Sunday, December 28, 2008

Christmas present for Jesus

My heart, it's yours.
My life, you'll control.
My hope, it's in you.
My future, you've planned.
My everything.
My God.
My Friend.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

3 more papers!!

Ok, i'm quite restless from studying...man, it's 3:18pm on my lappy now you know! Duh...:|

Right, in any case, i thank God for bringing me through my first paper which was on last sat! It was the worst paper i can ever sit for this semester...:| 3 more to go, all of which i do enjoy studying...or rather it doesn't really require as much compared to the first one. Haha...Till then, i'll be free!!!! Haha..

I can't wait to join my youths at HISC, at cell bonding, youth camp, my hope party and christmas! I can't wait to catch up with my beloved friends and hang out like there's no tml! I can't wait to spend shopping times with my mummy and sisters! :P I can't wait to play many many sports with my hall friends! :P :P Dec is going to be a busy period for me then...haha! 

Alright, i shall get back to my Econs :) 

To those out there who are still struggling under NUS exam stress, jia you! :)

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Through It All

He's always there for you, even in the hardest times.
Don't despair, He's with you even now.
My God is so faithful, He'll never leave you alone.
God is good, He'll always see you through.

Through it all, i know.
That God is in control, like the sun after the storm.
His love comes shining through.
Yes i know, His love for me is greater than any of my trials.
Like the child in His arms, He'll carry you through it all.

With Him your night will be as day, even in the darkest times.
Trust in Him, His word will never fail.
I've come to know that through these years, He's taken all my fears.
God is good, He'll always see you through.

Fear not, my child. I'll never ever leave you.
I'll never forsake you, even for a while.
For you are mine, you are mine.

Hold me

You see every teardrops in my eyes.
Through the crossroads, the difficult times, 
You'll hold my hand.
Even though my weaknesses stand,
Your love it pushes me on.

Let my eyes be fixed on you,
on the very promise you've given me.
Give me courage to walk this narrow path,
Your ways be revealed here in my life.
Through every tears and pain,
All i ask is,
Lord, have your mercy on them.

I know my destiny will never be the same again,
ever since that day.
But i do not regret,
Instead i look towards the eternal reward.
For i know you love me,
you know me more than i do,
and definitely will not see me suffer alone.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11


Monday, September 08, 2008

My prayer

Thank God for leading me. You have brought me to many crossroads, grant me the freedom to choose and most importantly assuring me of your presence regardless of whatever decision i make. Now that i am clear of what i want to commit into for at least the next few years, Lord i ask for your favour, your providence and everlasting confidence. Allow me to have also favour with people whom i'll meet along the way. All in all i cast all my worries and anxieties into your hands. I will not dwell in unworthy stuffs but i'll look towards you, with my very focus on you i know i'll never get lost. Make me stronger, independent and dependent on you. 

Yet another learning phase,
I know you'll hold my hand.
With many obstacles to face,
I'll not be afraid. 
I'll stand strong 
and witness your grace.
Thank you Lord.

Enjoy the Journey



I just started reading this book that i've bought few months back (when joel was still working at BBS) and God gave me another revelation. This book is an account of jars of clay and Brother andrew going vietnam and china for mission work. Though i've been to indonesia twice for mission work myself, i wasn't as impacted as reading just the first chapter of this book!

I began to think about the suffering children in the third world countries and all who are facing life's greatest battle. How small are my problems as compared to theirs? We count down every minute we spend in lecture halls and tutorials and hoping for holidays to arrive asap. Them? Every single minute for them is battling moment. Can they live past yet another minute? Will they be at the Heaven's door in a minute's time? We have the privilege to make decisions like what to eat for lunch, where to go after work, should i join this club...where they can only decide between persevering to keep that last breath and surrendering to death. Aren't we so much more fortunate?

Oh Lord, have mercy on these suffering children. We claim your promise, that suffering children are ALL safe in your arms. May your grace and love covers them, day and night. Lift their pain, their burden, their worries and grant them your very peace and happiness. Oh Lord...have mercy.

Enjoy the Journey, that God has set for you. Let Him unfold His wonderful plans in our life, with that trust and confidence. Many crossroads He'll bring us to. But be assured that no matter what decisions we make in life, whether big or small, He'll be there for you. He's always there for you...

Girly are u tired? Don't grow weary!
God, our God will make you strong.
He'll take care of you, 
He'll give you a better tomorrow. 
Don't give up, hang in there,
for God has promised good to you.
He'll surely make you soar on eagles' wings.
Love from above, love from your sides.
My dear friend, jia you ah...
With you, with love. 

Monday, August 04, 2008

My dear Friends

My words for you guys...

Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
I can't believe the hopes He's granted
Means a chapter of your life is through

But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
'Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends


And with the faith and love God's given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you live in
Is the strength that now you show

We'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

Sunday, August 03, 2008

The granny operation

Older people usually take a longer time to make any changes to their life. My granny.
I went for dinner with my family, all my aunts who are Christian and my granny at this "zhi cha" stall. We ate really fresh prawns, fish and bee hoon crab! Ok, the point of this dinner was to persuade my granny to go for baptism. So, everyone was really praying in our heart even when we were eating. Haha. The "persuasion" starts when we finally finished our meal. Initially no matter what my aunts say, my granny will keep saying no because she cannot put down "something" that her husband, my granddad, has left behind(i dunno what) and also my only uncle. My only uncle is considered a staunch taoist and my granny is the traditional sort thus she listens more to the only male heir of the family. I guess it supposedly mean following that someone who can carry the family name on for her husband. Anyway, my aunt's husband started telling miraculous stories he read from a book to my granny. Slowly, her heart began to soften towards God. After much assurance from my aunts, she finally said YES! That one hour at the dinner table was worthwhile... It's so great! Really God's timing...i do pray that she'll not change her mind and God's peace will continue to be with her. Also that my uncle will be willing to release my granny to baptise and it'll be even greater if he'll notice the changes God has done to her! :)

Had a chill out time at lynn's place with the same bunch of us after lunch today. Somehow i just feel that the atmosphere is really different. It's the same thing that we've been doing for the past few years actually, like ever since we were sec 2. However i could feel something different, i don't know how to explain though. Maybe because we all seem to be facing different situations in our life...like the guys in army, few of us overseas for studies, some in uni/poly while the rest are working. Boo.

Tml's bidding again! I really hope i can get the modules i wanna take!!! :)

Get well soon girly :)
Missing you :)

Looking back,
i miss the times we spent together.
Without much concerns and worries.
Will we be able to walk on together?
Will we be the pillars of our lives?

The sand will leave the waves one day,
to join the rest on the shore.
The leaves will wilt,
die away, so long.
The show will end one day,
the applause will fade away.

Friday, August 01, 2008

100 cranes for you

Your cheery smile, your positivity.
Your endurance, your pain.
Your suffering, your weakest times.
My friend, i'll support you till the end.
Be strong, persevere.
Please, do not give up.

I pray for greater weapons for this battle,
greater protection,
peace and grace to be upon you.
May the 100 cranes bring you love, from us.

I'll remember your smile, your love,
the times we have fun together,
we train, we ate mango ice, we suffered muscle aches,
we gossip, we go crazy and made everyone mad,
we encouraged and supported each other,
we sing, sleep, eat, shit.

I'll wait for you on court,
wait for you to take modules together,
wait for you to go taiwan together again,
wait for you to craze together.

You'll pull through.
With you, 'nua-sai', fellow bimbo.
With love.

We'll face this

The earth will not stop revolving, no matter what. So, get up, go on.

Ever since i leave raffles hall when year one ended for me, events after events filled my schedule totally.
First was the taiwan trip i went with my block friends-just the 6 of us, girls, without tour, on our own. It was a release from all the stress and busy life in Singapore!


Photo at the airport before boarding the plane to taiwan



Great bubble tea in Taiwan!


Then i came back Singapore for 2 weeks of handball training before going off for church camp at KL. A great refreshing empowering session i ever had. It was one of the few times where God really came and spoke to me, touched me and renewed me, in and out. :)

After coming back from church camp, i had another 2 weeks of handball training before setting off to Taiwan, again, for my handball training and competition! It was all about independence and dependence. Independent in a foreign land, without church for 16 days. Dependent on my only confidante, supporter and counsellor, Him alone.


Group photo of the girls and guys team



Singapore NUS handball team(Taiwan trip group)



We even went to "Guess Guess Guess", famous taiwan variety show by jacky wu



Photo with some of the taiwan girls team players


The taiwan team was a really great host! They brought us to good places to shop, eat and sing! We had fun playing around with each other, training together in the cold indoor court although the weather outside reaches more than 35 degrees, gossiping till late nights and exchanged jerseys for memory sake. I really miss those times in Taiwan, the people there, the food, the fun places and the late nights. It was even more assuring when i realised some of the Taiwan girls are Christians! :)

Now that i'm back in Singapore, it's time to get use to life here. The hustle and bustle life, the many commitments to consider and never ending tasks to do. With my new youth cell, i'm beginning to learn adapting to new environment fast. It's time handball comes to a pause in my life and odac is soon to an end. Besides handball, i would say that NUS odac has not failed to provide me with fun and great experiences in many adventures i've gone through. Great peeps in the committee and committed people, sorry for leaving the comm for a while for my handball competition. Thank God i made it for Race 6 and Desaru cycling trip so that at least i can contribute some help for odac. Desaru cycling is really fun! Made great friends, many pro cyclist and a seriously pro blader who bladed through the 100km rough and uneven terrains while we were all cycling! Salute! 11 out of 14 of the exco were there and we kinda had a mini gathering. Glad to have my passion for outdoor activities back! :)


Group photo at Changi village


More photos when my friends upload them! :)

A new stretch, a new start.
I commit them in your hands,
all over again.
May you come and take control,
may i not be weary.
For it is no longer i live,
but Christ who lives in me.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Skeleton man?

A vision:
Black skeleton man (stick man), without flesh, walking wobbly and weakly.
God said:
What's more important? Your body which i've created or the pleasures of the world?
Is all that you have sufficient for the rest of the journey in your life? Am i not your sole provider?
I say:
Yes Lord, i admit sometimes i push myself so that i may enjoy the best of both worlds. This time, i choose to answer your call, not to do what i want to do but what you want for me. Grant me courage.

Add flesh with bones.
Now a complete man creates.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Planting.

Just had my quiet time...having quiet time at 2.30pm?? Haha...yeaps...not for my loads of work and training at night, i would gladly spend that time at night. Well, nonetheless, its not when but how right?! Heh...yea. Anyway today's my free day...soo...boo!


All i have for God were all the WHYs. God was firm with me...gave me a picture and spoke to me. I was totally in awe! Seriously!
He gave a picture of someone planting. To plant u gotta dig a hole, put the seed and cover up the hole. To make sure the plant grows, you gotta need water sunlight and all the scientific stuffs. Yes, thats what my God has been doing in my life for the pass few miserable yet beneficial months... He told me," I've planted a few seeds in your heart, it's all the digging that's making your heart ache. But since you have pulled through the pains, now come the reward. Before enjoying the rewards, you gotta reach your hand towards me, so that i can pour forth my blessings into your life and so the seeds can grow." Awesome.

"...You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth..." (Mark 12:14) -Woooaooo how i wish i can be like that too...

Well, yesterday went to this abandoned railway track with my ODAC friends for recee at sunset way. Pretty cool! We climbed through tunnels and walk the dirty big drains (picture below). It's really cool and fun and...yeaps...i fell on my butt cause of the slippery ALGAE!! Though i think i won't go back again...not to cause my fun experience into a dreadful one! (You know when u get too sick of something when u eat them too much...yea...)





Yups...time for work and training! :)

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Facing Your Giants

Amazing battle David had with Goliath. Many read it as a novel or just another fantasy story. But the fact is, it's a real life story! From how he was chosen and how God prepared His way. Despite commiting one of the bad-dest sin, God named him-A man after His own heart.

To be truthful, i did not start my year well, which all along i wanted to and i thought i am going to. Aftermath of bad experiences and all that i do not wish to happen all happened to mean right at the start of the year! :|

Seriously, there are also times when i really cannot do my QT at all. It seems like God is trying to let me out in the wilderness myself for a while to learn some stuffs! But i gotta admit, things are just so so hard without Him. Tried having days in your life having training in the morning, studying in the noon and training again at night? Who on earth will have the strength to do QT? Yeaps...life has been like this for me for the past 1 month. I know clearly that the tradeoff would be my r/s with God. No doubt through this experience, i've made awesome friends from hall and i don''t regret. But i want God...more than anything else. I want that passion and all the great times i had with Him everyday again!

Yeaps...people in life do teach you lessons or two. One of my friend did. I learnt so so much. All that i thought i'm good at was proven wrong in this incident i had. All along i thought i had enough experiences and skills to deal with this issue...but i was so wrong. I need God. I need to trust Him all over again.

In Christ alone,
I place my trust.
And find my glory in the power of the cross.
In every victory,
Let it be said of Him.
My source of strength,
My source of hope,
In Christ alone.


God led me to a book in my sister's cupboard. Facing your Giants-Max Lucado. Though i'm not done with it, the first 3 chapters impacted me a lot!

Actually my blog speaks alot...since i stopped blogging for a while, yeap thats the period of time where i really had my uuppps and ddoownns.. Boohoo. But now I thought to myself, i must stand up and answer His call again. And Joanne will never be the same again! :)

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Finals!

Never in my life did i went into finals for any sports competition! Yes, Raffles Hall's handball team(girls and guys) got into finals! :D :D :D Who says Raffles is weak. boo! Haha. Final's this friday evening...to be realistic, the chances of winning is like 20%? They all play like men! Tall, big and strong! Oh my gosh....seriously man.



Yes lah! RHandball girls rocks!! :P

Monday, January 21, 2008

You gotta increase the SPEED!

Lord, help me smile once again.
Find me under my bed.
Let me start all over again.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Clarifications

I didn't know my last sentence of my previous post misled my dear friend kevin...
I don't meant i'm in a r/s or i'm thinking to have one or i'm having someone in mind...i just meant that whether it's now or in the future, i wouldn't want this to be an interference to my r/s with God as i've seen too many people falling apart because of this. Yea, kevin? Haha.

DON'T GIVE UP PERSEVERING! I believe in you and i know God is holding on to you too! :)

Anyway, i feel like changing my blogskin...or maybe the whole webpage itself. Probably creating a new webpage for my blog since i've learnt how to make websites and all the more i should be applying what i've learnt before i forget! Heh. :P

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Long long ago...

Yes...i realised i haven't blog ever since i entered NUS. Boo! God has been dealing with me for the last four and a half months. I'm indeed greatly challenged. A great turning point of my life, i must say. There's simply too many too many stuffs in my mind, in my life. God is testing me and many a times all i can do is to break down in tears. He answers and He speaks. Yeap i know He's reasons and intentions...I can't do all these alone! :|

A new year ahead, a new start, a fresh challenge. Many ask me so how's your 20th birthday...i simply got nothing to say. All i can think of is that at least 1/3 of my life is gone! Have i done all that God wants me to do? What are the takeaways? Hmm. Addition to this are the various STUFFS i "have to" think about. Saying good bye to teens and hello to adulthood...i need to grow up. I need to get out of that shell of mine and be bold to shoulder all that's coming my way. Many issac-s to give up... one of which is love r/s. I'm praying that it'll not be a hindrance to my work for Him, i can't deny my struggles in this area... what can i say?