the one answering YOUR life to God. Hopefully then it's not full of regrets but rewards! Share your weights around, let others dress your wounds.
THEN, love will...

grOW!

PS: I love you.