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For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith –
and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God
Ephesians 2:8
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 6:25 PM

Hey people,camilia have extra baby hamster (the pet that looks like a rat)
WHO WANT? sms me asap k,if you want..."
Have a blessed week ahead!!!
shunbin :)

What the Devil was doing in the first seven days.
5:28 PM

Heylo GOLDs! i find this article especially funny and it gives a brief description on what Satan is exactly doing in our lives. Love, Ann.

The story of creation with an unhealthy serving of deep-fried potatoes. Adapted from the Reader's Digest.
RECENTLY, someone asked me if people in Asia were less decisive than people in the west. "I think I'm decisive," I replied. "But I'm not really sure." The reason he asked was that he'd noticed Western ways of thinking clearly seperated opposing forces such as good and evil, while Eastern ways of thinking tried to balance them in a yin and yang fashion.

The comment intrigued me. That very morning I'd given a talk at a school and asked the children to give me their version of the story of the creation. The youngster carefully balanced the roles of God and the Devil. We ended up solving alot of mysteries.

Now most people know the tale of what God did in his first seven days, but after talking to young people in Asia, I can now exclusively reveal what the devil was up to that first week.

In the beginning God created the heaven and earth. And the earth was without form and void.And God made a circular light in the heavens, and he called it the Sun. And God saw that it was good. And the Devil made a smaller light, rectangular in shape, and he called it TV. And the Devil saw that the light was bad.

And God made springs which came out of the ground, oozing fountains of pure, fresh water. And God saw that the water was good. And the Devil invented fizzy drinks. And saw the fizzy drinks was bad.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth vegetables and the herb of the field, that the children may grow up healthy. And it was so. And the Devil said, Ket there be deep-fried potatoes.

And God said, let the waters bring forth 10,000 varieties of fish, that they may provide sustenance for the children. And the Devil arranged that the fish be smothered in batter, deep fried, and served with deep-fried potatoes.

And God created the cattlle of the field, and said, Behold, I have given you every living creature that moveth; to you it shall be for meat. And the Devil showed how meat could be minced and turned into burgers, and suggesteth that it will always be served with deep-fried potatoes.

And one the seventh day, God rested and asked that his children rest too, and use the day to comtemplate the wonders of creation. And the Devil created the all-day brunch, cartoon TV channels, and Sunday newspapers filled with articles about celebrities, that the minds of the children be filled with rubbish and bodies filled with yet mire deep-fried potatoes.

And God said to the boy, take the girl and go forth and multiply. And of your seed i shall make a great nation, as numverless as the stars of heavens. And the Devil invented the computer and recruited 10,000 demons to fill it with online battles and image of top-heavy women. And the boy did part with the girl and did instead cleave to the computer.

And God pointed out to the girl that he had made her with many attractive blandishments which she could use whenever the boy was away from the computer. And the Devil invented nintendo DS Lite, PSP etc, so that the boy will be able to take computer games with him wherever he goes. Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the aninals that God has created. And the Devil did enter into the serpent and cause him to say to the girl and the boy, the tree in the middle of the garden the Lord hath told you not to touch. But i say unto you, if you eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, your eyes will be opened and you shall be as gods.

And the boy and the girl looked at the serpent and said unto him: No thanks. We liketh not fruit. But hast thou any deep-fried potatoes?

And here endeth today's scripture reading. Amen.

LOLS, the serpent definitely got what he deserved aye? Hope you boys learn something from here. :D Computer games are detrimental to your life.

P.S Let's all continue to pray for Shirley that she will recover from her illness. She is going to have a minor surgery on 18 May and she's starting to consume her stomach medicine. The medicine is to keep the tumor that is growing in her stomach small and to reduce pain. So do keep her in your prayers! (:

P.SS Guess what? Bernard and his school band won a SILVER medal in SYF. Let's give him an applause! Congrats, Bernard! :D

if u're a fan of american idol, read this ;)
Monday, March 30, 2009 12:03 AM

Hey guys, I came across this article on american idol.. and if u're a fan of the show like me, heh,all the more u shld read this..

What American Idol Teaches Me about My Faith
by Dawn Zemke
And why I’m glad it’s God—not Simon Cowell—I strive to please

March 24, 2009 | Yes, it’s true. I’m an avid watcher of American Idol. But I have to admit, it’s a love-hate relationship.

For five-plus years I’ve watched, mesmerized, as a new crop of 16- to 28-year-olds pursues what seems to have become the ultimate American dream—to become a Star (capital S required). I’ve sniffled at heart-tugging back-stories. Cheered triumphant on-stage “moments.” Cringed at mangled melodies. And growled in outrage over unjust eliminations. And yes, I’ve even chuckled at those spectacularly silly Ford commercials featuring the contestants.

Lately, though, Idol has begun to wear thin for me.

For one thing, events I previously viewed as twists of fate—the shocking boot of one contestant or the equally baffling longevity of another—are now often the result of blatant manipulation by the producers and judges. And even worse, what I once wrote off as simple drama, created to keep the show interesting, has become uncomfortably mean-spirited (another viewing of emotionally unstable Tatiana, anyone?). Whether Idol has changed or my eyes have opened, it’s just not the same fluffy fun anymore.

It’s gotten me thinking, though. As I watch those contestants pin their hopes, dreams, and futures on the whim of four human, all-too-fallible judges and a fickle American public, I’m so grateful that my happiness—indeed, my life—rests in much more capable hands. As I’ve mulled it over, I’ve come up with some specific reasons why I’m glad that I only have to worry about what God, and not Simon, Paula, Kara, and Randy, thinks of me.

First, God doesn’t care what I look like on the outside. Many times on Idol I’ve watched with sympathy and sometimes indignation as a talented performer is criticized not for vocals but for hair, makeup, clothing, or all three. Kristin, one of this year’s top-36 contestants, had a lovely, powerful voice. Yet her critiques consistently revolved around image—the purple streak in her hair or her clothing’s lack of trendiness. Given her treatment, and the fact that the top performers always seem to be easy on the eyes, if not downright gorgeous, I have to assume there are some incredible singers who never made the cut simply because of their looks.

Fortunately, God doesn’t care if I’ve got zits, limited fashion sense, or am having a bad hair day, er, year. He created me in his image (Genesis 1:26), and as if that wasn’t enough to show his regard, he sacrificed his only Son so I can spend eternity with him. He loves me as I am, where I am—no makeover or fashion sense required.

Second, God doesn’t play favorites. Though Idol’s judges proclaim their impartiality, it’s usually pretty evident that each has a favorite contestant or two. I’ve felt sympathy, irritation, and sometimes fury to see a contestant who did well bear the brunt of unfair criticism while another who gave a weak performance gets a free pass.

What a blessing to know our God loves and appreciates his children with complete impartiality. Without exception, he sees everyone’s sin (Romans 3:23) and freely offers us his love and redemption (John 3:16). Though on Idol only one contestant receives the prize, in God’s eyes every one of us who belongs to him is a winner.

And finally, God’s love never wavers. Season after season I’ve seen Idol contestants who initially received lavish praise and were favored to win, crash and burn after a single bad performance. One day they’re the judges’—and the audience’s—darling, the next they’re the punching bag. One mistake, something as simple as a poor song choice or a few questionable notes, and they find themselves booted from the competition, their dreams crushed. This year’s Alexis Grace was such a contestant. Once told she could be “the dark horse who might win it all,” a rough performance during country week had her headed home.

If God worked that way, kicking me to the curb the minute I mess up, make a poor decision, or act in disobedience to his will for me, I’d have lost all hope of ever finishing the competition I’m engaged in, the one for the “crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25). Because the reality is, I find myself so often echoing the apostle Paul: “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” (Romans 7:18-19, NLT).

Fortunately for me, God is a god of second, and third, and fourth, and . . . chances. I can never mess up too much, cross the line too many times. His love and compassion for me know no limits. “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Praise God for his unending patience; I need it.

So this year I’ll cheer, and boo, American Idol with a whole new perspective. One of thankfulness, appreciation, and love for a God who not only wants me to win his competition, but does all he can to stack the deck in my favor.


love,
tabby
(P.S. To those who weren't around in cg this week, I'll be on sabbatical from next sunday onwards. Feel free to drop me a msg or so. )

Are You Lonesome Tonight?‏
Monday, March 23, 2009 11:40 PM

Hey all!! read this... -food for thought-

Commentary: Are You Lonesome Tonight?By Soo-Inn Tan

I have long suspected that, given enough time, empirical science will cometo conclusions that were always taught by Scripture. Take the followingreport for example: [In 1985, when researchers asked a cross-section of the American people,"How many confidants do you have?" the most common response to theanswer was three. In 2004, when researchers asked again, the mostcommon response --- made by twenty-five percent of the respondents ---was none. One quarter of these twenty-first century Americans said they hadno one at all with whom to talk with openly and intimately.


Also published in 2004, a joint study by the World Health Organization andresearchers of Harvard University found that almost ten percent ofAmericans suffer from depression or bipolar disorder. They also found thatbinge eating and drinking are up, and that our children are medicated fordepression and attention deficit disorder to an alarming degree. (John T.Cacioppo & William Patrick, Loneliness, New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co.,2008, 247.)] Cacioppo is a professor at the University of Chicago and Patrick, a formerscience editor at the Harvard University Press. Their book, Loneliness, is theproduct of twenty years of research by Cacioppo. I thought the bible statedtheir conclusions more succinctly: "It is not good for the man to be alone."(Genesis 2:18a NLT)

We have always suspected that loneliness is not good for us. Now we haveempirical evidence of the destructive effects of loneliness. [(Cacioppo's) sophisticated studies relying on brain imaging, analysis ofblood pressure, immune response, stress hormones, behaviour, and evengene expression show that human beings are simply far more intertwinedand interdependent --- physiologically as well as psychologically --- than ourcultural assumptions have ever allowed us to acknowledge. Bringing urgencyto the message, Cacioppo's findings also show that prolonged loneliness canbe as harmful to your health as smoking and obesity. (From the front flap ofthe dust jacket, Loneliness.)]

You are not worried because you have many friends on Facebook? Doesn'tcount. Facebook may actually take you away from the life-giving connectionsyou need. Here is a report from the BBC: [People's health could be harmed by social networking sites because theyreduce the level of face-to-face contact, an expert claims. Dr Aric Sigmansays websites such as Facebook set out to enrich social lives, but end upkeeping people apart ... He also says that evidence suggests that a lack offace-to-face networking could alter the way genes work, upset immuneresponses, hormone levels, the function of arteries, and influence mentalperformance. This, he claims, could increase the risk of health problems asserious as cancer, strokes, heart disease, and dementia. ("Online networkingharms health,'" BBC News/UK, 19 February 2009)]

Cacioppo and Patrick concur: [... face-to-face encounters in real life allow us to communicate througheven more subliminal cues --- body chemistry, body language, actionsemantics, mimicry --- in addition to word and gestures. Once again, themind that seeks to connect is first about the body, and leaving the bodybehind can make human connections less satisfying. (Loneliness, 259)] Again, empirical science confirms what the bible has maintained all along ---that there is a level of human intercourse that is only possible when we areface-to face. [I have much more to say to you, but I don't want to do it with paper andink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joywill be complete. (2 John 1:12 NLT)]

Human beings are embodied beings. Fully human interaction is embodiedinteraction. As John Stott reminds us, "A human being might be defined froma biblical perspective as a body-soul-in-a-community'" (Issues FacingChristians Today, London, UK: Marshall Pickering, 1990, 19). We need ourfriends and we need to meet up with them face to face. With all the wisdom of the Scriptures at our disposable, you would expectthe church to be at the forefront of the fight against the crippling effects ofloneliness. Unfortunately the church can be as lonely as the world. The primary meetingfor most churches is Sunday morning worship.

Depending on your tradition,Sunday morning worship is either school or theatre with minimal face to facecommunication. It is usually face to back communication, a group ofbelievers having their own privatised communion with God, who just happento be in the same physical space. Ironically we often look to the number of people at Sunday worship as themain indicator of whether a church is doing well. It is assumed that thebigger the number, the healthier the church. I wonder. Maybe we need otherindicators of church health.

We need to see to what degree church membersare sharing their lives. Here is an observation from Hugh Halter and MattSmay: [When working with existing churches, we start with the assumption thateven if people are in a small group or Bible study, they rarely see thosepeople outside of those 90-minute get-togethers... (But) I've concluded that,almost without exception, relationships are formed, important dialogue andconversation begin, and powerful moments of ministry occur duringspontaneous, unplanned moments while we are sharing our lives together.(The Tangible Kingdom, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2008,161)] The world is slowly, literally, dying of loneliness. The church, followers of thetriune God, has the power to help people connect, both to God and to otherpeople.

Instead we live the same frenetic, busy, lonely lives as those we arecalled to reach. Fortunately, the way back may be just as simple as having afew friends over for dinner, and "wasting time" sharing your lives as youshare your food. Revolutions have been known to start this way.

love, tabby =)

9:26 PM

Hi cg lets keep one another in prayer k....
For vera cos she have to write a 10-page essays this week
and she will be very busy .Ask god to grant her enough rest k..
Shunbin :)

What did life ever do to you?
Sunday, March 22, 2009 11:42 PM

Hey guys, Deborah here.
I hope you like the new blogskin. I added my own two cents worth because the creator of the layout made it tiny so I made it wider. And I decided to change it because Ann's been nagging me to do it and Shun Bin is always exceeding the width of the posting body. If you have anything you'd like to add, please tell me. Or add it yourself. And I'm working on better material. Our very own blogskin by yours truly. Look out for it. I'm more than happy to have your suggestions and directions on where you think the blog's image should go.

Anyway, here's an interesting thought for you all.

I've been struggling with life for a long while now with what people would say is very little fuel. I often ask myself what is the fuel to hang on for dear life and I often get an array of very different answers. I would think it's the knowledge that God wants to put me through all these struggles because He wants me to learn something out of all of this. He probably wants to tell me that this is what life is and this is what people are. A lot of the struggles I face are because of people. And He probably wanted to tell me that this is why the world needs Him so much. Look around you, there are so many people dying. Every minute, every second. Suicidal teens who think life is a give or take away, abortions because people don't know what love is anymore and even things as simple as your very own friends who change their boyfriends and girlfriends every two weeks.

Sound familiar?

The world needs God and the world needs Him now.

But sometimes, when the dust from one of life's portholes settles down and something better, not good, just better, occurs, I wonder why. Maybe this time, God didn't want me to learn something out of the struggles. And I realise that God's fair, and despite awful thing that might happen to you, life must go on, one way or another. Slowly, painfully, go on.

Anyhow, the point of my post today is not to ask you all to pray for me. It's simply to make you all think about the question:

What did life ever do to you?

We've all been through the time when we struggle. When we hate our lives at that point in time. When all is hopeless and we are lost. We have God, but we still feel lost.

Why God, why?

I'm sure each of you have your own answers to that question. But here's my guess and what I try to do everytime I'm stuck in a situation like that. I try to remind myself that it's not what life has done to me, it's what life has done to everyone in the world. It's what WE have done to life. It's what God has done FOR us.

Even when we don't go through struggles, I think we forget that, a lot of the time. We forget that while we may be out having a great time with friends, there are people on the other end of the food chain who may be lost. Aside from the starving children in Africa, aside from the suicide cases of so called "depressed" adolescents who just want to make a statement and for people to cry at their funerals, aside from that, what about the person next to you? When was the last time you put your happiness aside for someone else? For God?

Think about it.

Now go read a book and take a look at my blog. I think March 19th's post is interesting and it relates to all of us, in different ways. Maybe it'd speak to you.

Love,

The Duck and the Devil
Friday, March 20, 2009 11:22 PM

The Duck & the Devil?
There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, 'Sally, let's wash the dishes.'
But Sally said, 'Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.' Then she whispered to him, 'Remember the duck?'
So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, 'I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.' Sally just smiled and said, 'Well,that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help.' She whispered again, 'Remember the duck?' So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several day of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, 'Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.

'Thought for the day and every day thereafter? Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... And the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.) ..whatever it is... You need to know that God is standing at the window and He sees the whole thing. He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness; He not only forgives you, but He forgets. It is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved. Go ahead and make the difference in someone's life today.
Always remember: God is at the window!
Love, Ann. (:

10:35 PM

This is 'Faith'.
This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with 3 legs - 2 healthy hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg which need to be amputated. He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.
His first owner also did not think that he can survive. Therefore, he was thinking of 'putting him to sleep'. By this time, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him. She is determined to teach and train this dog to walk by himself. Therefore she named him 'Faith'.
Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he just attracts all the people around him. He is now becoming famous on the international scene. He has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows. There is even one book entitled 'With a little faith' being published about him. He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies. His present owner Jude Stringfellew has given up her teaching post and plans to take him around the world to preach that even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul. I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone and that everyone can appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day that follows. Faith is the continual demonstration of the Strength of Life. Love, Ann. ;D



Tuesday, March 17, 2009 9:17 PM

Last week cg alot of people never come !!!!!
This week cg details:

Location:Vera's house
Time:11am

"Vera will be sharing with us the WORD of God for the first time.
Her first time leading bible study .Do keep her in your prayer .
See you all :) "

shunbin :)

.........
3:32 PM

Hi.This my first time posting.Well, have a short story to tell. Most of u noe tat i was working over the holidays rite??....well now u noe. I was working together with an elderly lady, aunty lechmi. She's a very nice, gentle and caring lady . Always insisted on buying me things from the coffeeshop during her breaks. She's so smart, noes alot bout things.Well, since we worked together almost all the time, we were like close and talked openly to each other. She was a hundu, but she always go to church every week. Thats such an amazing thing. Her sisters family have already converted, but she is afraid to do so.She doesent even go to the temple as much as she goes to church. Well, wen i left the shop, she was sad and she gave me her house number, asking me to call whenever i was free..



Well, i planned to visit her at the shop on Monday, but on sunday, i received news that her husband had passed on and that she was no longer working there anymore. I called her and talked to her, and she was so much in grieve.I just pray that she would be able to overcome this grieve and through this, she would learn to trust god and accept him. We often talked about god wen we were working together.



So ya, thats my story......see ya all soon..........



*Aaron*

Cathedrals&Recital.
Sunday, March 15, 2009 9:15 PM



























In God's awesome ♥
GO(L)D 90 FM
adj. God our "Lao Da" (awesome Dad in the sky)
1. WEFC
2. Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen year olds.
3. Fuel Miracles, Fishers of Men (Yes, that would be what the FM stands for, love)
4. There is no love but in God alone


GO(L)D 90FM
Headed by: Shunbin, Vera
Ex-headed by: Tabby, Joshua, Bethia, Angela
Aaron, Amanda, Ann, Aticus
Benedick, Bernard
Camilia, Christine, Clairah
Darren, Deborah
Grace,Issac Kuan, Joy
Jeremy, Kimberlyn
Kellie, Shirley

Set our sights in Him
Colossians 3:12-17
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Speak of His love

All the children
Effervescence
Phreeloaders
Ann
Christine
Clairah
Camilia
Tabby
Joel
Dylan
Elle


miscellanous
Your preference.

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