Hey Everyone!
Another semester has come to an end, and most of you whom are reading this right now, are reading it from a room which has collect quite an amount of dust since you were last back. Things left the way it was when you last saw it? Or were there nasty surprises awaiting you when you got back? Perhaps a certain sibling has invaded your once fortress of solitude? lol I hope not :)
I want to thank you for faithfully reading our blog, I hope it has been a joy reading as it has been for the writers writing. I want to express that even though there are social mediums like FB & MSN for us to keep in touch, I always felt a blog has a very special touch to it. I guess it must be nostalgia. lol
And with that, I just want to say that the blog will be kept updated during the course of the holidays! So if you find yourself bored at night with nothing to do, come pay this site a visit to see what’s new. And if you do find something that’s exciting and fun to read, please pass the word along so others may be blessed as well!
For all of you out there. Hold on to Proverbs 4:23-27.
A little something we learnt at summer cell this week. When you are home, guard your hearts, don’t fall away, keep the fire of your faith burning.
Evil likes to hunt when one is away from the pack. Don’t give it the pleasure!
God bless & happy reading!
~Max~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Another semester has come to an end, and most of you whom are reading this right now, are reading it from a room which has collect quite an amount of dust since you were last back. Things left the way it was when you last saw it? Or were there nasty surprises awaiting you when you got back? Perhaps a certain sibling has invaded your once fortress of solitude? lol I hope not :)
I want to thank you for faithfully reading our blog, I hope it has been a joy reading as it has been for the writers writing. I want to express that even though there are social mediums like FB & MSN for us to keep in touch, I always felt a blog has a very special touch to it. I guess it must be nostalgia. lol
And with that, I just want to say that the blog will be kept updated during the course of the holidays! So if you find yourself bored at night with nothing to do, come pay this site a visit to see what’s new. And if you do find something that’s exciting and fun to read, please pass the word along so others may be blessed as well!
For all of you out there. Hold on to Proverbs 4:23-27.
“Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil. “
A little something we learnt at summer cell this week. When you are home, guard your hearts, don’t fall away, keep the fire of your faith burning.
Evil likes to hunt when one is away from the pack. Don’t give it the pleasure!
God bless & happy reading!
~Max~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
He placed his palm on my forehead and squeezed it gently. I looked up at him, perplexed and even more anxious than before. He seemed to be in some sort of meditative state, eyes closed and concentrating at the same time, as if waiting for a vision to burst out from within. Then, he took a deep breath and announced, “I give you… POWER!!! Now go and conquer!” With a hearty laugh and a final hug my dad bade me goodbye and gave me his best wishes for that day’s examinations.
The first time he did that was during my kindergarten final exams (please forgive me for being nervous about kinddy exams. Its very competitive in Singapore, mind you!) And for every subsequent examination, right up to my ‘A’ Levels in Junior College, he did the same thing. It became some sort of a ritual between us and it gave me comfort and confidence.
Now, I’m sure all of us have experienced the butterflies in our stomach, sweaty palms and jello-knees, anxiously standing outside the exam hall clutching our notes while waiting for the exam to begin. Or even way before that, while we were preparing for our papers, the thought that there is not enough time to cover everything causes us to start stressing over the lack of time or brainpower.
Yup… I see those little nods of agreement.
Such acts or objects gave us some sort of assurance. Of course, praying for peace and wisdom always helps. But there is one thing that can give us complete peace and comfort. And that is the power of Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:11 says that
“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.”
Paul is teaching us the significance of being a Christian. When we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, we become children of God and the Holy Spirit lives in us. And thus, the same power that conquered the grave lives in us. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, we are able to accomplish things that we wouldn’t normally be able to do.
Note that it is not because of our own goodness, not who we are, nor what we have done, but simply because we allow God to work in our lives. When we made the decision to follow Christ, our ‘old self’ and everything of our past is erased and we can find our ‘new self’ in Christ Jesus. And when we truly understand that, as children of God, we are the heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, we inherit His power. As His children, and because of Christ that died for us and stood between the gap, we can come freely before God. And when we surrender all aspects of our lives to God, we will realise that it is the Holy Spirit who works through us to perform miracles.
So, if the same spirit that is powerful enough to raise Jesus from the dead is living in you, do you not think that that same Holy Spirit can conquer our nerves and ultimately our grades?
Let’s not let our inhibitions stand in the way of how God’s glory can be shone through our grades. God is not concerned about what we can or cannot do. He alone can conquer all and perform the impossible. All He wants us to do is place our trust in Him and surrender everything to Him.
I encourage all of us to remember and be reminded of God’s power and Jesus who lives in us whenever we weigh our own capabilities and limitations.
Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
Do your best and God will do the rest!
Written by blog writer,
Debs
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
There are many benefits of having a daily devotion. I’m sure all of you have heard most of them before so I’m NOT going to do a lecture on it. However, daily devotion is a great way to increase your knowledge, not just about the bible, but life skills! Here’s an example from my devotion today.
Enjoy!
Enthusiasm And Experience
Many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders remembered the first Temple, and they wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. - Ezra 3:12
Young people look forward; old folks look back. Youth embraces the future, where most of its life lies; old age reveres the past, where most of its life has gone. Youth has little in the past to which to refer; old age has not much in the future for which to plan. So when youth and old age stand together in the same place, they look in opposite directions and see different scenarios. Old folks see the good old days; the young see only bright horizons.
Little wonder they often disagree and not infrequently clash!
Both had a point. The old had experience, which gave insight to what had been; the young had enthusiasm, which promised momentum for what was to come.
Enthusiasm without the cautions of experience can lead to projects crashing in flames.
Experience without the fire of enthusiasm can lead to projects never leaving the ground. Old people harping on the way things were can kill the hope of the future, while young people worshiping the way things will be can be wounded if the lessons of history go unheeded.
God made youth and old age for a reason—they need each other! So let’s thank him for youth and praise him for old age, and let us pray that enthusiasm and experience will kiss each other, and that they will live happily together.
Written by Blog Writer,
~Max~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
“Now it came to pass in those days that he went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”
Feeling drained? Roller-coaster of emotions? Just trying to get through the day? Would it surprise you that Jesus went through these same feelings as well? He is after all, all God & all human. And He also understands all because He has experienced all!
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” - Hebrews 4:15
So what does our role model do in moments like these? He Gets Away, goes up to a mountain top to pray, to spend time with the Father. And just like Jesus, we all need a place to Get Away from it all. To go back to the one place where we can hear the One voice that really matters. God’s.
Do you have a place like that?
I have. Its called Mill point. Mill point to me is like Jesus’ mountain, it is THE place I turn to when I need to Get Away. The prefect compilation of cool breezes, the slow moving swan river & not to mention the beautiful backdrop of the city skyline. 20 mins is all it takes for me to get back on track, to kickstart my brain & start having creative ideas & solutions flowing back but more importantly, it is the one place where I truly can feel God’s presence & His assurance that His been there, by my side, watching over me all the while.
Now the Bible does say “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father” - Matt 6:6. (Firstly the purpose of this verse is for another context, if you want to know, just let me know) And yes, God is definitely everywhere, & we can meet him anywhere, especially when we close the door & pray. But let me challenge you with this, a get-away holiday is always more fun compared to one spent in your backyard.
Same goes with meeting God. You can meet him in your bedroom, in the study or in the library. But when you intentionally Get Away to be alone with Him, walk beside Him, talk to Him. Those are the times where you truly feel the weight of the world being lifted off your shoulders.
Final assignments are here & exams are peeping around the corner. So when (not if) you find yourself heavy laden, don’t resort to red bull or facebook or worst ... WOW or Shopping. Instead, Get Away ... and let the Spirit of the Lord come upon you & give you REST.
Afterall, God has already blessed us UWA people with a little piece of heaven in our very backyard! Its called Mat Bay. Go, take a walk with Lord, can come back a whole different person!
Written by Blog Writer,
~ Max ~
I went to watch the movie 'Salt' the other day. It was awesome! I was inspired to start jumping onto moving trucks lol. But seriously, I enjoyed the action. POW POW POW!
Which brings me to the point of this entry. Why CAN'T I jump onto moving trucks or run great distances? (Maybe because my stamina stinks.) But it has always been a dream of mine to be able to run, climb over, jump across, and to just overcome every single obstacle that is in my way.
Realistically though, we all know that it’s not possible (my dream has just died a premature death, haha). Which brings to mind, what other obstacle can I not overcome? Like passing my exams? Losing weight? Speeding? Finding a boyfriend?!!
Sure, when we think about it that way, there're a lot of things out there that we cannot achieve or acquire. Like that awesome car, excelling in studies or simply trying to improve your own self.
But friends, I endeavour that while we may not be able to achieve all these things, there is someone out there who can. And that person is God. God can and He can achieve them through you! Remember a while back, I wrote about doing things on our own strength? I'm not saying that you cannot achieve all this within your own strength. (It really boils down to your level of self-discipline and determination.) But rather, when you DO NOT achieve all these things, how do you feel? Tired? Depressed? Disempowered?
Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Be tired, depressed, and disempowered no more! When we have God in our lives, not being able to jump across those trucks isn't our biggest issue. He is our Jehovah Jireh and whatever your circumstances, be it working towards improving your studies; just remember: He will provide for us. With energy, strength, wisdom, patience, and also peace, for whatever the outcome.
And you never know. You might just see me someday... Jumping across trucks.
God Bless.
Written by Blog Writer,
~Felicia~
My walk with God has not been an easy one. Mostly because I’ve been avoiding God for the first 16 years of my life. I’ve always believed in our one true God; there was no reason for me not to. He showed His love through every answered prayer, however silently they were uttered and despite the little faith I placed when saying them.
Yet, I was like a stubborn, rebellious child refusing the love and concern of a father… believing that I did not need Him in my life.
Every time I share my testimony and the reason why I finally decided to get baptised only after four years of being a Christian, I always joke that I’ve let God wait for too long. This then implies that God is getting impatient with me and hence, being driven by guilt and fear, I hasten to seal this deal with God.
Of course this is completely inaccurate and will remain as an inside joke between my beloved Father and me. However, I do admit that I had my fair share of excuses whenever the opportunity to get baptised arose. “I’m not Christian enough…” “I’m still too young…” “There’s so much more I have to learn and areas where I can serve…” Inwardly, I was casting the spotlight on myself.
When ZPH held a baptism workshop last semester, I received a revelation of the significance of baptism. It says in Romans 6:4:
We were buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, you too may live a new life.
The symbolic act of being submerged into the water and rising up again signifies our new life in Christ. With that act, and through His grace and love, God has made us anew. Only He has the power to transform us completely so that we can live in the peace and freedom that can only be found in Him.
Our baptism is really a declaration of the glory of our Father.
It is not at all about us.
I understood, only four years after being saved; having had my life transformed and the countless miracles I had experienced, that I should be declaring His works, His goodness and His glory. With all the excuses I used to give to justify my delayed baptism, I was converging attention to myself, when what I should have been doing is to point others towards God.
And what better way to glorify His name than to testify of His goodness and works in my life? The water baptism gave me a platform to share of God’s awesomeness through my journey with Him. And when I began to focus on letting God shine, all the excuses and fears just vanished.
In John 3:30, it explains plainly,
“He must become greater, I must become less.”
I encourage all of you to realise that when we start thinking about what we can or cannot do with our current abilities, we’re stopping God from working within us. Allow Him to increase as we decrease, and we’ll begin to see His glory.
To date, has there been something that God has done in your life that compels you to testify of His glory?
Remember: it is not about you, it is all about God.
See His glory and share your story.
Water Baptism Service is this Saturday! Come and support our friend and fellow brother as he takes a life changing step toward the future. There will be many testimonies and you will surely be blessed! See you at the service!
Sat 9 Oct
10:30 AM
Lifestreams Christian Church
Cnr of Hay St & McNaab Loop COMO
Written by Blog Writer,
~Debs~
Fear, we all have our own fears. Some are afraid of tall places (like Max), some are afraid of birds (like my cell helper), and some are afraid of little tiny insects (like me).
But since when did these fears come into our lives? I remember I used to bully insects when I’m young. I used to use my mighty thumb to squash every single ant I saw crawling around. NOW you might say that I’m a weirdo by being afraid of ants, but you have to go google images of ‘ants’ and see them in enlarged pictures. Real Freaky. (Seriously!)
Anyway, I remember there was one thing I did fear when I was young – caning. If you’re from an asian background then you’d probably experienced caning in school. And the period I feared most was after the exams, that was when my class teacher would cane those who did badly in the exams.
So there’s one thing I would always do if I had to go up to get canned, I’d tell myself that “at least I’m not gonna die”. By telling myself that, it helped to toughen me up a bit and thus reduce the chances of me crying in public. Lol.
I think that statement is quite a powerful one. If I know that I’m not gonna die from doing something, then what’s there to be afraid of?
I was thinking of my younger years a few days ago and that statement kicked in. However, with the added wisdom of Christ, I’ve come realized that now ... I’m not going to die anymore! Because Jesus gave us eternal life! So…by that statement, we have nothing to fear at all right?
Hebrews 13:5-6
For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
Truly we have nothing to fear at all! Except the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 9:10 says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
So imagine if we had courage without wisdom. We’d do all the stupid things right? So courage alone isn’t enough, we need wisdom to direct that courage we have to the right places.
This is an example of courage without wisdom:
So jokes aside, take this home with you: Fear the Lord and there’s nothing else to be afraid of.
Cheers.
Written by Blog Council,
~Wilson~
“ Hey Esther, sorry but I can't make it for your church event on saturday night cos I've got a gig on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, paying $200 a night. I'll find a replacement for you, so sorry about that!” Jayden Williamson, the original drummer of Jive Box spoke on the phone hastily.
My heart sank when I heard the news. It was the Monday before Search For A Star and Saturday was the real event. We had rehearsed everything and we had to rehearse it again with new people! Honestly speaking, with 5 days to spare to the actual event, 2 rehearsals would suffice. However on Tuesday, Nathan, the drummer Jayden got for replacement, rang me up and said he could not make it because Saturday was his friend's 21st birthday. 'Great!' my mind was racing and these letters 'gracefully' paraded acrossed my mind: D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R!!!
Now we only have 4 days left and we still got to FIND A DRUMMER, rehearse the jazz fusion song, Cantalope Island, and arrange a medley of Michael Jackson songs. That day, my bassist, Jesse Bryom-Carter, immediately approached Josh Hopkins to be the drummer for the event and he kindly agreed. “Thank God!” I heaved a sigh of relief. I have not met Josh before but he seemed like a nice guy to work with. I made it clear to all my band members that SFAS is an unpaid performance so as to diminish any of their hopes for monetary returns and emphasized that the performance is voluntary. Fortunately, none of the members pulled out after knowing its voluntary. “Thank God!” once again!
The race for time began and we got to settle for a time for rehearsal. I was planning to have 2 rehearsals before SFAS but very unfortunately, everyone can only rehearse on Thursday and ONLY FOR 1 HOUR!!! The letters: D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R, once again, very 'gracefully' paraded acrossed my mind, but this time bringing along its best friend, “ R-E-A-L-L-Y”. So together, “ REALLY DISASTER” appeared big and dauntingly in my mind. That tuesday night, I seriously could not sleep well because the judges of SFAS had good impressions of the original Jive Box during the audition and thus they requested for a pop tune.
I prayed to God that on Thursday rehearsal, everything would be okay and we would finish learning all the arrangement in that ONE HOUR. Thank God for giving wisdom to all the members as we actually managed to learn and arrange all the tunes in that one hour! The band was not sounding very solid yet but at least we managed to go through all the songs for SFAS! PHEW!!!! I was really relieved. I suggested to have another rehearsal on saturday morning before SFAS but the other members were unwilling due to the need for their own personal practice on core tunes for class. Since SFAS is an unpaid gig, I have no valid reason to request for their devotion to the event. “Okay, let God take charge, and I shall not worry.” I told myself.
Saturday arrived and it was time for full-dress rehearsals on stage at PCLC. As my band members were absent during the dry run, we did not have the chance for sound check. Full-dress rehearsal started and my band was called on stage. This was only the 2nd rehearsal for our band for the show. During that rehearsal, I was at the wrong section of the song and apparently, my bassist, drummer and I myself could not hear each other clearly. This got me worried about our performance once again and this time we had no chance to see if everything works, and so I just did what I could … pray to do well for the show! Thankfully, the actual performance was a lot better than the full-dress rehearsal. My saxophonist finally got the ending right and the band sounded good with energy. I was satisfied with it personally and was glad to receive lots of positive feedback as well!
Written by blog writer,
~Esther~
Blasting speakers and a deafening roar from the audience was the first thing that overwhelmed me when I first stepped into the hall. I was attending my first Search For A Star event and mind you, I had a blast!
The hall was filled with an exuberant crowd! Each and every person around me seemed to be filled with sheer excitement as they cheered for their friends throughout the night at the top of their lungs (even though I was very certain the performers wouldn’t be able to hear but still!), or maybe they were just too psyched by the lineup of performers! The excitement soon rubbed off on me and got me all hyped up as well, and the night was only just about to begin.
Performance after performance. Nothing can express my sentiments better than WOW! I was bowled over by everyone on stage that night. From singing to dancing, acting to performing, every single person that went onstage was fantastic! My favourite of the night however, was probably the duet performed by Untamed and Co. Their cover of ‘Forever’ meshed with ‘Teenage Dreams’ was just brilliant! I loved the vocals and harmonizing. It was plain beautiful! I was also deeply impressed by pastor’s daughter; Renee, when she was dancing with FuZion! It was so adorable, and at such a tender age! Her boldness and confidence is to be admired.
I believe that every performer onstage that night was out to shine, not for them but for the Greater One.
For me, attending the event brought 2 Timothy 1:6 back to remembrance.
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. “
I firmly believe each and every one of us is blessed by God with a certain gift. It can be playing an instrument, singing, dancing, acting, writing, or even in areas that are not often in the spotlight such as the backstage coordinators, the lights team, projections, and sound etc. The gift varies but one thing remains the same - that God has blessed each one of us with at least one skill. More than just having the skill, Paul emphasized that we need to fan the flame of this gift which we have. Just as the fire grows bigger when we fan the flame, when we work hard at something and hone our skills, we also get better at them. We polish our skills in order to build up and strengthen the church body. While at it, we begin to realize our interdependency and build each other up, in order to ultimately, SHINE for Jesus! In light of Paul’s words found in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”. That’s right, anything for His name!
The performances that night were a testament of God’s gifts in his people. The performers, stage managers and every person behind the scenes had invested their time and energy to make sure everything was in tip top condition, all for the success of the night’s event! In the house of God, we have actors, singers, musicians, dancers, stage managers, technicians and loads more! It was a team effort that ultimately spread the cheer and joy of Christ to people in the audience like me. It was a job well done and a reflection of Christ’s work in His people!
The atmosphere that night was electrifying and the performances were just amazing! We were gripped by the lineup of performances but sadly, all great performances have to come to an end. After the event, I saw many people chatting, and I heard (no, I was not eavesdropping) lots of people offering words of encouragement to one another, commending each other and praising their good work.
Indeed, the performances were great, but God was awesome above all. I have seen how exciting our God can be with His people and the great things He can achieve through us. I am not sure what next year’s Search For A Star will bring, but one thing I’m sure of, is that God will continue to bless His people with gifts that can bring this show to greater heights!
Written by blog writer,
~SK~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
An idea is birthed, what it becomes is determined by the person. No great structure or event happens over night. It often takes hours of work and planning and I believe this is the beginning of great things to come.
What am I talking about? I’m sure you brilliant people know it.
It’s TRIBAL WARS.
After much wait it’s finally here. Just hours away, many will be united competing for the title of Tribe of the Year.
So guys, prepare well, plan well and get yourselves all ready as I believe everyone will be bringing their best to win and be the First Tribe of Year.
Much speculation has been going on in Facebook so to which cell(s) will be claiming the title this year. The bets are on Li Jin’s cell BUT only time will tell, so to all cells out there ... let’s bring it on.
Posted by Stanley Bong
Cell groups, far and wide!!!
Take note of the tide,
That of Lijin's pride,
There's no surprise,
We're bringing home the prize,
So prepare yourselves,
and try to stay alive...
Harrroooouuggghhhhh!!!
PUMPED!!!
Written by blog writer,
~Michael~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Still riding on a high after Search For A Star?
Can't seem to get enough of the performances and/or performers?
Follow us as we go behind the scenes to interview some organisers and perfomers to see what goes on in their minds' while preparing for our annual event.
First up today, we have a short interview with the organiser of the whole event, Jerry to share some insights.
We managed to snag Jerry for a few minutes after the full dress rehearsal to ask him a few questions.
Hi Jerry, thanks for sparing us some time so our readers can get to know more about what its like to organise a large scale event such as this.
Oh, not a problem. I've never been interviewed before, so this will be interesting for me as well.
First question, on a scale from 1-10, what is the stress factor like for organizing SFAS?
Hmm, on a whole, I think, maybe 8.75? It's pretty high because a lot of frustration involves dealing with people. The more people you deal with, the more you’re bound to have differences so miscommunication happens a lot. So yeah, 8.75 sounds about right.
Right, so which is your favorite performance of the night?
How am I to choose? To me, each and every person who performs with a passion, with their heart and soul, who give it all they've got each time they're on stage are my favorites. Because I know a lot effort was put into it and even if ultimately, it isn’t to the best of standards, everyone gave it the best they got! :)
Okay, you're really diplomatic. But I can understand. I'd find it hard to choose as well. Now, if you had a choice, who do you NOT want to be tonight?
Hmmm, everyone plays an important part in making tonight a success; from backstage crew to performer to usher to even the person who picks up litter. I guess the person I least want to be is one who’s not involved.
Now, what do you feel is the hardest thing about your role as organiser?
Oh, that's simple! TIME. Managing time, coordinating personal commitments with planning, execution , quality check and all other areas for the event. Trying to please everyone while striving to meet expectations etc.
So if you had a choice right now, what is the ONE thing you’d want most?
Oh, I haven't thought about that. I guess I just wish for everyone who is involved in SFAS to grow. To learn from each other and from experience, and to know that everyone shares the same vision and is working to achieve that.
Ok, I can see that you're very busy and there are a few people after you already. Last few questions! If you could turn back time, what is the one thing you wish you could change?
Nothing I guess. At this stage, we've done all we can and it's all in God’s hands.
Oh, that's good. What is your biggest fear right now for this event then?
Well, it's probably people not turning up. Visitors whom we've invited not coming at the last minute etc. Having said that, we’re asked to fear the lord, not man. So no matter what happens or whatever the attendance, we’ll continue in faith in the hope that some of our visitors will be touched and that they will get to know Jesus on a personal level.
Great, last question! What sort of acts will you like to see in future SFAS performances?
Oh, haha, performances that are unique? Not to say any performance tonight is not good but every year we try to get a variety of performances. So maybe in the future we'll see clowns, juggling acts, or fire breathers? But that’s just saying, doesn't mean we won't still look forward to the singing and dancing we have right now. ;)
Hahaha, fire breathers and jugglers huh? That might really be interesting. Anyway, thanks so much for your time Jerry. I'll let you get back to the final checks now. All the best for your event!
That concludes our interview with Jerry, Head Coordinator of SFAS. The UWA Blog team was out in full force for this year's SFAS, so remember to stay tuned for more pieces!
Written by Anonymous!
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Can't seem to get enough of the performances and/or performers?
Follow us as we go behind the scenes to interview some organisers and perfomers to see what goes on in their minds' while preparing for our annual event.
First up today, we have a short interview with the organiser of the whole event, Jerry to share some insights.
We managed to snag Jerry for a few minutes after the full dress rehearsal to ask him a few questions.
Hi Jerry, thanks for sparing us some time so our readers can get to know more about what its like to organise a large scale event such as this.
Oh, not a problem. I've never been interviewed before, so this will be interesting for me as well.
First question, on a scale from 1-10, what is the stress factor like for organizing SFAS?
Hmm, on a whole, I think, maybe 8.75? It's pretty high because a lot of frustration involves dealing with people. The more people you deal with, the more you’re bound to have differences so miscommunication happens a lot. So yeah, 8.75 sounds about right.
Right, so which is your favorite performance of the night?
How am I to choose? To me, each and every person who performs with a passion, with their heart and soul, who give it all they've got each time they're on stage are my favorites. Because I know a lot effort was put into it and even if ultimately, it isn’t to the best of standards, everyone gave it the best they got! :)
Okay, you're really diplomatic. But I can understand. I'd find it hard to choose as well. Now, if you had a choice, who do you NOT want to be tonight?
Hmmm, everyone plays an important part in making tonight a success; from backstage crew to performer to usher to even the person who picks up litter. I guess the person I least want to be is one who’s not involved.
Now, what do you feel is the hardest thing about your role as organiser?
Oh, that's simple! TIME. Managing time, coordinating personal commitments with planning, execution , quality check and all other areas for the event. Trying to please everyone while striving to meet expectations etc.
So if you had a choice right now, what is the ONE thing you’d want most?
Oh, I haven't thought about that. I guess I just wish for everyone who is involved in SFAS to grow. To learn from each other and from experience, and to know that everyone shares the same vision and is working to achieve that.
Ok, I can see that you're very busy and there are a few people after you already. Last few questions! If you could turn back time, what is the one thing you wish you could change?
Nothing I guess. At this stage, we've done all we can and it's all in God’s hands.
Oh, that's good. What is your biggest fear right now for this event then?
Well, it's probably people not turning up. Visitors whom we've invited not coming at the last minute etc. Having said that, we’re asked to fear the lord, not man. So no matter what happens or whatever the attendance, we’ll continue in faith in the hope that some of our visitors will be touched and that they will get to know Jesus on a personal level.
Great, last question! What sort of acts will you like to see in future SFAS performances?
Oh, haha, performances that are unique? Not to say any performance tonight is not good but every year we try to get a variety of performances. So maybe in the future we'll see clowns, juggling acts, or fire breathers? But that’s just saying, doesn't mean we won't still look forward to the singing and dancing we have right now. ;)
Hahaha, fire breathers and jugglers huh? That might really be interesting. Anyway, thanks so much for your time Jerry. I'll let you get back to the final checks now. All the best for your event!
That concludes our interview with Jerry, Head Coordinator of SFAS. The UWA Blog team was out in full force for this year's SFAS, so remember to stay tuned for more pieces!
Written by Anonymous!
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
I was just randomly scrolling through Facebook while taking a break from studying slacking and I saw something interesting. It was a screenshot of someone’s Twitter page and it looks something like this:
My first reaction was “Haha that’s quite funny”. My second reaction was “Omgosh God has a Twitter account!?”
So I proceed hastily to google up “almightygod tweeter” in hope of finding this account. And because google never fails, eventually I managed to find this twitter account, read all the tweets and finally found the original tweet:
And after reading all the tweets, to my horror the writer of this tweeter account is not God himself! In fact the writer was an ATHEIST!! Nooo….
Okay enough of my randomness. Obviously I’ve guessed that a Christian couldn’t have possibly created this account because it would be blasphemous to use God’s name. So it must have been some non-believer trying to make fun of God and Christianity.
But that’s not the point of me writing this blog post. The thing that I find interesting is the statement itself: “To most Christians, the Bible is like a software license. Nobody actually reads it. They just scroll to the bottom and click “I agree.”
So why did I find it funny? Maybe I did not consider myself to be one of the “most Christians” mentioned above? Probably, but the saddening thing is that the statement itself does have some truth in it. How many of your friends claim to be Christians but rarely reads the bible? How many of us clicked on the “I agree” button without counting the cost of carrying the cross daily?
I hope that our Church will not be in that “most Christians” category. Let’s not be a Christian just because all of our friends are Christians, it is very dangerous for us to do so. It will be very easy for us to fall away especially when our supportive Christian friends are not around us.
It is not enough for us to just read the bible once every week in cell and in church. There’s only so much the church or cell can teach you every week. We must make reading the bible part of our daily routines, then we can really be a bible based Christian.
Written by Blog Counsel,
~Wilson~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
My first reaction was “Haha that’s quite funny”. My second reaction was “Omgosh God has a Twitter account!?”
So I proceed hastily to google up “almightygod tweeter” in hope of finding this account. And because google never fails, eventually I managed to find this twitter account, read all the tweets and finally found the original tweet:
And after reading all the tweets, to my horror the writer of this tweeter account is not God himself! In fact the writer was an ATHEIST!! Nooo….
Okay enough of my randomness. Obviously I’ve guessed that a Christian couldn’t have possibly created this account because it would be blasphemous to use God’s name. So it must have been some non-believer trying to make fun of God and Christianity.
But that’s not the point of me writing this blog post. The thing that I find interesting is the statement itself: “To most Christians, the Bible is like a software license. Nobody actually reads it. They just scroll to the bottom and click “I agree.”
So why did I find it funny? Maybe I did not consider myself to be one of the “most Christians” mentioned above? Probably, but the saddening thing is that the statement itself does have some truth in it. How many of your friends claim to be Christians but rarely reads the bible? How many of us clicked on the “I agree” button without counting the cost of carrying the cross daily?
I hope that our Church will not be in that “most Christians” category. Let’s not be a Christian just because all of our friends are Christians, it is very dangerous for us to do so. It will be very easy for us to fall away especially when our supportive Christian friends are not around us.
It is not enough for us to just read the bible once every week in cell and in church. There’s only so much the church or cell can teach you every week. We must make reading the bible part of our daily routines, then we can really be a bible based Christian.
Let’s read our bibles daily!
Written by Blog Counsel,
~Wilson~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Seriously, Life is tough.
I’ve lost count of the times I wished that I was a bird in the sky or a duck in the lake, you know, when there is not a care in the world. You live, you die, simple. No stress, no pressure, just plain living. But that’s not life, life’s tough. There are ups and downs, and all the in-betweens.
Being in college now, the thought of not knowing what to do in the future is killing me. I mean, I am one of those ‘planners’ where I plan every single day, sometimes (just for kicks) planning in a week’s advance. So the thought of ‘not knowing’ really drives me nuts. And the constant bombardment of assignments and tests (4 to 5 a week!) isn’t helping either. To top it off, I’m really stress-prone!
Well, you may not be exactly like me, maybe a lil’ ‘sane-ner’, but we all have those moments, where life just throws everything at you mercilessly and you feel like you’re suffocating. You kick and wrestle, desperate for a gasp of air, just one break from all the struggling - an escape from all this chaos please!
The most tragic thing is this – we start to feel that God ain’t grand in our lives anymore. God doesn’t appear to be real. I mean as a Christian, I know that my future is in God’s hands and that tomorrow will worry about itself. But during these moments when stress has blinded me, all these verses seem so …… hollow. I begin to doubt and be overwhelmed by my own reasoning and common sense. Fear begins to sip in as my worries and insecurities chewed up my faith in God. Disappointments like bad results start to appear as death. During these moments, God seems to become so abstract and unreachable.
But God is good all the time and all the time God is good ... TO ME.
One night, after a long study of Physics which had probably shortened my life by a few days (kidding XD, no seriously), I took up Joseph Prince’s ‘Destined to Reign Devotional’ book that has been sitting on my table for so long untouched. Then I came across this verse:
“Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6: 11).
Yea yea, I know, you are thinking, what has the devil gotta do with any of this?
But the key word here is neither the devil nor the armour of God, it’s the word ‘stand’. Yes, STAND! All God is asking us to do is to STAND, not wrestle, not challenge, and definitely not suffer! The word ‘stand’ implies that we are fighting FROM victory ground, not FOR victory. It’s amazing how God could use ordinary words to reveal extraordinary revelations.
Victory has always been ours since the very moment, the very nanosecond we believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. For it is written:
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (Romans 8: 37)
What’s even more awesome is that we already have everything in Christ! This is proven in 1 Corinthians 3: 22 – whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours.
So, after reading this, I found myself asking, why on Earth am I struggling when victory and everything in the world already belongs to me? After this revelation, I could practically feel the weight lifted off my shoulders and I could actually … breathe.
In today’s society, many feel entrapped and imprisoned by oneself. But there is a particular group of people, who are going through what I had experienced. They are being locked with chains when the key to these locks is in their hands, the key being Jesus Christ. As you might have already guessed, this group of people are the Christians, the chosen ones of God.
Are you one of them?
Well, I was one of them, but am no longer one because I’ve received the revelation!
So, I would like to challenge you today, to take this step of faith, to live a victorious life, to be a history maker. Whatever life throws at you, return to basics, return to your first love. Our loving Papa wants nothing but the best for us. Life is smashing and victorious with God on our side.
Seriously, life rocks!!
Written by Blog Writer,
~Julia~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
I believe that most of us have heard of this phrase before. So what is a habit? Based on Wikipedia (this finally being a place you can quote Wikipedia!), a habit is an acquired pattern of behaviour that often occurs automatically. Well if it’s in our nature to give and do what is right automatically then that will be a good habit to keep. But for this article we’ll be looking at a bad habit which is much seen in our church today. And this habit is regarding punctuality.
From my point of view, I believe that much needs to be done regarding this as the longer this habit stays with us, the harder it’ll be to let go. Like ice-cream/Starcraft. Haha. Now let us see a few issues which need to be looked at.
As all of us know UWA service starts at 9am Sunday morning and this has been the time our service starts since the beginning of the year. At the beginning of the year it may seem ok that you see people entering through the backdoor of service (late) as they’re not used to waking up early for church. But sadly when hanging around church at 8:50am on the last UWA service for semester 1, I could only see a handful of people gathering outside the doors of our church. With much hope of a better semester 2, I went to ask the ushers of our church on what it’s like this time around and their respond was saying yes, it is getting better, but just a little.
2. When telling each other the time for an event:
What do I mean by this? Well, let me list an example of a dialogue between 2 people.
Example:
Louis: Hey tomorrow you coming right?
Will: Ya, what time is it?
Louis: It’s at 6. But more or less everyone will reach at 6:30.
I know that this occurs a lot when it comes to our events and this creates a mindset of:
(Time 6:00pm)
Ooo.. It’s already six, don’t worry the rest wouldn’t be there yet, I can start getting ready now. (Unrushed)
Isn’t it weird why so many of us can arrive at our exam halls much earlier than the paper itself but we can’t seem to arrive at God’s house on time? Whose waiting on who? Is the Lord Almighty in all His majesty waiting on us or are we waiting on Him?
I really hope that this issue can come to a close as soon as possible before Zion Praise Harvest becomes a church labelled for its lateness. Don’t think this can happen? Just to drive the point home, when arriving on time to an event organised by ex church members they were very much surprised and were expecting us to be late. ):
Hope ALL of you can see the importance of this. Let us together make the right decisions rather than excuses anymore, as bad habits are easier to abandon TODAY than tomorrow.
Let’s create a greater image for our church when it comes to punctuality and remember it starts with YOU. Remember what we learned last semester about an unstoppable generation? Well how can an unstoppable generation be late? To end this let me add something to the beginning quote, ‘old habits die hard,’ but they still have to die. (:
Written by Blog Writer,
~Michael~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Another year has passed, and before you know it, we’re in the busy busy busy month of September! With so many events held by our church in the span of a month from mid august to September, let us not forget about the Australian Father’s day which was last weekend!
How long has it been since you last said “I LOVE YOU” to your dad? When was the last time you spoke to him on the phone? Has it been too long to remember the last time you hugged your dad tightly? Did you notice that the grays threading through his hair are more obvious now?
It’s been 9 long months since I last saw my father. And yes, you’re right, I really do miss him badly. How I wish I can just hop on a plane right now and pay him a visit! But, the truth of it is, I can’t. What I can do instead is to remember to call home and share my life here in Perth as a student with him.
My dad is a strict parent, and not one that expresses himself well. There are times, when I see my friends playing or joking with their fathers, I find myself being jealous and envious of that comfortable relationship they have with their dads. Thoughts like “why isn’t my father like that?” or “ why does my dad not do what XYZ’s dad does for her?” and sadly also, “if only my dad was more like Uncle ABC” runs through my head. Even though he prepares breakfast for me every single morning, takes care of me when I am ill and works long hours for my tuition fees… I never really saw what he has been doing for our family. I was completely blindsided by the jealousy in me.
Only when I came to Perth did I notice the things my dad has been doing for me. Now, there isn’t anyone who gets up at 5 to prepare breakfast for me, to fetch me to school, or drive me around to visit the shops etc. I’ve come to realize that my father’s love is like sand. Each and every grain looks so small and insignificant, but when accumulated, it overwhelms.
Father’s day is but just a day, but being a dad is a lifetime vocation. I still recall my Sunday School teacher telling us that we have 2 fathers in our life, our Heavenly Father, and our earthly father. Our earthly father, was chosen by our heavenly Father to protect and nurture us. He is an angel as well as a servant chosen by our dear Heavenly Father.
“You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care.” [Job 10:12]
“He will love you and bless you, and he will give you many children. He will give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land he swore to give your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats.” [Deuteronomy 7:13]
God blesses us abundantly; with our lovely parents, our friends, and most importantly, life. And because of Him, I have the inspiration and opportunity to share about this with you guys.
As a child, all we do is receive and benefit from our father’s actions. Well, it is time to remember that dads (manly as they are) also need our love and encouragement! Remember to say “thank you” and “l love you” to your fathers, you never know how much it means to them!
God Bless! :)
Written by blog writer,
Mary-Ann
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
On the 19th of January 2010, she ventured into an unknown territory, a place called Perth. It was foreign to her as it was a place she’s never been to before. It was her first time being away from her family, her home and her friends ... she was alone. During her first few days in Perth, her mind was flooded with questions and self-doubt. Why did she choose to come to a place where English is the first language when she was doubtful of her own command of the language? If she is unable to communicate with the people here, wouldn’t that affect her chances of getting good results for her studies as well? And if that was the case, then what’s the point?
“He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store.”[Job 23:14]
Well, friends, if you haven’t already realized, our dear heavenly Father is always making the first move towards us in every situation. Whenever we’re in need, He’s always there to provide love, comfort, support and timely help. Everything He does has its own purpose.
Before long, the freshie stopped worrying and started placing her trust in God. His plans are always purposeful and well timed, and she is sure of this, as she is living proof.
107, French Street is the house she is currently staying in. This house is a BIG present that she has been blessed with. Initially, it felt more like a torment than a blessing for her to live in this place. There were many problems with the house when she first moved in, and almost everything in this house just didn’t seem to work the way it should. She complained and complained constantly and hoped the people in-charge of housing for her college would shift her to a better house.
Yes, He is truly amazing!
Regardless of what time and season we are in, our heavenly Father is constantly guiding us, never once losing sight of us. He has your future and every little detail concerning you all mapped out, yet the details are never forthcoming. Only at the right time will the details be revealed, and all we can do in the meantime is to prepare ourselves to receive His GREAT plan.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” [Jeremiah 29:11]
So friends, be patient and wait in anticipation of the great things that are in store for you! THE BEST IS YET TO BE!
Written by blog writer,
~Mary-Ann~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Unlike my other UWA counterparts, I started school a week later.
I admit I had a minor tussle with my alarm clock on my first day but I managed to make my way to school on time. And boy was it good to be back! Although I go into uni 2 days a week, it’s a pretty hectic 2 days.
From my first lecture of the day to my last tutorial, I was receiving assignments and readings so fast I was shocked. Bam bam bam! I was running in and out of lectures and tutes with a growing bulk of work. I felt like dying miserably and I remember thinking, “It’s only the first week of school”.
Undeterred, I put it upon myself to do all my readings, start planning out my essays and to begin work on two presentations. However, I spent the rest of the week waking up past noon, failed to finish my readings, fell asleep yet again when I tried to plan my essay and settled into a bad mood. My brain refused to cooperate with me! I couldn’t understand why I was feeling so tired and unproductive.
I felt exhausted and frustrated at myself and I didn’t feel like doing my quiet time. During one of my ‘talks’ with God, I was suddenly reminded of this verse:
“God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect.” 2 Samuel 22:33
It made me realize something. During the entire course of the week, I had never once asked God to help me with my work. I thanked Him for the day He has given me, but I haven’t asked for His help. I saw how much I needed to rely, not on myself, but on Him and I was humbled by this verse.
It is not easy remembering to rely on God. As humans, we naturally try to accomplish tasks and feats on our own before admitting we need help. Yes, God did bless us with our own natural talents but we have our shortcomings as well.
It is very easy for us to fall back onto our own strengths to get the job done, but it is also important for us to ask God to strengthen us because our human power can only last us for so long; whereas God’s strength is eternal.
There will be times where we feel we can:
- Handle our personal issues
- Complete that assignment
- Conclude that arguement
- Rule the world (just joking)
But seriously, when you encounter situations such as these, what is your first response? I won’t lie. My first response is to see how I can handle the situation. I find that after a while, I tend to burn out. I too need reminding that our Lord is our strength and provider. He can carry all our problems for us.
“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”. Isaiah 40:31
“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:29-30
It does not mean that God will snap His fingers and dissolve your worries for you instantly. No; instead, He will supply you with sufficient strength and energy for you to overcome whatever your circumstances.
Let us not carry our burdens alone by ourselves but instead, surrender it to the Lord our provider; Jehovah-jireh.
Written by blog writer,
~Fel~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Sharing is Caring
(Caught in the middle of a scuffle between Aimee and Kaitlyn, my attempts to prise the doll away from them were drowned by screams of protests and kicks of indignance. At last, with the help of their older sister, Renee, they were physically separated. As I calm the upset Aimee, Renee approached Kaitlyn, who was still fuming with the ‘injustice’ that had befallen upon her. Collapsed on the couch, arms folded and pouting, Kaitlyn was not being easy. But Renee had her way. Stroking Kaitlyn’s hair gently, she spoke these few words of knowledge, “… sharing is caring.”).
Just a few weeks ago, on the 8th of August, our first back-to-back service at UWA passed by in a flurry of activities. All at once, there were many different things and different groups of people working together at the same time- the ushers, projection team, booth holders, sound team, and service coordinators overseeing the entire process to ensure that the service flows smoothly and on time. All these behind-the-scene moments that many of us often overlook suddenly seemed more pronounced at this particular service. Perhaps it was our unusual swift exit out of the Social Science Lecture Theatre that made it so.
We could say that we’ve been good hosts, extending our love and ‘service hall’ to our brothers and sisters of Curtin zone, lending our resources and services to others in times of need. But I invite you now to consider this perspective- we do not lend, we share.
Now you may wonder, perplexed out of your mind, what is the difference between lending and sharing? Well, we lend with an expectation of reciprocation, but we share out of generosity and love without any expectation. Do we say to our siblings, “Eh, I lend you my stapler, now, you have to return to me the exact number of staples you used okay??” (If anyone of you admits to this sort of mentality, remember there is no condemnation!) Of course not! We would and should gladly offer our whole pencil case if need be!
The same goes to hosting the Curtin zone. Being our direct ‘siblings’ (because we’re all in the same church), we adopt the sharing mentality, and offer this little bit as an act of service. At the start of the year, UWA-zone was blessed with a bigger and prettier venue, a swop of service timing to worship on glorious Sunday mornings, and not forgetting the dim sum lunches after service. The blessing does not stop there, and I can go on and on for how much each ministry has benefitted from the Lord. But the bottom-line stands that as we received freely, we also give freely. We are filled with God’s blessings and love so that we can share what we’ve experienced and know to be so awesome and real.
Isn’t this the same with what God has done for us and has called us to do? To share the gospel? To love one another?
Wherever you are placed in this season of your life, it is by no means a coincidence. It could be the course that you’re enrolled in, this particular cell group, a specific friend you’ve come to know better, or even a painful period that you’ve just gone through. It is not a coincidence! God brings you through all these for a reason and I encourage you to realise that this is your ‘mission field’ in this season of your life. There is no other person in this entire world that has the exact same experience as yours.
Use your circumstance to share the good news and the greatness of our Lord, as what our guest speaker, Ms. Lily Foo has been doing. Due to a severe accident, Lily was bed-ridden for a period of time and is temporarily using a wheelchair to get around while her body recovers. Amidst all these, Lily continues to rejoice and testify to God’s amazing grace and love.
As we carry on with our day-to-day life, busying ourselves with assignments, work, meetings and friends, let us not overlook the people in our lives; the ones who are crying out for a word of encouragement, a touch of friendship or a moment of attention. As aptly put by Sanger, “A person’s spiritual walk is like a chain, with links of encounters. You can be any link in the chain; JUST DON’T BE THE MISSING LINK!”
I want to encourage all of us not to be afraid of rejection or the opinions of others. Instead, allow yourselves to be filled with childlike faith and act upon your instincts, not letting our inabilities stand in the way. Why share? In the wise words of 5-year-old Kaitlyn Chen, “… because people believe in other Gods and people need to know that Jesus is real.”
As we all take a bigger step to spread the word and share His love, let’s begin to prepare our hearts and pray for the people we are inviting; may their hearts be open to encounter the love of Christ. You might just be that missing link!
Written by blog writer,
~Debs~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
(Caught in the middle of a scuffle between Aimee and Kaitlyn, my attempts to prise the doll away from them were drowned by screams of protests and kicks of indignance. At last, with the help of their older sister, Renee, they were physically separated. As I calm the upset Aimee, Renee approached Kaitlyn, who was still fuming with the ‘injustice’ that had befallen upon her. Collapsed on the couch, arms folded and pouting, Kaitlyn was not being easy. But Renee had her way. Stroking Kaitlyn’s hair gently, she spoke these few words of knowledge, “… sharing is caring.”).
We could say that we’ve been good hosts, extending our love and ‘service hall’ to our brothers and sisters of Curtin zone, lending our resources and services to others in times of need. But I invite you now to consider this perspective- we do not lend, we share.
Now you may wonder, perplexed out of your mind, what is the difference between lending and sharing? Well, we lend with an expectation of reciprocation, but we share out of generosity and love without any expectation. Do we say to our siblings, “Eh, I lend you my stapler, now, you have to return to me the exact number of staples you used okay??” (If anyone of you admits to this sort of mentality, remember there is no condemnation!) Of course not! We would and should gladly offer our whole pencil case if need be!
Think about it.
Isn’t this the same with what God has done for us and has called us to do? To share the gospel? To love one another?
“The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” Isaiah 61:1
Wherever you are placed in this season of your life, it is by no means a coincidence. It could be the course that you’re enrolled in, this particular cell group, a specific friend you’ve come to know better, or even a painful period that you’ve just gone through. It is not a coincidence! God brings you through all these for a reason and I encourage you to realise that this is your ‘mission field’ in this season of your life. There is no other person in this entire world that has the exact same experience as yours.
As we carry on with our day-to-day life, busying ourselves with assignments, work, meetings and friends, let us not overlook the people in our lives; the ones who are crying out for a word of encouragement, a touch of friendship or a moment of attention. As aptly put by Sanger, “A person’s spiritual walk is like a chain, with links of encounters. You can be any link in the chain; JUST DON’T BE THE MISSING LINK!”
I want to encourage all of us not to be afraid of rejection or the opinions of others. Instead, allow yourselves to be filled with childlike faith and act upon your instincts, not letting our inabilities stand in the way. Why share? In the wise words of 5-year-old Kaitlyn Chen, “… because people believe in other Gods and people need to know that Jesus is real.”
As we all take a bigger step to spread the word and share His love, let’s begin to prepare our hearts and pray for the people we are inviting; may their hearts be open to encounter the love of Christ. You might just be that missing link!
Written by blog writer,
~Debs~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
