.JPG)
2007 marks the start of my second year walking with the Lord. Now, it is already at the end of 2008 and I have to reflect back to 2007 to give thanks for a remarkable walk with God.
At the end of 2006, I still remember I prayed to God to use me and open the doors for me to serve Him in 2007. I was praying for Children Church Ministry and Writing Ministry. By January 2007, I have already started serving Children Church as a helper for the children aged 9-11 years old. Not long after that, I also embarked into The Writing Ministry.
I wanted my life to be meaningful and purposefully driven and I want to live out His words, “but seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33.
How have Children Church blessed me
I was still a young Christian at that time being excited to explore my new life with God and His work in Church and His mission on earth. I was just merely a year old Christian still growing in my faith. In the entire 2007, I was just learning in Children Church. I felt that I was like one of the children, learning and getting to know God. Cool huh?
I was driven by the desire to serve Children Church because I wish I can do more for the children so that they will not be a lost child like many other children and also like me. Imagine, the more of us help and contribute to lead and guide the children, the fewer children will grow up with unnecessary hurt and mistakes out there. More importantly, it is sad for a child not to live out the purpose God has designed for them. As an adult, it is the community’s responsibility to play role to influence and impact rightly to a child.
Serving the children has allowed me to learn how important their future is if we would contribute some of our love, time and living-out-the-example to them. It is all about doing and living out the right attitude despite our circumstances and weaknesses.
I do not have any talent or skills in teaching but in Children Church, I was trained to have. Everything was learnt and it was the opportunity given to me in Children Church that has made me a more versatile person, God has turned my in-capabilities to capabilities. In Children Church, I was given the opportunity to be part of the Deco team for 2007 CC Christmas Production, to teach on stage in the VBS Camp and one of the most enjoying thing is to practice worship every Thursday. Not only that, the practices, planning and teaching the children on Saturday was also a challenge that I enjoyed a lot.
I feel that life is useful, purposeful, balanced and more meaningful when I contribute the time, talents and my life which God has entrusted to me. Life is not so bored and routine when we do more, but then again, it is also important to nurture what is inside of me.
Serving the as part of Writing Team
If you know me, I am not a very vocal person. I love to write. I can’t write like an expert nor I have powerful vocabulary and nor do I have a perfect English command.
It is really a privilege to be able to serve in DUMC, a wonderful Church who sees our hearts desire for God. Even thought I cannot write well, but the ministry gave me the opportunity to serve through writing their e-Newsletter which is circulated online to all of our church members.
The motto in serving the writing team is, “if one person is blessed reading it, it is worth it.” Many times, people are either too busy to read or may it is me myself discouraged myself when I am not being acknowledged or given credits for writing has pulled a little lower. However, the more I served in writing; I was the one who is blessed most. During the 6 months probation in 2007, I faced many challenges. I had hard time catching up with our Senior Pastor’s sermon because he speaks fast and perhaps I was slow. I even made a lot of grammar mistakes, sending it late to my editor and also faced many internet and computer technical problems. I was so thankful for the encouragement, support and more importantly the patience given to me by my editor. Imagine many times that I have sent late, has caused my editor to have less sleep then maybe struggling to stay awake at work the next day.
At first, I wanted to give up because I thought I was not fit to serve. However, I was so happy when my editor included me to join the writing team for training and also included me to write in 2008! What a privilege and joy! The joy is, I am so blessed to see faithful reader, just one reader who motivates me more, and the reader is my mom. She is the most faithful reader, demanding me to print out for her every week, praying the prayer points and even reads it thoroughly before her cell group meeting starts.
The e-newsletter has blessed me because I have to listen to Pastor’s sermon many times, read the bible, and pray for understanding and also wisdom. I am the one who is most blessed apart from the readers. Knowledge and wisdom was added unto me.
I also learn that: Knowledge is knowing the information, wisdom is applying the knowledge. Good one?
It is really not an easy to serve on top of having a personal life where every normal life we have. Apart from family, house work and work’s work… there is God’s work. Because of His love for his people, people who do not know His love, is the key of our motivation. In fact it is more than motivation, it is more than inspiration, and it is a MISSION. It is a mission to spread His love.
Mission Trip to Thailand
In March 2007, just after I left my job at Public Bank, I went to Thailand with Hoong Looi, Joey and Thomas. We had about two months preparation for our skit, teachings and worship before going to Chiang Mai, Thailand. I practice weekly after work.
We stayed with Ken Leong, Su Fong and their children Sarah and Seth. They are missionaries working in Chiang Mai. They are wonderful family, inspiring and love God and the Thai people of course. They left all that they have and will have in Malaysia, in order to bless the Thai people with their love and love of God.
It was like a mission-holiday for me. We went to villages to visit, we taught English to a group of children in a village and also ran a-day-seminar of Life Skills in Chiang Mai University. I was so blessed to be part of Chiang Mai, to enjoy the hot and dry weather and also the food. I love their Kuey Teow soup and also sticky rice with mango. I also like their toilets, because it is so surprisingly dry and clean.
I was bought with a price
For I know my life is purchased with a price, a cost where Jesus, God in flesh died for me. Why? Why work so hard for life? Indeed I am reminded to humble myself again, to die my own desire, to honour God who loves me. The bible says,
“You were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit.” 1 Corinthians 6:20.
My baptism and membership encounter weekend
In the mid of the year 2007, again I took the courage to be baptized. It was a time of confession for my past, to let it die and to be born again. Baptism is a symbol of born again where we submerge into the water and emerge out of the water represent that our old-self “died” and Christ birth forth in us. It was a public declaration for me and my commitment to follow Jesus and to allow Him to lead my life. I was the last batch of people baptized in the pool of our old church premise in Sea Park.
Before my baptism, I went for Baptism and Membership Encounter Weekend (BMEW) with my friends, Hannah, Franky and Jacky. We had fun time there, enjoying and eating. I still remember, I almost couldn’t go for the BMEW because I was supposed to work on Saturday in my new company. Thank God for my colleagues who were so gracious and flexible to accommodate me!
Yes, there it goes my baptism, declaring the song “I have decided to follow Jesus … no turning back….” Life will never be perfect, because we are going to be his WORK IN PROGRESS. There is nothing less, or more worse since my baptism, but instead, more joy, more love, life, blessings, assurance, more learning, more meaning and more and more and more purposeful.
Good gift – My Relationship with Calvin Ong
It was in MCPP 2 that I got to know this chap in February 2007. I was so naïve then, to wonder why did Pastor Ling selected him to be the leader for our group assignment. What is so special about him that he is the leader? I was curious not jealous.
In between February 2007 to August 2007, our group was supposed to do an assignment about an unreached people group in Nepal, called Tharu. Also, we had the privilege to interview a missionary called Bee Lian. She loves reading the bible like love letters from God. It was an inspiring quote for us.
There were four of us in a group, but somehow it seems like the other two members were always busy with either college assignment, college classed or ministry. End up, only me and Calvin always meet up and emailed each other on the assignments. It was really cool to work with him on the assignment discovering how seriously he took the work of God.
After some assignment meet-ups, we actually detour to have dinner and shoppings in One Utama instead. I enjoyed our friendship and conversation. He looks a bit messy when I first met him, wearing oversize t-shirts and pants on top of his thin-framed size. As for me, I know I look very blur in Church because I was new to Church and God.
After countless tele-chats and meet-ups, we ended up being together on 26th September 2007 which is a moon cake festival. Earlier, on 31st August 2007, he brought me to Putrajaya by the riverside to see fireworks, it was supposed to be romantic, but don’t know why there are no fireworks and also the river was smelly and the bridge was packed with mat-rempits and their motorbikes. On that day, he asked me to consider and pray for our friendship to go to the next level.
My decision with him was based on three simple guidelines;
1. Prayer
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present ALL your request to God. And peace of God will transcends all understanding, will guide your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
You see I was anxious, but prayer helps to keep my excited flapping feet under water. Yeah, I had peace accepting Calvin.
2. Affirmation
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (2 Cor 2:14)
Some friends affirmed me that Calvin is good and Godly, in fact they encouraged me. As for me, the affirmation was more than that; he must be someone that the fragrance of Christ has spread to many. If not have can that number of friends speaks of Calvin?
3. Say yes! hehehe...
Got my job in April 2007
I was offered a wonderful job in Newlake Development Sdn Bhd in February 2007. After my mission trip to Thailand, I started my job at this company on 9th April 2007. My position of that workplace is Senior Marketing Executive. In fact, after graduating less than a year, I consider myself well paid and well rewarded in this company. This I have to thanks for.
I can never forget, my first interview meeting up Genreal Manager for the first time. She is a persistent and determined career lady. She also speaks right from the heart clearly what were her expectations if I were to work with her. She told me that she would give me the opportunity that would change my career life. Indeed.
I was blessed with the opportunity to learn. Initially I have to juggle a lot with the culture. Not long after that, I was able to manage my work and keep up the rapport with my colleagues. I had wonderful joys and sweet sorrows experience there.
More importantly, I was able to contribute to the company, making a stand for my faith, not to please man but to please my Abba Father in Heaven, who sees me all the time. I also blessed with wonderful colleagues, though there are trial times but indeed the trials times tested our friendship and loyalty towards one another, sticking up for one another.
I am also blessed with God’s faithfulness in my sales. Indeed what I have prayed for is his partnership with me, to grant me the opportunity to have sales leads especially for the first project. I wanted to be an asset to the company and not a liability. Although God has not only blessed me but also others, but I really want to acknowledge it all that is good from the Lord. He deserves all of our honour and praise, and the name worthy of all names.
Ending the Chapter in 2007
I would like to end the Chapter in 2007 with thanksgiving. I want to specially thank God for my family how my brother came to know the Lord in Church, my sister growing to serve God and also blessed in her STPM, my mom fervently loving God and also my dad, joining us to Church. We are united because of His love, brought us together. Well, it’s not just about God, Church and just the name Jesus, in fact it is all about Him.
I often wonder it would be an amiss for me and my family not to know God. How could I live without God? And His living manual, the Bible? How can I miss a wonderful relationship with God for the past 23 years of my life? Well, I have a long way to know God more, I am still excited with this “new” life with Jesus. I am still.
More than awesome, more than a million words
My wonder, if only people know Him, they will exchange all to have Him in their life, life would be dynamic and awesome! If people’s life now is awesome, if they know God, it would me more than awesome! I can’t explain with million words.
