Have you ever wondered how you can never seem to get anything right? You've tried hard, put in your best effort, but yet the trophy is awarded to someone else, and you stand there, happy for that person, yet admittedly tired of taking one more chance. You wonder where the problem lies, and try again and again, telling yourself not to lose heart although you so much want to. You now stand yet again at decision point. "Enough!", shouts your mind and your heart. But the voice of truth nudges you gently and remind you "C'mon, you're a fighter! You have always been, so let's go again!" Sounds familiar? I think we all do go through this in our life, some more than others, some less.
I think its really encouraging to know that the road we walk on will end up in heaven one day. It'll always end in victory, in breakthrough, in joy. It's really an endurance race that we run, where one cannot be distracted by the pace of the people around and where they are going, whether there is a crowd cheering you on or not, but the one who wins is truly the one who thinks he can. The one who'll still run despite big red blisters on both feet, the ravaging effects of dehydration, and disorientated feelings.
When I take part in long distance events, I always believe that I must finish the race, no matter how slow I am. I want this to happen in real life for me, and for you.
It takes courage. Lots of it.
Hi everyone out there! Yes I know it has been quite some time since I blogged. Anyway, I was just reading this book and just want to share something very sweet that I believe would plant a smile on everyone's face. =)
In the desert, there are no great cities to build. No great battles to win. Just God and His rag dolls. He would feed them every morning, guide them every day, and protect them every night. The desert was intended by God to be life beyond achievement. It was to be a life of love...
Sweet, ain't it? (Sounding American here...) And what's more, it ties in with cell group message this week! Always remember that God's strength is made perfect especially in times of weakness. Don't stay down, but bounce back (Tigger)! I know it's easier said then done, but we'll walk through it together! Someone was sharing with me that leaders are not people who are always happy and on top of everything, but they are really people who know the art of bouncing back to life. May it encourage those of you who are living in the "down" of your life journey yea? Don't worry, live the life of love then!
Anyway, also want to share the lyrics of this song from my Fairfield days, which I believe really goes to show how much of a rag dolly we are, yet in all that brokenness, we still have lots to give thanks for!
Thank You Lord
Thank You, Lord
For the trials that come my way
In that way I can grow each day
As I let you lead
And I thank You, Lord
For the patience those trials bring
In the process of growing
I can learn to care
But it goes against the way I am
To put my human nature down
And let the Spirit, take control of all I do
Coz when those trials come
My human nature, shouts the things to do
And God's soft prompting
Can be easily ignored
But I thank You, Lord
With each trial I feel inside
That You're there to help, lead and guide
My way from wrong
Coz You promised, Lord
That with every testing
That Your way of escaping's
Easier to bear
Yes I thank You, Lord
For the victory that growing brings
In surrender of everything
Life is so worthwhile
And I thank You, Lord
That when everything's put in place
Out in front I can see Your face
And it's there You belong
Okay, it's a reeeaallly long song, but it's really beautiful. Can sing it to you, and I believe it'll touch your heart. Be blessed.
When you permit something to happen once, you are effectively creating a setting for that same thing to happen again. A message has been sent. Its okay, its alright, for it not to happen. As long as you have tried your best, then we'll forget all about it. Hiccups occur. True? No!
When one event turns out unsuccessful, and it remains this way a 2nd time, a 3rd time, you can forget about things turning around much, unless something really powerful happens. Why? A new reality has been created when things don't happen, and the reality has been deemed acceptable.
Think about this when you talk about wanting revival in your school, in your campuses, in your workplace, in your...everywhere. We want it, we say it, and...a fullstop comes? Someone was saying, if you are still pressing someone countless times for a response to join you at church the night before, then matter-of-fact, it will most likely not happen. The person is simply saying "You are not my 1st priority. We'll see if there is anything else to occupy my time, if I'm really free then I'll go with you." If you realise, this is not a response you would give to someone who means alot to you. This just shows how much you mean to that person, how much you have been a blessing to them, and been a true friend to them. The friendship that will draw someone to you and to God eventually cannot be a 'short-cutted' one. It must be genuine, born out of a sincere desire to want to be a blessing, not just to multiply the church.
Hmm. Strong? Hard? Well, this spoke right into my spirit too and convicted me. May it do the same to yours too. Keep on winning for Jesus!
Deep down inside, we all long for chances and opportunities in life. Often, the people who gives them to us becomes thus our heroes, and we speak of how wonderful they are. Praises of them flow out from us at every juncture, in every conversation. It is the most awesome thing to know that someone believes in you. A book I've been reading aptly says something which moves me alot "Pandy was not loved because she was beautiful, but it was the nature of love that exuded from Pandy's owner that made her beautiful." Pandy, for your information, was a rag doll. Just like all of us, imperfect beings. But the belief of someone made us beautiful. Wow.
Others who are not given such chances will never be able to comprehend our love and devotion to how good our heroes are. When someone says you'll make it, and it comes from the bottom of his heart, coupled with a support that you can always turn to, new existence and meaning comes into your life. Suddenly, you'll forget your weaknesses, because your weakness has been made perfect by a strength that comes from pure belief.
This is the law of buy-in. Seek always to praise, to empower, to shower love on those whom may not have been the most likely candidate of your attention, those who may not be the closest to you, those who appear difficult to love. Make a difference, touch the less prominent, the ones hidden in the corner of the room. Who knows? This person may emerge one day to take the world by storm, only if someone, his or her hero, takes the first step today to empower, to speak, to believe.
So why is the title of my post called "Mulligans"? What are they? Although they suspiciously bring to mind hooligans, there's no relation whatsoever between the two. Mulligans are taken when you foul up, and yet a clean slate is given to you again. Its a kind of grace note in an otherwise unforgivable game. Mulligans. How good to have a God of second chances. And how good it is to be a person who issues mulligans, who empowers. Zoe'll be a mulligan-er. Sounds nice.
Sometimes I feel so much for the people around me, through reading their thoughts on their blogs. It just strikes me as I was visiting quite a few blogs that its always the simplest things that hurts people the most. And my heart really goes out to them, something in me screams out "But Jesus is the answer! If only you would give Him a chance!". Many times, we overlook the people around us and may even label their problems as childish, but I was reminded of something a wise man once said to me, that if something matters enough to hurt someone, then it matters enough to be looked into. I believe God is moving me to not just be a minister to those who are facing giant issues in life, but I need to love those who may seem perfectly normal, smiley, happy; because beneath those facades may lie deeper hurts that have been buried, and the pain never released. I want to see the people around me being the happiest people, where out of them truly stems pure joy.
I was telling someone, that the bad in life happens to mould us, but the good comes in to encourage us. May life's little pots of joy at those opportunate moments serve to remind us that God is good, and He always will be there to lift us up.
Childlike faith.
What a common term, yet one that I have so much room to grow in. I remember this is the 1st term that I kept emphasising to Victor when I started off bible study with him, and in everything I would link it to childlike faith. God is really a good God for placing me in a youth cell group, there's so much for me to learn from all the younger ones. Was reading Yuling's blog, and she was able to make a simple Saturday KTV cum dinner, and a Sunday short lunch sound so fun. Reading it really placed a big smile on my face, to know that we all had fun together. And guys, it was awesome to hear people like Wenlong and Yuling sing solo for the 1st time! I'm so proud to have so many arty people in my cell group...the singers, dancers, artists (nope, not drawers!)- you name it, you have it. Talentime 2007, watch out for E348!
I am beginning to love fellowshipping with my cell group more. (Yes, I know you guys are saying "I knew it!") =) With them, alright, no doubt I am entertained much by the 'funnest' people like Victor that no cell group can do without (synonymous with the Fast Food song), but more than that, I can feel a true joy exuding from this bunch of young people who are truly in love with Jesus.
Sometimes its good to put away your intellect for awhile and just be like a child. If you want your lollipop, you don't hesitate but ask for it. When you want to laugh, you do it with no inhibitions. And when someone bullies you, you run straight into Daddy's arms and cry like it doesn't bother you.
Although being a child seems so fun and easy, it's not easy to be a child. Yes, that's irony in itself. It's not easy to ask for a handiplast when you need it sometimes, and that's where pride has to dissolve and the masquerade has to be torn down.
Mummy and me! Mummy will be pleased to know that everyone thinks she is my sis! It was fun to take this shot though..never saw Mummy so close range before, so much that the 'laughy' look became quite natural!
Good. Is it good enough to be called 'good'? Now I know why many say good is not enough. Excellent is a much better option to pursue. How is the journey from 'good' to 'excellent' like? How do I move there? How much is required to move there?
Courage is a very powerful thing.Courage is the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to conquer and crossover from the place of fear. Without courage, discouragement takes over. How do I then obtain courage? Courage is a quality, which means it is a grade or a degree of substance. It is a steely resolution one makes that enables one to move over to the next degree, the next level of courage. I pray for a strong mind, filled with God-thoughts, so that I can be a courageous warrior for God. After all, that's what my name Gabrielle means. That God is my strength.
Can I have her, please?
She's a princess in strawberry shortcakeland, and that's why she's driven around in a traditional and handsome white horse. (oops, i mean unicorn.)
This is what my friends have been craving and raving about in the past few days- pink heavenly strawberry shortcake that they can't wait to devour...
And this, is what I call the authentic (note the emphasis) strawberry shortcake who is not meant to be eaten. She can bake wonderful cookies for everyone though, if you would ask her the nicest you know how. =)
And so, convocation day came...& passed, marking the end of 17 years as a student. Many asked me if I was excited, but I guess the one word used to describe the how I felt (besides SWEATY,) is blessed. These pictures will tell the story. Thanks to everyone who made a difference on this day! =)
Pictures, pictures & more pictures...feel like the next superstar...
Thanks Phoebe for the doll. Love it.
Up the squares go! (Daddy's a good cameraman.)
Big, bright and beautiful bouquet from E348...=)
My bestilybestestbest cell group! Thanks so much guys for making your way down! It means sooo much! =) (As for the rest of the individual shots, haha, got to wait for someone to send it to me! )
Mummy, me & Daddy.
Joyce Meyer said this:
I like the way God has divided up the days and nights. It seems to me that no matter how difficult or challenging a specific day may be, the breaking of dawn brings new hope.
Awesome.
I was just thinking of the word HOME, as I chanced upon what Max Lucado said about going home, that the last part on the journey home always seems to be the longest. And I somehow agree. To me, home is a place of rest, a place where I can let my hair down, put my feet up (alright, not really, keep that nice image of me with you...), & relax. Home is also a place where I know I belong, I know I'll be welcomed with open arms, and true, warm, unjudging love is. Home, to me, is heaven.
The times when we are most worn out, beaten, bruised, afraid...all we want to do is go home, to our safety net. These are the times when though we are physically tired, yet we are able to push ourselves beyond, walk a little faster, visible spring in our steps, because we are excited to go home. Home is a place of promise, of rewards, of triumphant joy.
Why am I saying all these? The bible says that "& I press toward the goal for the price of the upward call in Christ Jesus". Why are we doing what we are doing, even though sometimes, it brings tears to our eyes? Because each step we take brings us closer to our destiny, each challenge we conquer and rise above disables satan's hold over an area, and above all, we know we are edging nearer to home, the perfect place that I want to be, because that's where the one who will rather die than live without me will stand with open arms and say "well done, my beloved girl".
Now how does that sound to you?
I'm a firm believer in supporting the underdogs. Its just something in me that I believe the best doesn't always win. Neither do those who look, seem or behave like the best. But the game goes to those who keep on walking, playing, with a steely resolution that the victory will one day be theirs. They may not be conspicuous (maybe being the most unthought-of winners), neither are they those who profess to win, those who have the crowd support or are those who seem the most friendly and non-attitudinal, but they come through, because they look beyond and believe in the turtle-hare story.
That's why I love them. & i want to be just like them. I will come through and rise up higher, because I have a Jesus who believes the most in me.
Many times, we can't stop the thoughts others think about us. Everyone is granted the access to their own thought process, their own evaluation & interpretation of things, & the right to express it in the form of opinions. That's when we got to know how to bring on the mind of Christ, & know that His thoughts towards us are to give us a future & a hope, & that He's our Daddy God & our no.1 fan. (just like how I support Argentina!)
It's not easy to not be bothered with what others think of us, but that's when we got to understand that our Daddy God always thinks the best of us, & that's sufficient!
And here I am, too excited to sleep because of the following 2 reasons...
1) My new computer has arrived! That means MSN, emails, job applications & BLOGGING is back! =)
2) *drumroll* Italy! Give it up for Italy! My supermans! (or should it be supermen...) alright, yes you can see that I am estatic, because justice has been laid out for my dearest Argentines finally. Frankly speaking, I was rooting for Italy because Germany had beaten my heroes Argentina in a game I (and many others) felt contained a referee biased against Argentina. But watching Italy play, I had absolutely no regrets giving them my 3 hours of sleeplessness. That explains why I am blogging at such an unearthly hour. Yes, another reason could be that I am nocturnal.
Everyone should see how Italy football is played. Awesome, fantabulous, a classic, bestilybestestbest! (sounds familiar? yes, it was from me!) Would anyone believe that 2 goals can be scored in the final minute of EXTRA time? It was phenomenal because firstly, everyone was tired...these 2 goals were scored at the 119min of the game, where everyone thought penalty shootouts were the obvious. Secondly, it was not one, but two beautiful goals!
Impossible is truly...nothing. 'Nuff said. *3 cheers & 3 cheers & 3 cheers for italy! Hiiiiippppp Hiiippp Hooorraaaayy!!*
Hi everyone, Zoe'll be unable to access her computer & laptop for the upcoming week as both has crashed at the same time (how...opportunate...). In other words, that means no MSN, no internet, & no blogging! She's now doing so only @ the expense of spending $5 for an hour to check mails & everything else that has gone on for the past 4 days...
Seeya soon!