LoveOneAnother

Friday, March 20, 2009

Play to win!
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Today I reflected and realized I may have a wrong mindset on winning all along.

Recently (to be exact, 2 days ago), I went for a training program to be a sports presenter. The first job assigned is to give a 1 minute presentation on my favorite sport or my favorite athlete. I’m to use a microphone and stand in front of a rolling camera.

Being the oldest in the room (besides Mark Richmond) and with my experience as a church vocalist, I have no problem standing in front of a camera and doing my job. I was also able to interact with youths and be a blessing to them. However, this morning, I realized that I have a faulty mindset. During the training, when we were supposed to “sell” ourselves as blatantly as possible in front of the camera, I adopted a “It’s ok, I’ll just take it easy. Whatever role they cast me in would be fine. I don’t have to play to win.”

While there is no wrong in taking it easy and leaving the results to God, I realized I should have played to win. Yes, I should have aimed to do my very best and be selected for the most demanding role.

Perhaps some background would be good at this point in time. Based on our 1 minute presentation, we would be cast into the following categories:

Announcer – As the word suggests, an announcer announces the arrival or background of a player or team.
Commentator – A person who commentates on the game, usually with some interesting background information of the previous game. Requires an in depth knowledge of the game.
Presenter – A person who presents and hosts TV shows.

So needless to say, being a presenter is like the highest honor. While I am really cool about being an announcer or commentator (if they choose me), I think being a presenter and training for it would give the most exposure.

Nevertheless, God holds my tomorrow. So I will bloom where I am planted.

However, for future auditions, I am definitely going to aim high!

I will play to win.

Reflected by: Kelly at 7.55am on 20 March 2009

Labels: YOG

I'm Gonna Touch the Sky!
12:32 PM

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What's in a name?
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What's in a name? To some, it represents their destiny and to others it means nothing. As most know, I have a boyish sounding Mandarin name. I don't mind the meaning of it, but was rather put off by the way the name came about - through a fortune teller! It was wonderful when God gave me a new Mandarin name at one of the Encounters which I attended. Now my Mandarin name has more spunk and direction to it!

But Mandarin name aside, I have an English name that's representative of me. Kelly in the Gaelic language means "brave warrior (or warrioress, in my case)". This morning, as I was traveling to work, I received a new name after my not-so-interesting-talk with Mr S. A. Tan (read previous post).

I am proud to present to you Kelly Ruth Esther Low. My oh my, you may say, "What loooong name you've got!" Yup, that's my new unofficial name. From a biblical point of view, a name determines the fate of the person, or at times, even a nation!

Ruth is a woman of the Bible whom I admire a great deal. Imagine a day when you lose everything u have and yet choose to walk into an uncertain future with an old lady in tow (and the old lady happens to be your mother-in-law). Wow. Even the people in Naomi's homeland were appreciative and applauded Ruth's love for her mother-in-law (MIL).

Now, what really hits the nail in the eye is that Ruth subjected herself to do what her MIL asked her to do in chapter 3. She didn't say to her MIL, "O mother, but that Boaz is an old man!" Ok, so Boaz is older, maybe not exactly a wizened old man, but still, from Boaz's reply to Ruth in chapter 3 verse 10, it did imply that Ruth could have gotten someone younger.

So, in a nut shell, Ruth is a woman of love and faithfulness and I want to be like her.

Now, how about Esther? Esther was obedient to her uncle, Mordecai, and did as he instructed her. But I really like Esther for her humanness. Like all normal homo sapiens facing great calamity, Esther exhibited some form of fear in chapter 4. But she chose to do the right thing and decided that her life is in God's hands when she cried "If I perish, I perish!"

What words of courage! I really like it and so I constantly remind myself that like Esther, my life and fate belongs to God too. If Kelly perish, she perish!

Also, Esther allowed the king's eunuch to help her in chapter 2 verse 15. She's one smart lass and I'm definitely going to learn this trait of hers! The rest of the girls in the harem chose what they thought was best for them, but Esther took what the eunuch chose for her. It's really the best thing to do because the eunuch knows the king much much better.

Ok, now that you have read about Ruth and Esther, don't you think they are good names for a girl like me? Kelly the warrioress coupled with Ruth the faithful-loyal and Esther the woman-who-leaves-her-life-in-God's-hands definite makes me shine.

Henceforth, I shall be known as Kelly Ruth Esther Low!

Encountered by: Kelly 7.50am 20 March 2009

I'm Gonna Touch the Sky!
12:11 PM

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Sinner saved by grace
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This is going to be a short one.

This morning, as I was taking the bus to the MRT station, Mr S.A. Tan decided to plop himself down next to my ears and started talking to me in a not-so-soft "whisper" that:

You are a sinner!
How can God love you?
You always sin against Him. He can’t accept you.
You think you can stand before Him when you sin against Him every time?

To which I replied with the following:

Yes, I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner saved by grace.

And I prayed to our Living God the following:
Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit. The Almighty God. The Living God who created the whole universe. I know I'm a sinner. Every punishment that I should receive is my just deserves. I've sinned and I deserve all punishment. But God, please forgive me. I may be a sinner but I believe in You. Cleanse me, cleanse my heart. I'm your servant. I may not be your most obedient servant, but please change me so that I will serve you all the days of my life.

And then to Satan, the accuser, I say:

Not by my own merits [that I stand before God], but by the blood of Jesus.

Thus ends the short 5 minutes conversation with satan.

Encountered by: Kelly, 7.35am, 20 March 2009

I'm Gonna Touch the Sky!
12:02 PM

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G12 Conference Reflection
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The recent G12 conference has passed. What did you glean?

For me, I caught one thing – the power of the blood of Jesus. It was in the afternoon of the second day when God impressed upon my heart about the power of His blood. Since God spoke, I acted. I looked through the list of books and saw a book by the name of “The blood of Jesus”. And I bought the book on Day 3.

Till now, the message still rings clear. We are to apportion the blood of Jesus and remember to stand behind Jesus at all times. It is foolishness to be gung-ho and stand in front of Jesus as if you can handle it all by yourself.

I remember that it’s not by my own effort or by my own merit that I be victorious. It is truly by Jesus’ blood that enables me to lift my head high when satan comes to accuse me or reminds me of my failings.

Through the interactive role-play by Pastor Cesar and volunteers from the audience, I was able to capture the message in vivid details. Some are kinesthetic learners, while others are audio or visual learners. I happen to be a visual-kinesthetic. So this form of presentation sears itself in my mind.

Bringing the message closer to home and back to my life application, I have started to apportion the blood of Jesus in my life. Because of the conference, I was also able to receive healing for past disappointments and start to dream again. It’s been a long time since I last believed in the dream which God gave me when I first became a Christian. I lost sight of what I was to be because I was looking at all the failures in my life. But all those do not matter anymore. I now remember the vision which God gave me and will aspire to journey with Jesus to fulfill it.

In the area of work, I no longer focus on the things that I have failed to do. Instead, I aspire to complete the things that I have to. It brings me great relief to leave the past to God and move on with the things He has placed before me. I am truly glad for the G12 conference.

Something else which I caught was through the sermon delivered by Sarah Castellanos during the Volunteer Service at 8.30am on Sunday. It was impacting and life changing. At the end of the session, I only had one thing on my mind – I want my Father! Sarah also said to us, “You cannot sin anymore.” Yes, that word is seared in my mind too. My application is to spend 1 hour a day with God, reading His word and praying. I was successful for two days before lapsing into negligence for the next 3 days. Today is the sixth day and I am going to start the “1 hour a day with Jesus” again. Keep me accountable!

Reflected by: Kelly on 15 March 2009
Posted on: 20 March 2009

Labels: G12, Reflections

I'm Gonna Touch the Sky!
11:37 AM

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Monday, March 16, 2009

Hi FAMILY!!! I'm finally able to login and yeah, can post now!

Wow, looking back... I've managed to attend all the G12 conf sessions thus far! Each year I'm excited to go G12 conf...one day I'll go to Bogota! In 2003, my boss wanted me to fly off to US and I went to him in prayer to request that the trip be postponed till G12 ended. This year I thank God again that I can still attend before I deliver =)

What is it so attractive about G12 conf that I so long to be there? I myself don't have the best answer except that I so much want to drink deep from the anointed man/woman of GOD...of course most importantly listening to God Himself speaking.

Ps Nina left me a deep impression this year, I simply want to applaud her for her simple obedience in letting God work in her life. Though she knows her inadequacy, but she's simply a great example to me in stepping up in faith. I myself still need to polish and be polished in many many areas!

Ps Ceasar is the dear great-great-grandfather, humbled as always, loving as always, faithful instructions is always on his lips. It's like Jesus is in your home...well would you want to be Martha doing the housework of do you want to be like Mary enjoying his presence? haha... I'll do the housework first so I can free myself to listen to God and then back to do remaining housework later! =P

I thank God that after a year of Sabbath, it's our vision... and it should always be our vision to 'LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR'. Before I can do that, I need that renewed heart, renewed passion and renewed motivation. After so many years, it is simply not easy to go out to love and love, give and give. It's a joy when you see lives change for the better, its most heartbreaking when you see lives stagnant or turns for the worst. Thank you Lord and use me as your vessel once more .
If I change, everything else will change! =)

Rev12:11
They overcame him (devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

love, Aunna

I'm Gonna Touch the Sky!
3:49 PM

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