Bliss =)

Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate
Mark 10:9

Epilogue : The wife of Noble Character

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value
She brings him good, not harm
all the days of her life
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar
She gets up while it is still dark
She provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls
She considers a field ans buys it
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard
She sets about her work vigorously
her arms are strong for her tasks
She sees that her trading is profitable
and her lamp does not go out at night
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy
When it snows, she has no fear for her household
for all of them are clothed in scarlet
She makes coverings for her bed
she is clothed in fine linen and purple
Her husband is respected at the city gate
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land
She makes linen garments and sells them
and supplies the merchants with sashes
She is clothed with strength and dignity
she can laugh at the days to come
She speaks with wisdom
and faithful instruction is on her tongue
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness
Her children arise and call her blessed
her husband also, and he praises her
many women do noble things
but you surpass them all
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeing
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised
Give her reward she has earned
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate
[Proverbs 31: 10-31]

Note : Forever in remembrance of my deceased granny 1 Nov 2007.

The Truth About Feelings

“… And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ ….” (Philippians 1:9-10 NIV)

Submitted now for your consideration is Pamela, a loving wife, a nurturing mother, a prayerful Christian. This morning her husband, Richard, left a tender note on the bathroom mirror, inviting Pamela to join him for lunch at their favorite restaurant.

Pamela eyes the clock all morning, anticipating meeting her life-long love at 1 p.m. She’s excited and feeling extraordinarily loved by her husband, so she leaves for the restaurant early so she can buy Richard a small gift. She splurges a little, buying two balloons that float from the ribbon around the present.

As she pays for the gift, she notices her cell phone isn’t in her purse – again. No matter, it’s 12:30 and in a few short minutes she’ll be with Richard, giving him her undivided attention. Who needs a cell phone in moments like that?

Pamela arrives at the restaurant first, and she patiently waits for Richard to arrive. What she doesn’t yet know is that there has been in a horrible, tragic traffic accident, and Richard died at about the time she was tying the balloons to his present, excitedly anticipating their romantic rendezvous.

The point to this painful snapshot is that our feelings don’t always reflect the truth. Pamela was soaring high on feelings of love, completely unaware of the awful truth bearing down on her. Her feelings are not yet in line with the truth.

Imagine Pamela as she waits for her husband. When he doesn’t arrive soon, she becomes annoyed. After 20 minutes, she’s irritated and hurt. Her feelings still do not line up with the truth.

By the time 40 minutes have passed, she is worrying. This just isn’t like Richard. Maybe something has happened. She borrows the restaurant's phone and calls Richard’s office. His boss says, “Pamela, we’ve been trying to reach you. There’s been a terrible accident ….” The truth and Pamela’s feelings collide – and become one.

There’s nothing wrong with our feelings; God gave them to us. As one of my friends often says, “Feelings are just feelings.” Sometimes they reflect the truth; often times they don’t. They can serve as an early warning system, such as when fear alerts us to danger, or they can draw your attention to the one God wants you to marry, when you feel an overwhelming sense of love.

But your feelings do not define the truth. Only God defines the truth. You may feel worthless, but the truth is you are uniquely created by God, who loves you deeply. You may feel like you can walk on water, but the truth is you can only do that if Jesus calls you from the boat. You can’t; God can.

The apostle Paul teaches us to discern the truth, not through our feelings, but through knowledge and insight. He writes, “… and this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ ….” (Philippians 1:9-10 NIV)

Eugene Peterson, in The Message paraphrase, translates that passage like this: “… You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush ….” (Philippians 1:9b-10a MSG) Otherwise, you end up in a life “shaped by things and feelings instead of God.” (Colossians 3:5 MSG)

Your feelings are from God; they are a gift, and there is no need to avoid them or be ashamed of them. However, God never meant for our feelings to measure our life and determine how we live it. Your feelings do not define you; they are not designed to interpret the situations you now face. Only God’s truth can define you, and only God’s truth can pass judgment on the circumstances of your life.

The great and best Good News is this: God’s truth is a person – Jesus Christ, our Lord.

So what?

· You are not your emotions – You are defined by God, not your emotions. You may not feel like it, but God says you are wonderfully and fearfully created in his image, accepted in the Beloved. He loves you no matter what you’ve done.

· God uses your feelings – God may use your feelings to reveal a piece of your heart that you need to turn over to him. He may use your feelings to draw you closer to him. Paul speaks of feeling like a wretched man, and that draws him deeper into the grace of God. Your feelings of hopelessness in a situation may be what God uses to show you that you’re hanging your hopes on the wrong thing – because he is the God of a hope that will not disappoint.

· Your obedience is based on the truth, not feelings – The facts may appear daunting, but it is up to God, not you and your feelings, to interpret the facts. God calls us to be obedient to the truth, not to the way we feel. As C.S. Lewis says in Mere Christianity, if you don’t love someone, behave as if you do, and your feelings will catch up.

By Pastor Jon Walker

Everlasting God Isaiah 40 : 28-31

The Lord is the everlasting God
The creator of the ends of the earth
He will not grow tired or weary
and His understanding no one can fathom

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak
and young men stumble and fall
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength

They will soar on wings like eagles
they will run and not grow weary
they will walk and not be faint

Unspeakable Joy =)

Stirring at my cup of lemon tea,
Paying attention to words which uttered from your mouth,
Joy comes true from my heart,
Smile painted on my face after it,
your words have indeed made my day!!
I will remember it, *winks* =)

The power of Your name

Surely children weren't made for the streets
And fathers were not made to leave
Surely this isn't how it should be
Let Your Kingdom come

Surely nations were not made for war
Or the broken meant to be ignored
Surely this just can't be what You saw
Let Your Kingdom come
Here in my heart

I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
I will give
With the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name

Surely life wasn't made to regret
And the lost were not made to forget
Surely faith without action is dead
Let Your Kingdom come
Lord break this heart

Your name
Is a shelter for the hurting
Jesus Your name
Is a refuge for the weak
Only Your name
Can redeem the undeserving
Jesus Your name
Holds everything I need

Marrying well

"You don't marry one person. You marry three: the person you think they are, the person they are, and the person they are going to become as the result of being married to you." Richard Needham

"What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility."

Leo Tolstoy

LOVE and MARRIAGE .. What is It..?

A student asks a teacher: What is love?

The teacher said: In order to answer your question, go to the paddy field and choose the biggest paddy and come back.But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick.

The student went to the field, went through the first row, saw one big paddy, but he wonders....."Maybe there is a bigger one later."

Then he saw a bigger one... but maybe there is an even bigger one waiting for him. Later, when he finished more than half of the paddy field, he realized that the paddy is not as big as the previous one he saw. He knew he has missed the biggest one, and is full of regrets. So, he ended up going back to the teacher empty handed.

The teacher told him, this is love... you keep looking for a better one, but when later you realize, you have already missed the person.

The student asked: What is marriage then?

The teacher said: In order to answer your question, go to the corn field and choose the biggest corn and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick.

The student went to the corn field, and this time he is careful not to repeat the previous mistake. When he reached the middle of the field, he has picked one medium corn that he feels satisfied with, and came back to the teacher.

The teacher told him, "This time as you bring back a corn, you looked for one that is just nice, and you have faith and believe this is the best one you get. This is marriage. 

*****

Subject: LONGEST MARRIED COUPLE (85 YEARS!)...GIVES RELATIONSHIP ADVICE

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher of North Carolina have been married 85 years (86 in May) and hold the Guinness World Record for the longest marriage of a living couple and get this…. Zelmyra is 101 years old and Herbert is 104.

1. What made you realize that you could spend the rest of your lives together? Were you scared at all?

H & Z: With each day that passed, our relationship was more solid and secure. Divorce was NEVER an option - or even a thought.

2. How did you know your spouse was the right one for you?

We grew up together & were best friends before we married. A friend is for life - our marriage has lasted a lifetime

3. Is there anything you would do differently after more than 80 years of marriage?

We wouldn’t change a thing. There’s no secret to our marriage, we just did what was needed for each other & our family.

4. What is your advice to someone who is trying to keep the faith that Mr. Right is really out there?

Zelmyra: Mine was just around the corner! He is never too far away, so keep the faith - when you meet him, you’ll know.

5. What was the best piece of marriage advice you ever received?

Respect, support & communicate with each other. Be faithful, honest & true. Love each other with ALL of your heart.

6. What are the most important attributes of a good spouse?

Zelmyra: A hard worker & good provider. The 1920s were hard, but Herbert wanted & provided the best for us. I married a good man!

7. What is your best Valentine’s Day memory?

Zelmyra: I cook dinner EVERY day.Herbert left work early & surprised me – he cooked dinner for me! He is a VERY good cook!

Herbert: I said that I was going to cook dinner for her & she could relax - the look on her face & clean plate made my day!

8. You got married very young – how did u both manage to grow as individuals yet not grow apart as a couple?

“Everyone who plants a seed & harvests the crop celebrates together” We are individuals, but accomplish more together.

9. What is your fondest memory of your 85-year marriage?

Our legacy: 5 children, 10 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild.

10. Does communicating get easier with time? How do you keep your patience?

The children are grown, so we talk more now. We can enjoy our time on the porch or our rocking chairs - together.

11. How did you cope when you had to be physically separated for long periods of time?

Herbert: We were apart for 2 months when Z was hospitalized with our 5th child. It was the most difficult time of my life. Zelmyra’s mother helped me with the house and the other children, otherwise I would have lost my mind.

12. At the end of bad relationship day, what is the most important thing to remind yourselves?

Remember marriage is not a contest – never keep a score. God has put the two of you together on the same team to win

13. Is fighting important?

NEVER physically! Agree that it’s okay to disagree, & fight for what really matters. Learn to bend - not break!

14. What’s the one thing you have in common that transcends everything else?

We are both Christians & believe in God. Marriage is a commitment to the Lord. We pray with & for each other every day.

*****

To all out there who believes in marriage as much as I do, hold on to that belief!

Love is worth fighting for. Everything from God is worth fighting for, especially marriage.

"A good marriage is the union of two good forgivers." Ruth Bell Graham

Jerusalem

John saw a city that could not be hid
John saw the city. Oh yes he did
John caught a glimpse of a golden throne
Tell me all about it go right on
Around the throne he saw a crystal sea
There's go to be more
What will it be
I want to go to that city he saw
New Jerusalem

Jerusalem
I want to walk
your streets that are golden
And I want to run
Where the angels have trod
Jerusalem
I want to rest
On the banks of your river
In that city
City of God

John saw the Lion lay down by the Lamb
I want to know everything about that land
John saw the day but he did not see night
The Lamb of God well, it must be the Light
He saw the saints worship the great I am
Crying worthy, worthy is the lamb
I want to go to that city he saw
New Jerusalem

Chorus

City of God, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, City of God, City of God

B.I.G

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty

There's nothing that He cannot do!
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There's nothing that He cannot do!

The rivers are His, the mountains are His
The stars are His handiwork too
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There's nothing that He cannot do!

Jonah and Huis

Receiving a phone call just a couple of minutes ago,
Reflecting on the sharing
Jonah's story has made Huis standing on a solid rock!! =)

Psalms 37: 1-13

Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong
for like the grass they will soon wither
like green plants they will soon die away
--
Trust in the Lord and do good
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture
Delight yourself in the Lord
and He will give you the desires of your heart
--
Commit your way to the Lord
trust in Him and He will do this
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun
--
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him
do not fret when men succeed in their ways
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
--
Refrain from anger and turn wrath
do not fret-it leads only to evil
For evil men will be cut off
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land
--
A little while, and the wicked will be no more
though you look for them, they will not be found
But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace
--
The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them
but the Lord laughs at the wicked
for He knows their day is coming

You are the potter, I am the clay

Lord, I pray for revival in me, every families, our society
and our beloved nation.
--
Let Your fire burn in us
and let our light to continue to shine forth
We long to witness Your revival to be taken place in this city!!!
AMEN =)

Mengejar hadir-Mu (GMB)

Dekat pada-Mu itu rinduku
Setiap kataku
Kau pun menunggu
Tak kusangka, ku temukan
Satu kasih yang abadi
Kini kudatang
Dan kubawa hidupku
Memandang wajah-Mu
Mengikuti kebaikan-Mu
Mengejar hadir-Mu
Dalam hidupku
Membawa sembahku
Menyatakan kebesaran-Mu
Mengejar hadir-Mu
Dalam hidupku