And In Other News...

And in other news, the Hope university grads stayed back after Sunday service today to take photos together. We had a really great time, and it was such a joy, seeing us share lives together - thank God for Shunrong, who initiated the whole photo-shooting thing, and Kim Chun and Sherwyn who spontaneously joined in to lend a hand! :D And thank God for Ps Jeff who stayed back to take photos with us, even though he had to rush off. Oh yah, we should send him the photos too.

And also took photos this morning with a dear friend, super-blessed. Was very funny, how the whole thing went... but also very heartwarming, because this friend took the effort to wake up so early! :D

And Yufen and Shunrong joined me for HopeTots today... gosh, Yufen and Shunrong are really great volunteers - I can see clearly that God has really called them to serve in this ministry - they're very good with the children! :D So happy to see more saints mobilised to serve in the church-level ministries!

And oh yes! I'm so excited! Told Yung happily right after she assigned me the task of telling a Bible story to the Kindergarten 2 children... that I really enjoyed it! And she asked me whether I want to do story-telling next next week... so told her, yes! And wow... the vision that God showed me in 2005 is really coming to pass... it was a vision of me sitting on a chair to a group of children from all over the world the story of Jesus...

And I'm actually going to tell a whole roomful of children a Bible story! :D :D :D Wonderful! Marvelous! Beyond my wildest dreams! And I never imagined that I would ever end up doing such a thing in my lifetime... and I love it! I really do! He has given me more than all my heart could ever desire... He has given me life, life abundant! :D

Isn't God so COOL? "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us - to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, both now and forever! Amen!"

(Sorry man, I know this is silly, jumping about all over with exclamation marks... but honestly, when you realise that what you're doing now is exactly what God wants you to do... and that this is part of His perfect plan for you... how can you heart not rejoice? Because not only are you doing what is right in His eyes... you are doing what is giving Him pleasure in His eyes... "And at His right hand are pleasures evermore."

And something that struck me as I was thinking: All too often, we think that we'll only enjoy what we are naturally inclined to do. And that's fine in a way - if we can enjoy doing the work that our natural personalities incline us to (as long as it's good work), then it's a gift of God.

But! Jesus came to give us an even greater joy: the joy of doing something that you know is so totally beyond you that you would have never naturally done it ever... the joy of experiencing God's power working through you! :D

This is something that I realised today. Because normally being with 20++ children drains me of energy. But with the arrival of Yufen and Shunrong, a huge burden is lifted off my shoulders... that is one prayer God has answered - He has sent more workers into His harvest field!

Furthermore, when I pray, really pray and ask Him to fill my heart with love for the children, and empower me with strength, He enables me to go beyond my natural introverted personality self... if we try to go beyond our natural personality selves using natural strength, we feel very drained and don't have much joy doing it. BUT if He enables us to exceed our natural personalities, we no longer feel the drain - because we are now tapping onto a Higher Power Supply - power from on high!

It's like how Jesus enabled Peter to walk on water - it's pretty unnatural for a barefoot human to walk on water, you know. But Peter did, and wow... And an analogy: if we try to fly by ourselves - it's impossible and super tiring. But if we depend on a strength greater than ourselves - like the power of a jet engine, for example, then we can rest on the aeroplane, and walk up and down, relaxing... or just flying for the sheer joy of it.

wow. :D Like what this dear bro said: "Ok cya tomorrow for hopetot then for special service then nexus convo. Wow looking forward for this meaningful day with the lord. Amen."