TJAME

I'm all alone on this road...

2010-06-17T04:36:00.005+08:00

I know I haven't been blogging for months... but yup just some updates and things to give thanks for...
The time when I was stuck in Germany... was really unpredictable as everything was unplanned. It's the 1st time that I start traveling alone and I was faced with such a situation. But thinking back, I really have to thank God for such divine arrangement as it prepares me for this 1 month of traveling alone again. I was reminded of this song by Third Day- Mountain of God during the time when I was stuck. And it is just so appropriate at that time.. Faith, Trust and Hope increased and I was very encouraged by the song:) And I truly believed that God is the One who's gone before me and He will help me carry on...

"Mountain Of God"- Third Day

Thought that I was all alone

Broken and afraid

But You were there with me

Yes, You were there with me

And I didn't even know

That I had lost my way

But You were there with me

Yes, You were there with me

'Til You opened up my eyes

I never knew

That I couldn't ever make it

Without You

Even though the journey's long

And I know the road is hard

Well, the One who's gone before me

He will help me carry on

After all that I've been through

Now I realize the truth

That I must go through the valley

To stand upon the mountain of God

As I travel on the road

That You have lead me down

You are here with me

Yes, You are here with me

I have need for nothing more

Oh, now that I have found

That You are here with me

Yes, You are here with me

I confess from time to time

I lose my way

But You are always there

To bring me back again

Sometimes I think of where it is I've come from

And the things I've left behind

But of all I've had, what I possessed

Nothing can quite compare

With what's in front of me

Homesick

2010-04-09T22:45:00.001+08:00

Here's something for us to think about...

2010-03-31T17:14:00.003+08:00

Christians cannot compartmentalize their lives into the secular and the sacred. All truth is God's truth, and anything done for Him whether "religious" or not is sacred.

-Crosswalk-

Lapland and Stockholm Trip (29th Jan-9th Feb 2010)

2010-03-25T23:48:00.011+08:00

As promised, I'm now going to write about my 1st exchange trip to Lapland and Sweden :)

AHhh... thats quite long ago :x It will be a long post, take your time to read :D

Ok... Here's how the journey begin...We started the trip quite badly. We are supposed to take the night train at 10:50pm to Rovaniemi, so by right, we are supposed to take the bus from our place at 9:15 BUT Su and I missed this bus and we had to take the next one, which is at 9:45. Ok... so we're thinking it's not that bad since our train is 1hr later. Sebas and Xin Ying reached the train station first and they boarded the train to put their luggage. When we reached the train station bus stop, it is 10:15pm. Sebas came to help us with our luggage while Xin Ying waited on the train. AND... here comes the "bad" part... He told us that the train actually leaves at 10:20pm! So the 3 of us carried our luggage and ran to the train station. We're running and panting so much that when we reached the platform, we saw the train LEAVING right in front of us! It was so drama, we ran after the train and Sebas almost shouted NOoooo... We had no choice but to inform the train inspector at the station and boarded the next train and poor Xin Ying was left on the 1st train ALONE.

(30 Jan 2010)

We arrived in Rovaniemi early in the morning at 9+am, met up with Xin Ying and proceed to our hostel. The hostel that we stayed in is quite nice, it is more like a cottage house and we had the whole apartment to ourselves :) We begin the first day by touring around Rovaniemi. As our hostel is quite far from the city centre and there wasn't any bus in sight, we decided to walk. This BEGINS the whole walking experience :\ So, we walked around 6km in the -20deg weather and snow to the city centre. 1st stop: We visited the James Marttini Knives Museum. We saw different types of knives used for different purposes like for cutting fish, meat, chopping wood and also the famous lynx knife used for holding boiling kettle.

2nd stop: We walked to the Arktikum, which is just beside. We waited outside to rest our legs while Sebas went in to visit the museum. Its 4pm+ and we didn't had any lunch so we proceed further to the city centre for dinner.

3rd stop: Coincidentally, we happened to see the Northern Most McDonald's!!! Ahh... so it's here! in Rovaniemi :) And we went in for dinner, the cheese burger tasted the same though.. Haha... and we also koppe ALOT of postcards! :D

4th stop: We decided to walk around still after dinner and we saw the racing event that was held there. After that, we went for grocery shopping for our next 2 days breakfast, lunch and dinner. We realised that the cab fares are quite reasonable so we took a cab back.

(31 Jan 2010)

We set off early in the morning to Santa Claus Village. How can I come Finland without visiting this place? Haha... We were all so excited but when we reached that place... but it was not that fantastic as what we imagined. There are a few cottage houses around the main santa claus house and all of these houses are souvenir shops. The only "happy/excited" part was to meet Santa. We went in, chatted with him for 10 mins, took a photo with him and he wanted us to sing him a Singaporean folk song... erm... like there are none. So he told us to come prepared next time when we visit him again. Haha... and I got my only souvenir from this place- a photo postcard that cost us 7euros each!
We went back to our hostel early, so we decided to build our 1st snow man! Haha... it's hard work... really! somewhat like building a sand castle and non of us had the experience of building a snow man. We tried a few times and different methods and alas! we finally built it up!... a rather short and cute one :)

(1 Feb 2010)
We took a bus early in the morning and crossed the border to Sweden. There wasn't any border formalities or checking of passports, we JUST CROSS, just like that!
And we took a bus ride to Kiruna, checked in the hostel and went for grocery shopping again. Kiruna is quite a small town and we decided to walk around even though that night was -30deg.

(2 Feb 2010)
We took the early morning train to Abisko. This the coldest of all places we visited! But thankfully, that week wasn't that cold :) We checked in at a dog camp hostel, which is just

opposite Abisko Ostra train station. As Abisko is much colder, we borrowed winter boots and jump suit from the hostel owner, then, we started walking and touring that place again. We walked 7km to the tourist information center and Abisko National Park in our heavy suit and boots (I think boots alone weighs 1kg!). Not to mention, in the -24deg cold :\ Finally, we reached that place, rested and had biscuits for lunch. Then, we continued on to see the Sami campsite. And, finally we walked back again to our hostel.
We had our dinner and rested. At night, we followed a group of 15 ppl out to watch the northern lights. It is best to see the lights at places where its dark and not affected by any light pollution. So, we took a 15mins walk out to the lake. We then waited patiently at the lake. Then, someone shouted "LOOK"... and we saw something... and it became stronger... finally... it formed an arc shape... it's just BEAUTIFUL! I'm not familiar with my camera's function so I tried very long and it still didn't work :( I decided to give up and to just enjoy the lights :) From an arc, it disperse out and form many small lights, all dancing in the night. Then came another round behind us and not before long, we saw many greenish yellowish lights dancing around us. Thank God for Your wonderful/beautiful/creative works! As we're going back the japs in our group shouted "aligato" and Sebas started singing "that tonight gonna be a good night, tonight gonna be a good good night..." LOL!

(3 Feb 2010)

After breakfast, we went for dog sledding. i miss dogs!!! hahaha... i really enjoy patting them, stroking them, talking to them :X Each of us had 4 dogs attached to the sled, after a brief lesson on how to dog sled, we begin our ride! Before the ride, we imagined it to be something relaxing, where we're pulled by the dogs, bringing us into the forest and the mountain alps. BUT... It turned out to be a nightmare! It was so scary! Yes! we did past through the forest, but it was an extremely rocky path filled with thickets and roots and we also sled up and down the mountain alps.. BUT at the super fast speed that my dogs are traveling, my sled overturned a few times and I was thrown out of the sled and I had to run after them. Thank GOD! I'm always thrown out into the pile of snow nearby and not on rocks or dog shit. A very tiring "ride" indeed. Everyone from the group got thrown out at least once! And luckily we opt for the 2hrs dog sled and not the 4hrs one... if not... really... almost died...
After a few hours of rest, we decided to try cross country skiing. Self taught! haha... i guess it's quite easy for me as I know how to roller blade and ice skate.. almost the same techniques involved. We went to the hill behind our hostel and practice on the ski slope. Then at night, we head out again to view the lights. This time, the germans in our group brought us up the mountain, hoping to see a better view of the lights...but.. they're wrong. There are more light pollution from the mountain and we can only see a faint view of the light. AND! I finally figured out why my camera doesn't work on the 1st night! So blur of me!!! I switch to Manual mode but I forgot to turn the side button of my dslr to MF. No wonder it doesn't allow me to take any pictures in the dark! =( Ok... now that It finally can "work" but the lights were too faint and it wasn't as nice as the 1st night.

(4 Feb 2010)
Since we have 1 extra day in Abisko and we didn't know what to do, we decided to travel more north to Narvik in Norway. We took the morning train and didn't pay for it... haha.. cause there wasn't any train inspector that morning! The train ride was nice as we passed by many mountains and rivers and tunnels. The view is just breathtaking! We arrived in Narvik one and a half hr later. It's a nice town with many houses built on mountains. We took a 2hr climb up the mountain to get a bird's eye view of the whole town. Beautiful. And on top of that, the weather is good. Although more north, it is not that cold at all!

Ahh!!!! dunno what happen to blospot! the rest that I've typed ALL DISAPPEAR! ARGH!!!

I'm too tired to write now... will write bout the rest next time :D

Counting my Blessings...

2010-02-16T17:08:00.007+08:00

This is the 2nd day of Chinese New Year 2010, I can't believe that I actually spent my CNY abroad, without my parents, family, relatives and friends. As my parents grew up in a big family, it is hard to see all our relatives often, so to us, other than Christmas, CNY is the next big thing. It is a time of "real reunion". Being in foreign land, I really do miss the festive celebration and new year spirit.

I had my reunion dinner at 成龙饭店. It is a mini gathering held by the chinese living in Tampere. Each of us paid 4euros for the dinner, there was also live telecast from 中国电视台. Dinner was ok… but still the new year mood was really not there. This year is really quite special as my family decided to spent new year in malaysia (my mum's hometown). From what I can recall, this is the 1st time that my family never spent their new year in Singapore! So I did not have the chance to wish my parents happy CNY. This year's 初一 happens to be a Sunday as well, so my friend's roommate, Johnson invited me for the chinese service. It is held in the same church that I goes to, but their service is only once a month. As it was CNY, so we had a special service. There was praise and worship, then Johnson shared and after service, we had 汤圆 and some snacks. There was also lucky draw, and I drew one of the "BIG" prize. I got a face towel and 0.20euros wrapped in a red paper that reads 四季发财. Haha... its kind of cute that I get to receive "red packet" here too :D

Then we had steamboat dinner for the night. We prepared so much food that we had to eat the leftovers for the next day's lunch... well... 4.50 euros per person is very worth it! What more, we get to eat ABALONES and BAKKWAS! (thanks mum <3)

A year has ACTUALLY passed, and indeed, I want to count my blessings. My Father in Heaven had provided me with much, He opened opportunities for me to exchange in Finland, He gave me joy and protected me during my trip, He gave me good grades that I can glorify His name. Most importantly, He is faithful to His promise. I remembered my prayers before coming to Finland, that I don't want to leave if His presence is not with me. He heard me and He found me a church that I can be in fellowship with believers and to be close to Him. Not only do I get to attend the main service, I attended home cells, music practices and now... hearing sermons in CHINESE and 赞美之泉 songs... all these are just so familiar to me :)

I really thank Him that His presence is INDEED with me and I pray that I will continue to shine His light, to glorify His name and be a blessing to many.

14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5: 14-15

My TWO-TWO (nd)!

2010-02-10T11:40:00.005+08:00

I shall blog more about my trip in another post... I really thank God for the trip, for the new experiences I've been through, for His mercy and protection and for setting me amazed and in awed of his wonderful creations:)

I went on my 1st exchange tour from the 29th Jan--9th Feb. Its not suppose to be a holiday actually and I have assignments to hand in during these 11days... thankfully I was able to finish the assignments before time and so.. I went. BUT I have an exam on 10th Feb (yesh! my birthday) and for this module... I can't really study cause it is a computer simulation module... that means... I need the software to practice! (which I don't have). I came back from the trip last night, was really tired and all (but still managed to finish uploading the photos... instead of studying:\) This morning, I woke up at 6am to prepare myself for the exam later and to do some practice in school... AND... I was greeted by ...

Thanks SU! I had a full breakfast (filled with warm wishes) and went to school. I went to the computer lab, still unsure of what to practice... so I just pick any one of the exercises and started doing. This is by far the most UNprepared of all my exams!... I went for my exam. I didn't know the exam is actually on one of the practice papers, there are a total of 6 qns and we're given a dice to throw and decide the qn each person will be doing. So, I threw the dice and... I GOT THE QN THAT I DID THIS MORNING!!! wow! and I completed the exam in 1/2hr... thank God all the birthday wishes is working!

When I went back, SU was already preparing my lunch (thank u again!). I had another full meal of fried bee hoon:) Then came ANOTHER surprise...

So I went out to do my laundry and SKYPE with Mummy until nearing dinner time... I went into the kitchen and was going to have my cereal (not pathetic... but seriously this has always been my craving for every meal since I came Finland)...AND came ANOTHER surprise! This time with my 2 other friends, they prepared dinner for me, it was another full meal... and I had an ice cream birthday cake :)

THANK U SU, SEBAS & XIN YING for all the effort in making this birthday such a memorable and special one in a place COLD and FAR AWAY from home :D

AND thank u LORD for the good grades! 100marks for this module! (I don't think I can

even get this grade in NUS) YEAH! one module down!

Everything that happened today seemed like a fairy tale, all the surprises, the lucky dice thrown, the good grades...and why do I say that? Cause my roommate is back to France and we didn't know when she'll return... BUT when the clock struck 12.33AM (exactly this time when I was blogging)... I heard someone opening the door... SHE IS BACK! hmm... I guess its back to normal.

BUT STILL, thank God for this SPECIAL DAY! :D

Thank U RCC!

2010-02-09T11:23:00.003+08:00

I really love this video alot! Very Touched!!!

To be like Joshua, fight on your knees.

2010-01-18T04:09:00.002+08:00

"...its only when we humble ourselves before Him in confession, supplication, worship and thanksgiving, that He moves in us and through us, to accomplish His will."

"...they found victory when they fought on their knees, and so too should we."

The Gospel Message

2010-01-11T04:29:00.002+08:00

Dear friends... go and watch...

My 1st service in Tampere

2010-01-11T02:36:00.005+08:00

In my earlier posts, I wrote about finding churches in Tampere, Finland. I'm pleased to announce that I attended Tampere Pentecostal Church this evening. Their structure of service is somewhat like RCC, and being a pentecostal church, there is praise n worship, clapping and speaking in tongues. They start off with a short word of exhortation and prayer, then praise and worship, collection of offering, then a 10mins testimony/exhortation/word of prophesy from anyone, then pastor shared and finally a coffee fellowship.

Sermon: The beginning of beginnings- Genesis 1, 2

Brought us back to the beginning, to understand the fundamental of our identity- All that God had created, He saw that it was GOOD. God's nature is to create something that is GOOD, and He is by nature GOOD. We're created in God's image, thus, we ought to reflect His GOODNESS, His creative nature, His responsible nature to take care of HIs creation and to be a blessing around.

One brother shared something that struck me..."If you feel that you've not been receiving, it is probably that you've not been praying for the church leadership" How true... the importance of praying for leaders in church so that they'll receive from God and to impart and build up lives of believers.

It was good and I felt the warmth and friendliness of brothers and sisters there:)

And...I learnt a new song: Grace flows down

From the land of Finns...

2010-01-10T04:18:00.004+08:00

Moi!

Thank you everyone for your constant prayers, I've safely arrived and settled down in Finland...BUT I'm still trying to get used to the cold. According to the Finns, it is usually -5 to -10 degrees here but it is exceptionally cold this year, everyday temperature varies from -17 to -25 degrees...and the coldest month has yet to arrive =X. Very little sunlight here.. sun rise at 9am and set by 4pm..thus, making me feel sleepy before 10pm. Finns avoid hand shakes and their way of greeting ppl is just a nod (sounds snobbish? ..no la..I've met a few Finns and they're actually quite nice ppl:)) Students here are very active in the various activities, and they have a very strong sense of identity for their clubs and school= the teekkari culture. The Finns love saunas..just below my block, there are 2 sauna rooms. Most of their sweets contain licorice and salt (yucks to me... so i've been eating more chocolates than usual:p) And...of course, many more Finnish life to be experienced here!

My french roommate arrived yesterday...and her standard of cleanliness is very utterly HIGH. According to my friend, she came back aft midnight.. and was cleaning the kitchen, her room, the cabinets, the bathroom, and making lots of noise (..i slept like a dead log and didnt hear anything). Then today, my friend helped to wash the sink area, but when she came back..she started rewashing that area again! And...I was being "kindly reminded" by her to mop DRY the bathroom after using...its the bathroom! it'll be wet after bathing!...argh!! And MANY incidents that I don't wish to say.

Feeling quite upset..trying to be nice, smiled, talked abit.. but now.. i'll just try to avoid her.. she looked fierce when angered :'(

I miss Radianite fellowship and "zim"... I miss home...

Heavy-Hearted Me

2009-12-27T02:16:00.006+08:00

I'm finally done with packing...

This song speaks of my feelings right now. I really dont want to go...

Probably its my own stubbornness that I've chosen this, but now, I do regret making this decision. I know 2010 will be an exciting year for RCC, I believe it'll be a time of growth in numbers and in each individual's spiritual walk with God. I don't want to miss this, I want to run this race with them, I want to witness this growth. I might join home church there, but the feeling is not the same.

I dont know what it'll be like in Finland, distractions may be great. But, I pray that God's presence will be so real to me everyday and I'll discipline myself and stay focus on His words.

"I never want to go somewhere, if I know that You're not there..."

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-24T12:00:00.004+08:00

Season greetings from the Tan family :)

[:

2009-12-03T23:47:00.002+08:00

YIPPIE! EXAMS R OVER!

Thank God for His hands of protection during this exam period.

A really distracted semester but I know He is with me... His promises are real and I have Hope in Him (:

大提琴的獨白

2009-10-17T06:57:00.006+08:00

“我就求神把他的眼睛放在我里面，让我用神的眼睛来看待我的孩子，那神真的做了。”

“德弗乍克的第九新世界，还有那个贝托芬的命运，甚至贝托芬的第九，那个快乐颂，整个后面，你会觉得很震撼。但是却在进到教会这几年，才这几年当中，会让你流眼泪，那个音乐真深直到你心里面，却是在诗歌。我可以很直接讲说，在这诗歌里面，真的是有生命。”

大提琴的獨白

（他的见证）

"一對郎才女貌的音樂家夫婦、人人稱羨的富裕生活，林照程、蕭雅雯兩人從小時候開始乃至結婚，身邊總是充滿了許多人的稱許聲，幸運之神也似乎總是眷顧著他們。原以為兩個優秀音樂家的結合能培育出最出色的子女，然而隨著大女兒的出生，一切的美夢都開始破碎了……

　　大提琴家林照程及鋼琴家蕭雅雯同樣畢業於台灣師大音樂系，兩人是學校的風雲人物，亦是出了名的金童玉女。結婚後，兩人成功地經營了自己的音樂事業，婚後不久，就住進豪宅，成為別人眼中欽羨的對象。
　　但大女兒的出生，打亂了他們原定的計劃，生活、事業都面對重大的考驗。大女兒詠晶出生四個多月後，蕭雅雯發現她的各項成長發展似乎都不及一般同齡的孩子，醫生檢查結果證實詠晶是個遲緩兒，將一輩子需要別人打理生活，這樣的惡耗讓兩人當場崩潰。

　　為了能夠改善大女兒詠晶的情況，他們用盡所有心力找最好的醫療復健機構，甚至不惜放棄在台南經營的事業北上，只為了台北更為充足的醫療資源。在這個時候，蕭雅雯發現又懷了二女兒，有了第一次的經驗，夫婦兩人找遍所有相關的權威醫師做產檢，所有醫師都向他們保證二女兒一定健康，兩人才安心的生下二女兒逸華。但沒想到在萬般保證下，二女兒居然還是遲緩兒。

　　由於醫學無法解釋他們生下遲緩兒的原因，林照程、蕭雅雯於是開始相信神鬼之說，四處求神問卜，甚至有人告訴他們，兩個孩子之所以如此是因為他們從事音樂事業而引起。為了孩子，夫婦倆決心轉業投資直銷事業，結果孩子不僅毫無起色，生意的失敗也使夫婦倆的生活一落千丈，甚至背負八百萬元港幣的債務。

　　一面照顧兩個遲緩兒，一面償還龐大的債務，四處借錢的結果讓林照程失去所有的朋友。萬念俱灰之下，林照程開始心生帶著孩子自殺的念頭，就在走投無路時，林照程向師大的老師聶中興及師母賴念華開口借錢，而兩個老師為了幫助他們，遂以借錢為交換條件，邀請他們到教會。只懷著借錢心態的他，走進教會，聽到信徒唱詩歌，就非常羡慕。牧師說，「天父愛你」，他不為所動。當信徒唱出「將憂愁卸給祂，祂顧念你」的詩歌時，他很自然地閉上眼睛，投入音樂的旋律中。突然，他聽見一個聲音說：「孩子，我等了你很久。」他立即睜開眼，但四周不見有人，他再閉上眼睛，等了一會，他再次聽見這個聲音。這次他想起小時候曾舉手決志信耶穌的情形；他雖忘記這事，但上帝卻沒有忘記，現在祂再發出呼喚，是愛的呼喚。回想這幾年來為了女兒，不停地疲於奔命，用盡了所有的方法也醫不好女兒，自己感到已經再走不下去了……就這樣，他將一切憂愁卸了給上帝，當他這樣回應上帝時，他突感全身輕鬆，一向堅強的他竟當場在眾人面前哭了起來，哭是因為他有了倚靠。

　　投入教會一年多後，在婦產科醫師告知蕭雅雯子宮嚴重後傾，很難再度懷孕的多重限制下，林家居然又有了第三個女兒，是完全健康的，「這是神蹟」雅雯指著眾前的小寶寶，臉上綻開歡顏。

　　有了信仰的力量及教友的協助，他倆夫婦逐漸走出陰霾，坦然面對兩個孩子的缺陷，現在他們希望將自己的經驗與他人分享，所以成立「天使心家族」，要與所有遲緩兒的家庭一起攜手共度。"

The greatest love song ever!

2009-10-16T05:32:00.003+08:00

Another beautiful chinese song... indeed, how amazing is our Lord's love for us.

This is the greatest love song I've heard. Nothing, nothing, indeed nothing! can be compared to God's love for us. Dear friends, what are you waiting for... come and know this God, He loves you and is able to satisfy your deepest desire with His love.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35,37-39

恩典之路

2009-10-15T20:02:00.004+08:00

What a beautiful song... ...

你是我的主.引我走正義路.

高山或低谷.都是你在保護.

永遠不變的應許.這一生都是

萬人中唯獨.你愛我認識我.

永遠不變的應許.這一生都是祝福.

一步又一步.這是恩典之路.

你愛.你手.將我緊緊抓住.

一步又一步.這是盼望之路.

你愛.你手.牽引我走這人生路

DUOLOS

2009-10-12T01:16:00.006+08:00

Doulos was purchased in 1977 by GBA Ships e.V. (previously known as Good Books for All), a private, non-profit, charitable organisation registered in Germany.Over 20 million visitors have been welcomed on board for tours, programmes and visits to the floating book fair. With stops in over 500 ports of call, this unique ship has visited more than 100 countries in including Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and many island nations.Doulos is recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest active ocean-going passenger ship.

The Doulos community lives and works together on board as a practical outworking of their service for God. Each individual has a personal, living faith in God, stemming from a restored relationship with Him, bringing hope, meaning and focus to his or her life. The ship community desires to share this message of hope in a restored relationship with God in the ports visited. This is done with greatest respect for and sensitivity towards the culture of the community hosting the ship.

My parents and I were honored to have visited Duolos, The World’s Oldest Ocean Going Passenger Ship. It is currently parked at VivoCity, The Promenade, from 8 – 12 Oct 2009, 10am – 10pm. Here is their official website: http://www.doulos.org/

And I bought a lot of books! (don't know when I'll finish reading them :/), but I believe they'll be useful to me. =) Ps Bill shared today that, in order to lead a celebrated life, we'll first need to feed our spiritual being. Yesh! I'm now prepared to be fed! And if any of you wants some books to read, do ask me :)

I smell GOOD ~ ~ ~

2009-10-06T16:52:00.003+08:00

Isn't he adorable?

Tampere! Here I come!!!

2009-09-25T05:32:00.013+08:00

Updates!

- I had a good 4.5km run this morning =0) (Track song: Now that you're near by Jason Morant)

- Tampere University of Technology (TUT), Finland replied me, but they'll only send me the package in Nov n I'm going in Dec :/ Meanwhile, hmm.. should I book air tickets? apply hostel?

- I was google-ing for churches in Finland. And I found this church in Tampere- Tampereen Helluntaiseurakunta (Tampere Pentecostal Church) http://tampere.helluntaisrk.net/?sid=237

I was surprised to find that Finland not only has a majority Christian population, they also have a majority of Christians who are actively serving the Lord in different aspects and actively praying for the lost.

Check out their website! I'm simply blessed to know that there are many brothers and sisters in Christ out there who are so passionate for our Lord =D

The Master is our refuge

2009-09-19T21:03:00.004+08:00

Throughout these years that I've been taking care of TJ, I realised that he has only one fear- thunder storm. Every time there is a storm, TJ would be afraid and bark endlessly until I go to him, to give him a pat and a stroke to calm him down, then he would feel secure. Because he knows that I'm his master and I love him, and he trusts me. Whatever his fears, if I'm there, he will feel safer. Hmm..I guess I still have a lot to learn from this boy...

Last week has been a really hectic week, school work is piling up and on top of that, I still to work every night for my dad (actually Thank God for the providence), and I feel so helpless in brother's situation. I became tired, tired physically, emotionally and mentally. I reached for my Master, for his presence and His strength, I reached for His words in the midst of my storm. Unlike TJ, who can see and touch me, I can't see or touch my Lord. I can't always feel His presence. But God is still faithful, through my reading of His words, he is constantly assuring me that He is my rock, my fortress and my strong tower. Through the many sermons that was spoken these few weeks, He wants me to put my security in Him and to find joy running this race along with Him. Indeed, with a God like that, I don't have to fear. I must trust in Him!

Trust & Obey

2009-09-12T08:32:00.001+08:00

As Christians, our lives are a constant struggle between our will and the will of God. The circumstances of God's will are often strange and enigmatic, sometimes they don't even make sense. However, His will is being worked out even in ways we cannot see or understand. When we relinquish control of our lives and yield to God's will, then love, joy and peace will characterise our lives. I was blessed by this old hymn- Trust and Obey, we must: "Trust and obey, for there´s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,

Even from everlasting to everlasting,

You are God. . . .

Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,

That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!

(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)

I'm Singing

2009-07-24T00:17:00.006+08:00

No matter what circumstances we are in, lets keep singing to the Lord...

"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." ~Matthew 24:12-13

I Saw What I Saw ~ Sara Groves

2009-07-14T13:06:00.002+08:00

I pray that God will give me the courage to do what I'm convicted of...

The Birthday Boy!

2009-06-26T00:17:00.004+08:00

The Birthday Boy...

TJ will be celebrating his 10th birthday soon (70 human yrs...oh no...he is so old). I used to tell my friends that he is my younger brother, now he is my older brother! even older than my dad!! haha....
Hmm...What should I get him?

Terry MacAlmon- My God And King

2009-06-18T00:04:00.005+08:00

Terry MacAlmon- My God And King

A very nice song that speaks to my heart =)

My God and King To You alone I sing You're the face I seek For all eternity

You'd be my dream come true Just to be with You

How I'd see brand new With eyes for only You

My God and King Through the storm I sing

Covered by Your wing This song of love I bring

You are my dream come true Just to be with You

Now I see brand new With eyes for only You

S.O.Bs (State of Bliss)

2009-06-08T23:59:00.001+08:00

S.O.B sssssss

(State of Bliss)

Interview with Rick Warren by Paul Bradshaw

2009-06-05T14:08:00.004+08:00

Interview with Rick Warren by Paul Bradshaw

I found the following rather inspiring. In an interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond, In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body - but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillion of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act, the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life: The goal is to grow in character, In Christ-likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you got to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believ'e that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."

But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people...You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instanfly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before.I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for you to own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence.

He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan - to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better...God didn't put me on earth just to fulfil a to-do list.

He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Forgiveness

2009-06-04T23:58:00.002+08:00

I have trusted in Your mercy;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,Because He has dealt bountifully with me

(Psalm 13:5-6)

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart,

All you who hope in the Lord

(Psalm 31:24)

A season for everything

2009-06-01T01:03:00.005+08:00

There is a season for everything

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT) “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Romans 5:1-5 "Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God's glory! We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance brings God's approval, and his approval creates hope. This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us. "

Christ is our hope and he is also the restorer of lost hope. Sometimes circumstances can discourage us, but like what e bible says: His purpose in troubles is to produce good character in us, which will result in hope, not disappointment. God is still the same God yesterday, today and forever. What God has called me to be, what He has called me to do, even if I face tough times, or when I don't feel like singing to Him, I have to realise that it is only A SEASON and God is definitely BIGGER than everything we are facing. I will not let satan take on any single glory from my weakness, instead, I will trust in God's power that is made perfect in my weakness.

"Dear Heavenly Daddy, I need You Lord. Life is tough and seems overwhelming at times. I pray that I will not be swallowed up by negative circumstances and I entrust my future into Your hands. I believe that You have gone before me and are protecting and caring for me right now. I pray that You will give me the faith, knowledge and wisdom to move forward into a life that You desire for me to have. Even in tough times, let me hold on to the faith that you have given me to forget what lies behind and straining towards the goal. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship

I'll bring praise

I'll rejoice & declare

No weapons formed against me shall remain

God is my Victory! Amen.

(abstracted from Hillsong- desert song)

TGIH~~ Thank God its holidayz!!!

2009-05-08T21:54:00.008+08:00

TGIH~~ Thank God its holidayz!!!

Yes, new phase of life, new goals, new blogskin! This sem has been a roller coaster ride for me but I thank God for his protection, guidance and peace the last few months=)

First of...Ha..I'm 21! Thank God for choosing me, accompanying me, overseeing me, disciplining me, moulding me, growing me and blessing me the past 21 yrs and I believe He'll continue to do that for the years to come. Secondly, thank God for the trebuchet competition, although we came in fourth, it's a great experience still. Thirdly, thank God for my successful application for the exchange program. I'm going to Finland! It is a country that I really want to visit, hmm... I guessed I'm partly influenced by my mum because she kept saying that the pioneers who started zion (her previous church) are finnish missionaries. N..yes! I'm already looking out for the church there..hehe. Lastly, thank God for my internship. He has opened doors and opportunities for me which are better than what I expect or could imagine. Cheerios!!! for my dear heavenly daddy...He'll always be there for us=0)

Apart from the many blessings, I also experienced moments of sadness and helplessness. 1 month ago, my uncle (mum's side) suddenly passed away. It was a shock to the family because he was usually very fit and was still young , and just last year, around the same month, my cousin passed away. So it was a double shock. Then 2 days ago, I heard from my friend that one of our first 3 months JC classmate got into a motor accident and passed away. Although I don't know him well, we were classmates once and it saddens me to know of his death. Indeed, life is so unpredictable. I am a complete stranger and have no relations with most people in this world, but it breaks my heart to know that they are living life aimlessly, seeking for their purpose and motive in society, and whats worst...to die without knowing the true God. I thank God for this burden to know that mission is His heartbeat, and I would want to obey it by being a part of His mission work.

"Dear heavenly daddy, my heart overflows with gratitude for the many miracles and blessings You've done in my life. But I want to thank you now for the greatest miracle of all- my eternal salvation. Lord, continue to empower me, anoit me, guide me and use me for your kingdom's purpose. I want to be your light that shines so that people will know that I'm your disciple and to glorify your name. The flame that is burning within me is strong, but I'm weak and I know that I can do nothing without You. I need You Father and I commit everything into Your mighty hands. In Jesus's name, Amen."

He'll take care of the rest-- Just believe!

2009-04-20T18:27:00.003+08:00

I know I haven't been blogging for months, but yups...I'll start real soon. I promise! I've got so many things to share with u all, how God has been good to me and providing me with many opportunities.
This semester is really packed (yup, 6mods again) but I feel less confident this time round. Everything is happening so fast and feels like I'm having a mad rush for time, its indeed very tiring. But oh well, guess its during such times that I really need to trust God to do the impossible. I thank God that He has once again reminded me of my purpose into mech engine, it has given me much strength to carry on, since it is His will for me, I know that I just have to do my best and He'll take care of the rest=)

Once again, inspired by Keith Green's song~ He'll take care of the rest

You know it ain't no use, banging your head, up against that cold stone wall,
Cause nobody's perfect, except for the Lord, and even the best bound to fall,
Remember He is de vine, and you are de branch,
He'd love to get you through it if you'd give Him a chance,
Just keep doing your best,And pray that it's blessed,And Jesus takes care of the rest.
Yes the Lord said that He'd take care of the rest, He's gonna do it,
He'll take care of the rest, He'll see you through it,
He'll take care of the rest, the devil blew it,
He'll take care of the, He'll take care of the rest.

Just think about Moses, in front of the burning bush, barefoot on the Holy ground,
You know, he must have been thinking, what's an old dude like me,Gonna tell em all when I go down, go down Moses,
The Lord said, hey Moe, don't you worry about going down south,I'll be saying every word that comes out of your mouth,Just keep doing your best, and pray that it's blessed,
Hey Moe, I'll take care of the rest.
Yes the Lord said that He'd take care of the rest, he's gonna do it,
He'll take care of the rest, He'll see you through it,
He'll take care of the rest, oh, Pharaoh blew it,
He'll take care of the, He'll take care of the rest.
Just believe, and you'll receive, that comfort you need,
You just think about all those lonely people you know,They've got everything they want, but they have empty souls,
Well, He'll take care of the, He'll take care of the, He'll take care of the, care of the rest.

You just think about Noah, toting his umbrella, when there wasn't a cloud in the sky,
All his neighbors would laugh at his pet giraffe, and would snicker as he walked by,
But the Lord said, hey Noah, keep cool, just keep building that boat,
It's just a matter of time till they see who's gonna float,
You just keep doing your best, and pray that it's blessed,
Hey Noah, I'll take care of the rest, I'm the weatherman.
The Lord said that he'll take care of the rest,
He's gonna do it,He'll take care of the rest, He'll see you through it,
He'll take care of the rest, his neighbors blew it,
He'll take care of the rest, He's gonna do it, He's gonna do it,
He'll take care of the rest, only Jesus can see you through it,
He'll take care of the rest, yes, yes, yes,
He'll take care of the, He'll take care of the rest….

In Christ alone

2009-01-28T00:00:00.003+08:00

In Christ Alone- by Keith and Kristyn Getty

In Christ Alone - Keith Getty/Kristyn Getty

D2D ~ Dare to Dream!

2009-01-24T01:01:00.007+08:00

Dare to Dream!

Ps. Bryan Tan shared during one of the saturday service and his sermon was on Zechariah 4:1-10. In chapters 4:1-10, Zerubbabel has been sent back as governor to try and rebuild God’s temple. By looking at the ruins and devestation, and the resources they had, the task seemed impossible. But an angel speaks to Zechariah, and told him that although everything seemed impossible, if it is God’s task, the power of God’s Spirit will work in them, and the mountain (difficulty in life) would be made flat to level ground. Although circumstances may discourage us, God can awaken the dream that died. And all we need to do is to 1) Look up- look up to God's resources, grace & power. 2) Look at- look at the mountain/ difficulty that is in front of us. As God is the turn around God, He can turn our situations around for good. All we need is faith to believe that our mountain will soon become a level ground. 3)Look beyond- learning to look beyond the difficulty and the days of small beginning.

It dawned on me that my mum is one such person who wouldn't bow to circumstances in her life. She is born into a traditional peranakan family, bound by strict rules and formality. Although she loves to read and is keen in learning, her grandmother forbids all females in the family to receive higher education and thinks that girls shouldn't study so much. In short, she "ran" away from home (actually, she did told her mum about leaving m'sia, but only on that day itself) and came to Singapore. This is where she came to know God and became a Christian. My mum named me Kai Shi (凯诗- 诗means songs, melody, poem) for a reason too, she hoped that one day, I would be an instrument used by God. So I was made to learn the piano since young and...I really hated it. I dragged my feet to lesson every time, the teacher spoke but it was one ear in and the other ear out, my scores had pencil markings all over and I had a hard time rubbing all that away when I'm going to take practical exams. Many times I wanted to quit, but my mum insisted that i continue, or at least until grade 5. So I obeyed and completed grade 5.

I thought that I would never touch piano again, but lo and behold, then came one day, the church needed a keyboardist to play for service and so, my mum pushed me to the stage. And for the first time in my life, I've to play chords instead of music notes! This was hard for me initially as I've to switch from playing classical to contemporary, but thankfully, my mum had made me learn until grade 5, because grade 5 is when I learnt all the tonic triads and inversions that became useful for playing contemporary. From then on, I started playing every sunday and the feeling was very different. Not that I was changed overnight and start to love playing the piano, but at least I no longer dread playing. Although during that period of time, there were no spiritual mentor or youth leaders around, I learnt to worship God as I played and grew spiritually and closer to God. Our God is indeed a loving Father, who is always protecting us and will not let us fall. Even though I'm still young in faith and there isn't anyone for me to look up to, but my God is there for me, and He has personally mentored me during that period of time. I'm glad that my mum had dared to dream and look beyond the difficulties that come her way. Similarly, I offer my dreams to God and pray that He'll continue to use the little that I have. I hope that every songs I play will be able to touch the hearts of men, not for them to adore my skills or the beautiful melodies, but as they worship, they'll be able to see God face to face and just be immersed in the goodness of God.

" ...Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. ~Zechariah 4:6"

Gentleness- the fruit of power

2009-01-09T01:01:00.003+08:00

Gentleness- the fruit of power

We had our cell group today and thank God for the wonderful time of fellowship, worship and discipleship.We did a new book on: "becoming more like Jesus" -by Michael M. Smith, in it, there is a question about identifying the weakest fruit of the spirit in my life.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law." -Galatians 5:22-23
I wrote gentleness and peace. Okay...I do find it hard to explain gentleness, because it is not about the outward behavior or look but it is more of the gentleness of the Spirit. But I do have a good definition of gentleness from Elizabeth George, the author of "A young woman's walk with God". She said:
Gentleness...
--means to be lowly or humble
--is a form of self-control that Christ alone can give
--expresses itself in a submissive spirit toward both God and man
--is the opposite of self-reliant arrogance
--is the perfect quietness of heart. Never to be fretted or vexed or irritated or disappointed
--is firstly and chiefly towards God. It is the temper of the spirit in which we accept God's dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting...It is a humble heart which does not fight against God and struggle or contend with Him. This meekness, however, being first of all a meekness before God, is also such in the face of men...
Yes, in the eyes of others, gentleness may look like a weakness. But producing this fruit calls for the greatest of strength! Indeed, gentleness has been called "the fruit of power". And that's the strength and power that come from looking to God!

Off the Kilos!

2009-01-07T23:23:00.005+08:00

Offff the Kilos!

I went jogging with my mum and TJ this morning and I thank God for the time that we can spent together. Really enjoyed jogging with TJ, oh...and he is just so cute! At the start of our jog, he'll always be in front of me, pulling me along by his leash. However, as we jog further, he'll be behind me, then I'll be like "TJ, quick quick, you're getting slower", and in his very competitive nature to be 'in front of me', he'll gear up and run faster. Sometimes, we'll need to cross the overhead bridge, and TJ being tired, would literally stare at the flight of stairs, with both his paws on the first step and refused to climb. (okay...i'm not being a sadist here who tires out my dog, I do let him rest after running some distance =D) Usually TJ and I will run while mummy does her normal brisk walk, and TJ being 'the nice son' would occasionally turn back to check if mummy is still behind us.

TJ had showed me what it means to be a faithful friend and I'm thankful that the Lord is my most faithful friend, who'll stand by me always. Similarly, I want to be loyal and faithful to God as well, so that one day, when I see my Lord face to face, He'll take me in His arms and say, "Well done, my faithful friend".

"For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations" -Psalm 100:5

Draw Me Close to You

2009-01-06T23:16:00.009+08:00

Draw Me Close to You~ Draw near to God

TJ constantly did everything he could to be close to me. I was that special person: the centre of his universe =P When I'm studying, he will curl up on the rug beneath my table and wait for me. When I'm going to the kitchen for food, he will wag his tail happily at me, perhaps waiting for me to throw him a Rodeo (his fav snack). Hmm...if i have allowed it, he would have followed me to school everyday, he would have slept in my room every night, and he would have sat next to me in church every Sunday morning...oh no...probably Mel wouldn't allow that =D, but in any case, TJ long to be close to me.

Then, there's my longing to be close to God, my heavenly father and friend. It is the best place where I should feel most comfortable, content, and loved. So why, I asked myself, am I not as single- minded as my dog? Why don't I spend most of my time trying to be close to God? True, there are things around me to distract me, like assignments, friends, and other interests- but I think the main reason pursuing closeness with God is challenging is because God is invisible, and only perceived by faith. I recalled when I first entered uni, I've decided not to take any CCA, but in the end, I joined Campus Crusade for Christ. And I'm glad to be among the fellowship of christians in campus. Through our weekly cell, we're able to share each other's burdens and commit one another into prayer, most importantly, God is with us. "For where two or three are gathered I my name, there am I among them" -Matthew 18:20
TJ had his ways of getting close to me. We, as children of God, have His assurance that He is always close to us.

"For I am convicted that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" -Romans 8:38-39

Who Am I (by casting crowns)

2009-01-05T23:00:00.001+08:00

Who Am I (by casting crowns)

Our Divine Dog Tags!

2009-01-04T23:22:00.020+08:00

Our Divine Dog Tags! ~our true identity is in Jesus

TJ is a Jack Russell Terrier. He is small, about 8kg, and he has a nice white coat with brown patches. TJ's identity didn't come mainly from his looks. It came from his unique personality and from being ours. When we first got him, we made a dog tag for him, such that if he get lost, someone will bring him back to us. He belonged to us, and we belonged to him. No questions asked!

Humans too have dog tags, they're called fingerprints. These are the physical features that prove our identity to people who don't know us, to show that we're citizens from a certain country. And as Christians, we have another identity, it is our identity in Christ. I have given my life and heart to Christ, and God has sealed me with His divine dog tag, the presence of His Holy Spirit within me. This tag was purchased with Christ's blood. No matter what I accomplish in this life, no matter if I succeed or fail, no matter who I am or what I say, what counts most is that I belong to Him.
No matter how TJ changed as he grow old, no matter if his tag get lost or fade, whether people still recognised him or not, he is still ours, and we know him and love him as he is.
No matter how much I've changed over the years, I am still God's precious, and He knows me by name.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- just as the Father knows me and I knows the Father-- and I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10: 14-15)

About Me/Us

2009-01-01T22:53:00.002+08:00

Hi!

About Me:

I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a student and a child of God. I’m currently serving as a keyboardist in Radiant Community Church.
I love animals (esp. dogs and horses), I love doing arty, crafty and designy things, I love to draw, I love beautiful things (e.g. art, design, nature, clouds, buildings, landscape), I love peaceful music (sound of the cello, soft jazz) and I love God =0)
I am a quiet person and one who’s bad at expressing my feelings. However, the love of God has compelled me to start this blog, to share with friends and family or even stranger how great and good the Lord is. I thank God for who I am today and for whatever things he has done in my life.
“Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.” Psalm 66:16.

About Us:

I got a small / super cute / happy and energetic jack russell (TJ)! We’ve been together since 2003, when he was only 4yrs old. We had been through so much together these few years and I love discovering him each new day. I love greeting him everyday in morning or telling him goodnight, I love jogging with him, I love seeing him wag his tail and I love just doing nothing with him!
In the Old Testament book of Numbers 22:5-35, we find the account of Balaam- the prophet. God opened his donkey’s mouth and it spoke to him. Although man’s best friends aren’t apt to launch into human speech like the one from the Bible, I believe God uses them nonetheless. God gave man dominion over all other living creatures of the earth as a special gift and trust (Genesis 1:28) and God has used them to brighten our days, to love us, and to help us know Him more. This blog is pretty much a documentation of the experiences I had with TJ. Even if God hasn’t opened his mouth, He can use him to speak to my heart and build a bridge to deeper spiritual insights. Even if you are not a dog lover, I hope that my testimonies would bless you too.