Thank You!

As 2007 is coming to an end, Ps Tim always helps the church to reflect how our year has been, and how God has graciously brought us through our year despite the valleys and mountains we each faced uniquely as our year went by. As pastor was talking about giving thanks to God, I was reminded that how much blessings and provision God has poured unto my life this year.

I really thank God for being God! Without having Him as someone I can totally rely and count on at every corner of my life, I can’t imagine how my 2007 will turn out to be, especially being in Melbourne.

My top 5 thanksgiving to God in 2007:-

1. Thank God for always there to comfort me, to provide peace, especially when I first landed in Melbourne, when everything seemed so foreign, everyone seemed so distance, where I have to make every effort to try to get used to without having my family & close friends with me, without having a car to move about, having to start finding a suitable church and praying for like-minded friends. I praise Him for the doors He opened and the grounds He leveled for me so that my path is straight and smooth! I found a group of great friends and spiritual family, a church that continuously stirring me and I kinda got used to the lifestyle there although I very much prefer the life in KL.

2. I thank God for the growth He had planned for me. The way I read the Word, on how I interact with people, how much I’ve been challenged by Him to step out of my comfort zone to interact with people, to speak boldly on what I believe in, and to never compromise my faith & stand. I thank Him for the doors He opened to allow me to be a part of others’ spiritual growth and spiritual journey. It’s such an honour to be a part of His work! And I’m excited for more in 2008.

3. I thank God for His favours and blessings. I was sick when I first arrived Melbourne and it led me to undergo few months of medication. The peace, assurance, and hope that He has promised sustained me and keep me going all the way! Even looking for houses, air tickets, settling some issues with my landlord were doors of favours by God. I don’t know how it works, but I know it is His works.

4. I thank God for the financial blessings that You’ve sustained my family, and constantly holding us together as one. I thank Him for the doors the He has opened and the strongholds that He has torn down. I pray that more and more of His ways will be working through my family as 2008 begins. Even these holidays, I thank God that You provided many days where we as family are able to spend time together. I thank You for the healing power that You’ve poured unto my mum and I thank You that she is recovering well!!!

5. I thank God for blessing me with my results, the reassurance that He restored in me, and I thank God for the rest that He provided even with the busy schedule I have throughout my clinical semester. I thank Him for His love and with His love, comes every other thing in my life!

Psa105:

1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
5 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
6 O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.

THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU!

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

Blessed Christmas!

Been a busy weekend... Just had our Christmas production over the weekend. This time around, it is a talk show where PC was the host and 3 different people were invited to share their lives and how the found God’s providence & His gift in the midst of life struggle!

First is about a mother and her child.

“One moment she was expecting to hold her newborn adopted baby in her arms. The next moment, her baby’s life hangs in the balance.”

Second story is about “A young man suffered years of shattered relationship with his father. He never thought he would ever speak to him again.”

Thirdly is about “One man faced depression that threatened to destroy his life…”

They shared how God’s gift turned their lives around! I watched the production twice, and it still melts my heart to see how great our God is. How much is His love for us; not collectively but He loves each of us individually. We are each special in His eyes. He desires to know us personally, and more and more, and want to have a relationship with us.

That is what today is all about. It is God’s expression of love towards us. He so love us that He gave His son, Jesus Christ as a ransom for many, so that through His son, we can come to Him. It takes a personal encounter to know Him, I can’t explain much about it, but once you know Him, and experience His encounter, you will not leave Him!

He is the GREATEST gift of all!!!

Since I’m back from Melbourne, people kept asking me whether I’ve eaten everything that I’ve been craving for when I was in Melbourne. Some asked me if I’ve devised my must-eat-list and others have asked if I’ve been to this, or that place for meals.

So I thought I should come out with my 2nd must-eat-list again in no particular order:-

1. bak kut teh – in puchong and in pandan indah one. Trust me, the reason why I didn’t add klang in my list because the place is so far away, and the bak kut teh over there is over-rated.
2. nasi lemak in ampang
3. my Mongolian steam boat which my friends love it a lot when I brought them there.
4. beef noodles at jln silang & pandan indah – I had it the other day but I want more!!!
5. yong tau foo which I just had it for lunch but won’t mind another round.
6. mee rebus & rojak stall in ampang
7. my fish ball noodles near jln alor
8. how can I forget chilli’s!!!
9. my penang seafood & asam laksa in tanjung tokong which I’ve yet to fulfill since my first list
10. er, I think I’ll cancel buffet cause my capacity for a meal seem to have shrunk
11. tandoori and naan opposite ampang point and at jln masjid India
12. the funky fruit juice in murni’s
13. beef rendang and more beef rendang that my friend’s mum make, but since my friend ain’t around, I guess, I gotta continue this craving.
14. saisaki buffet (this is an exception) for sashimi & sushi
15. seafood noodle soup at jln alor.
16. hokkien mee at jln imbi
17. had my yee mee soup in ampang but I want more.
18. my grandma’s bake cauliflower with cheese is awesome.
19. mum’s homemade soup
20. steak and more steak! oh yah, since I said I’ll stop at #20, thought I wanna add my Dutch restaurant @ Changkat Bkt Bintang. The pork knuckle is awesome!!!

Ok, I think I better stop at #20 coz if not, I think I’ll take up the entire blog. Nevertheless, just hope that these holidays will be meaningful as I spend my time with my family, church, & friends. Am excited about the Christmas production that church is coming up with and looking forward to trips. Really need a break after 19 weeks of torture in clinical years. Those who have read the list above can start \ inviting me for meals. I won’t mind company and treats.

Unexpected welcome!

Everything seems so different. I never thought I had to rekindle my blog with such a post. But I believe there is a reason for this season.

Everything seems to ebb away when I found out my mum is in the hospital as soon as I landed in KL last Saturday. The joy of being back home from a terrible 19 weeks of clinical school vanished instantly. I was filled with sorrow; sadness overwhelmed me. I found out that mum had an 11cm mass in her ovary, and she is currently in the hospital, waiting for operation. Even as I was having my brekkie with my dad & sis, I was eating one of my fav hawker food, but somehow, that morning, my taste buds seemed to lost their function. The desire for all my fav food had fade away, and I was consumed my mum’s condition. In my heart, I can only cry out to Jesus. I don’t know who to cry out to. I don’t know who to perfect this condition besides Him. The world is spinning around with wars, riots, demonstrations, protests… the heart of mankind is always troubled by the things of the world – career, love, money, security, loneliness, depression, the list goes on. I myself am guilty of it sometimes. But at this very moment, I need God to be more evident in my family’s lives.

As I met with mum at the bed of hospital, my heart shrank in side. Seeing her in bed, holding on to her pain made me feel that someone is tearing my heart bit by bit. The slow agony of pain she is enduring yet having to need to put on a smile just to not to keep us worry made me want Jesus to come touch her instantly. In my heart, “Jesus, Jesus you are the only One who can set her free. You are the only One who can comfort her. You are the only One who brings the entire peace & keep us strong in one spirit. Lord the battle is Yours not hers.” I sat there at the corner helplessly, trying to answer every questions she asked about my happenings in Melbourne. I tried to contain my emotions as much as possible.

I came back, shut myself in the room, and try to do my morning devotion. But I can’t bring myself to read the Word. Tears just start flowing down as I play, asking God for another miracle in my life, and over my mum’s life. “She deserves better” is what was going through my mind. “Lord I just long for You to bring upon the impossible in her life right now”. As I went back to church for SNL, it was great to see everyone. It was good to be back in somewhere familiar after weeks of being away from it; but my heart was troubled by the mum’s condition. But as soon as Ps Tim mentioned this:

“Stop wondering, start worshipping”

There’s this shift in my heart. Stop worrying what’s next & start honouring God, start worshipping Him. He will make the path straight. Afterall, He is the mastermind of everything. Everything in life – whether good or bad are intended to be good in His eyes. There is a purpose for this situation to happen at this time. The story Peter walking on water began to come into my mind. A story I am familiar with, that I constantly tell others about. God is reminding me not to let the waves pull me down. He is telling me not to let the waves water down my faith. Mum is in His hands. I believe He will change the circumstances. He will change the bad to good. I was remembered by the verse in Malachi2:15… So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. The verse reminds me to continue to stir myself in spirit, to believe Him even more. He did the impossibles in the past, my life has been filled by His miracles. This time is no different. It is gonna come, and come at the perfect time. God works in miraculous ways. All I need to do is stay in faith & believe in Him for everything. Words can’t seem to describe how much I want my mum to be fine. How much longing I need God to come & extend His lovingkindness heart & gracious hand over her.

Thank you to the leaders and friends who are standing with me in prayer. But above all, thank You Jesus for being in control.

But today…

Today is a PERFECT DAY!

PRAISE HIM FOR EVERYTHING!

Mum is scheduled for surgery today. Walked her til the theatre and the doctor said the surgery is expected to complete about 1 1/2hrs. So, we went out to grab some lunch. As we were waiting, dad received an urgent phone call from the hospital at about 45 minutes after we seen her. Our hearts pumped faster; anxious and nervous about the call and as to what sorta news the doctor wanna convey to us. We rushed into the theatre and the explanation began:

“We finished the operation. It was an unusual finding. The 11cm lesion we saw in the scan that we thought is a mass turned out to be an old blood clot the size of a coconut. Nothing cancerous found. The clot was due to a ruptured vessel nearby and this may be due to trauma. We cleared off the clot and send some for analysis. Her ovaries & uterus are retained and she is fine now.”

My heart was jumping with joy. Tears of joy started to flow. All praises to Him. All glory to Him. Thank God for such an amazing miracle. The unexpected happens, the impossible became possible, bad turned out good. God is gracious & merciful. His love surpasses all understanding & endures forever!

I was reminded of this scripture:-

Luke8: 48Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

Luke8:50Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."

This part of the scripture talks about Jesus healing a dead girl & a sick woman. In order for healing to take place, we gotta have faith & start believing. Fear has to leave for His miracle to come place. This weekend really taught me a lot about believing, about trusting God, about having greater faith in Him knowing that He will turn things around.
Believe that God is gonna oversee her recovery til she is as good as before! Thank You so much for taking care of us all.

With love,
Jonathan