ξεδιπλώνονται

Just updated my particulars in the NS Portal, and under occupation, I'm listed as-
NON-ORDAINED RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONAL

Really funny, never knew a church worker's occupation can sound so... corporate!

1 year of Riding, with no points, thank God!
2A course starts tomorrow, time to look around for a 2A bike :D

It is one thing to write, to read, and to know, but another to live.

This year's TDF has been filled with crashes, and that's not adding Wouter Weylandt's passing just months ago. Vino and Wiggo with broken bones, watching the French TV car crashing into Flecha and Hoogerland... (with Hoogerland still claiming the KOM!)

It's just a reminder of God's grace and mercies in life each day. Even the best of men are subject to circumstances beyond their control. Watching Hoogerland flung by the car into a barbed wire fence was nothing short of horrifying. There's been more than a few occasions when I've almost been subject to near misses and scrapes by similar passing cars, and well, that's just pretty much a reminder of the realities of life.

More than often, we rush and get so caught up in life that we forget about the simplest things that God has given to us. In light of it all, it leaves on with little doubt about God's Divine sovereignty and will, and it leaves one with little or no questions about life. Sometimes, we don't need to know everything.

Reflecting upon what Elder Lan said at PM, "We're all good at meditation, it's just what we meditate on!"
I've found that there are days when it's far more profitable to just read a short little passage, and have that one or two little thoughts in mind throughout the day, than to have read whole chapters of deep theology, only to feel saturated. With that one or two little thoughts, it can do a whole lot by shaping the way one lives, even if it's just little tweaks here and there. 

Well, I'm definitely not an academically inclined person, and I'm thankful I'm not a crammer. While it's a shortcoming on brainspace, I'm thankful because it allows me appreciate the sufficient amount of grey matter God has given to get by, day after day.

Another epiphany while in the shower.

Another pattern of action seen amongst the saints of old... A common two step "procedure" of dealing with issues and situations seen in the Bible can be summed into 2 practical steps

-Have I prayed about it?
-What have I done about it?

Needless to say, the Word of God has to be consulted, and it must be the source of guiding principles behind the prayer and action. However, for the sake of practical action, we can stick with the 2.

-Moses often prayed for his beloved nation, and has often warned them again and again
Yet, they chose to sin and often went against God

3 days of immersion into the Word of God and Christian fellowship.

-Fellowship
The word doesn't simply mean a gathering of believers. It's a word that describes God's relationship with us. It's often overused! Our fellowship starts right from our relationship with God. It is given, managed, and totally part of God's grace to us. It is also a partnership with Christ, where life is incomplete without God to do.

-"Never pursue any of our desires beyond His will for us."
Just had to write it down when Rev. Koshy mentioned this. My desires, must be HIS desires first. My desires must be lead by God, and fashioned after what God wants for me. Whether its major issues in life, big or small events, friends, marriage, it all has to be God's leading and providence.

Whoops, partial post found in my saved drafts folder. To be continued! Posting this a few weeks late!

Read from James 4:3 tonight at Prayer meeting, and it stood out quite a bit...

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

It's not an easy verse to take in I'd say, because when we turn the light of God's Word on our often deceptive and straying hearts, even at times when we're praying for something perfectly fine in accordance to God's Word, we can ask amiss because we would want it for our own gain, more than God's.

The motives that we have, leading to prayer, must often be examined again and again. We've got to absolutely put God's glory and gain above any of our personal wants and desires. There are verses that often talk about desires in prayer-

"Therefore I say unto you, what thingsoever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24)
"Delight thyself also int he LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Ps 37:4)

As much as we're asked to pray out of the desires of our hearts, we must not forget that the heart is still subject to sin and the old nature. Our desires cannot be selfish! Our desires in prayer must first and foremost be for the glory of God, according to God's desire and will, never to be consumed upon our own lusts/desires. Think about it, would God grant to us something that we would use to satisfy ourselves? Even if He does, it's under his permissive will to let us make mistakes in order to chastise/teach us, and draw us closer back to Him. More than often, we're very much guilty of this sin, asking amiss, asking God to satisfy our own desires/lusts, and even giving it a spiritual veneer.

The result of what we're praying for might be beneficial to ourselves, be it good health, or spiritual growth, friendships, or relationships. Yet, we must not lose sight of what good health and spiritual growth should ultimately lead us to. If it's health, it's for the daily strength to serve and shine for Christ, if it's for spiritual growth/friendships/relationships, it's to edify one another, maintain testimonies, serve more effectively... etc.

Lessons on prayer:
-We've got to align our desires according to God's Word/Will definitely!
-We've got to make sure that's God's glory/will prevails over our own desires
-Check, check, check motives, in everything we pray for, as often as we can whenever we pray.
-When God answers, maintain the original purpose of glorifying God, service, etc.
-Our own personal gain is secondary, God's gain is primary

:)

With quite a bit of irony, as much as I've written on conducting yesterday, today was a real toughie!

A real real real challenge to conduct with the numerous half-beat entries, fluctuating tempo, and running notes... Still, this is what grace is all about... Somehow, when it comes to the actual presentation, God just allows everything to flow...

Sure, we aren't technically perfect, but I'm always glad that this remains a constant reminder, that even though we aren't strong on the technicals, we can always be strong in the way we serve, in the hearts that go behind the voices.

There's so much more to work on, it's going to be tougher, but in a way, this is how we grow isn't it? Through challenges, trials, and testings... I'm excited for what's to come ahead!

In a sudden flashback, I remember being handed our first pieces before we newbies joined into the main band, "Go west" and "Queen's park melody". The excitement of receiving new pieces, the challenge of sight reading and conquering new pieces, bar by bar, note by note. Now, it's even more magnified, knowing that it is in full service in the name of Christ :D

Note to self-

When conducting, BREATHE.
Takeadeepbreathandeverything s   l    o     w     s   down.

Got this taped on the side of my black file.


That's life, sometimes we're so caught up in it, that we forget to take things in it's proper pace, and perspective. There's been more than one occasion, a few lines into the piece, I find myself holding my breath, partly out of nervousness, partly, uhm. Okay, maybe most of it being nervousness.

Over the past few experiences, conducting, is so different from singing. When you're singing, all you've got to do is more or less follow. It's alot of self-consciousness on making sure you're ok. The advantage is having others around you to blend to, and to mask/cover you if you waver a little.

When you're conducting, it's this delicate balance of keeping this mental count, ignoring your own heart beat, being conscious that your hands actually follow your mental count, listening to the piano and keeping in sync, listening for the balance of voices...
It actually feels quite lonely standing there!

Being not officially music-trained... it's so instinctual, with whatever experiences and things I've picked up from band, and alot of prayer... Thank God still. I believe I'm probably the most nervous person up during the presentation!

Reminded time and again of what it means to pray without ceasing. Sometimes unconsciously, I'd only recall after service, that before heading into a difficult bit, a part of me goes, "Dear Lord, help us..."
 
When I remember to take deep breaths, everything slows down, and no matter how fast the tempo is, everything moves in slow motion, I have time to think, and process in between each beat, and most of all, I have time to pray.

Breathe James, breathe.

Our brightest years aren't just the days of our youth.

It's every single little day we have.

What a way to end a Sunday, really good heart to heart talks with mates that share the same heart and drive for the YF! 

It's funny how things are, and how God gives encouragement in His very own unique ways. It's good to be reminded that there are people keeping pace with you in things, and striving to meet the same goals. It's not so much as of one person taking the pull the whole time, but when we all share, update, and align our efforts, it's sort of like forming a very nice paceline! 

It gets more efficient, and it brings us through the slamming crosswinds of life, and the ever present headwinds of trials and testing (: 

When things get sluggish, it's time to cook up some pressure, press hard, and get going!