My 42.195 km Marathon journey!

5 December 2010

NACLI
Woke up at 3.10 am in my room in NACLI! (in the middle of the last night of the sub-ministry retreat) Just timely, as I woke up Kheng and Hans just entered my room. With Kheng kindly helped me with a some tapping on my sprain left ankle and led me to some full leg stretching.

Abt 4am...head of the the common area seeing some of the youths still hanging out late in the wee hrs of the morning. Before I met up with steph as we drove off to orchard road...

ION ORCHARD
Met up with Chuen kiat at the entrance of ION orchard. He has been my running buddy since SOCC days, also for AHM and now this stand charted run!

Anyways, we did some stretching before the run, as we head of to the starting line from the back of the sub-6 area.

4.50am
The starting line outside ION Orchard! As everyone prepares mentally for the long 42.195 km marathon!

For the first few km i was telling chuen kiat not to go to fast as i didn't want to aggravate my left sprain ankle, where previously I felt this extreme pain when I did my own tapping on my preparation runs 2 weeks before this marathon. But in the end, I really THANK GOD for everyone who prayed for my left ankle, as MIRACULOUSLY it did not ache up at all through out the run! This is really the power of prayers as normally any old pains will ache up especially in such a long marathon!

We started of with a pretty decently good pace as we hit our targeted time by the 10km mark of 1 hr 10mins...

10km- 1 hr 10 mins

By the 17km mark, chuen kiat decided to run ahead instead of running at my pace. As I really wanted to conserve all the energy I cld as I strategies of having a short walk at every 100 plus or banana break.





21km- 2 Hrs 26 Mins
















At this stage I was thinking that it's as though i've completed an Army half marathon and now need to do another 2 X of this half marathon!! (Bad thought!) 

By the 30 Km mark the extreme fatigue sets in! And you can sense your legs aching up and you get so tempted to just walk!.. by this time... i took a longer walk at my usual favourite 100plus break... and sprayed my legs with the salon pas spray!


32.5km- 3 Hr 30mins




36km- A special MOMENT that hit me!

Around the 36 km mark towards to marina barrage i had this 1 second vision of a scene in Hebrews 12:1-2 hit me.... ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith...

When I entered the underground sheltered area of the barraged, and there were people cheering you on inside. It suddenly felt like the great cloud of witnesses cheering us from heaven! As we ran the race for God! And in a moment, i just felt so touch by God that i almost felt like crying just thinking about that... in that instant i suddenly felt so much more motivated as I thought of the many more life lessons in this marathon...

38Km- THE TORTUROUS last 4km!

Around the 38 km mark towards uphill of the sheares bridge... I encountered the worst EXTREME cramping's of my life! I could feel from ankle up to my thighs this super super tightness when I move my legs in a certain direction. I was suddenly spamming my salon pas spray until it was totally empty and rubbing it like some "gundu" trying to shake of the cramps. I knew if I stop to walk the cramps wld just collapse fully on my leg and i might never ever complete the rest of the run...














The last 2 km more to go!... this was where I grabbed the counter-pain creams from the volunteers from the side when I finished my own bottle of spray and spammed it on my legs for the last part! As i so wanted to complete it and i had like 20mins more to complete the last 2km to get a sub-5 which was my personal target.


In the end, on the running chip it clocked 5:01:52 Hrs. My cramps was so bad that i had to limp back the last 100 m to the finishing line
The race result 2257 out of abt 19000 runners and 1540 position for the Singapore ranking...



The emotion on my face was literally showing the insane cramping pain I felt in the last 4km! It was so bad, I literally limped to the finishing line for the last 100m. And from the looks of the photos, it seems im the only one who was not smiling in this photo finish.









The Full marathon finisher shirt was worth the torture! But I doubt I wld run another 42.195km run again unless I feel a good purpose for it! 

My conclusions of this marathon, felt the strain on my knees once I reached the 30km plus mark and i won't want to experience such extreme cramps again. And when your legs starts aching together with the sun scorching over you adding on with the demoralising construction site area after the 30 km mark... it dampened my mood for awhile.

Besides the torturous part of the marathon , looking back 2010, I would never have thought I would actually signed up for this Full marathon. This crazy thought came in the midst of walking in full battle order for 72km in taiwan in march, and thinking to myself if I cld do this now, won't a 42km run in just a singlet and shorts be so much easier, and only just 5hrs of torture. And just timely with the 21km AHM in Sep, and the peer pressure from my friends to sign up for this race during my joint term in ocs, I just thought! Let's do it! :)

Well at least i can say, "my childhood dream of completing a full 42.195km run in my life is fulfilled!"

Preparation for the Long Weekend!

Today had one of the best breaks I had at home in a long while, just doing all the things i needed to get done before i leave for my the sub-ministry retreat this weekend at NACLI followed by my first ever 42.125km Marathon!!!
-Finish the 4000 words Pre-CTC essays!
-Finish preparation for my sharing at the Crosstrainer retreat
-Manage to settle the necessary budgeting for the Tchoukball ministry/ Crossroad tournament!
-Manage to prepare the bible study session with my Sec 2 grp on sunday!
-And most of all got a well deserve rest for my ankle, which i'm still nursing to recover by sunday! Pls pray for my ankle to heal! =)

Preparation for the big race!!!! And my race bib with the verse that i wrote for the back of my tee!

MAH BOW TAN CUP 3RD PLACE!

11-12 Nov and 19 Nov, we had our annual Mah bow Tan Tchoukball competition, held at Tampines East CC. This was the second year since i first join my first ever tchoukball tournament also in this tournament one year ago where we got the runner up place.

This year we sent a couple of teams Represented by THE CROSSRUNNERS 1 & 2...as we coincidently met in the 3/4 placing, and CROSSRUNNER 2 where i was playing end up with 3rd place after a close intense match up!

My God Reigns

I experience God's presence at GAP today! Thanks Matt for leading this song! Was really ministered by it... and its amazing to just keep dwelling in God's presence when you know God is there when you pray!

My God Reigns
- Matt Hooper & Jock James

I have a hope so sure
An anchor for my soul
My peace in the worst of times
I trust in God alone

Let every voice declare it now

My God reigns
His love will never fail me
My God reigns – He’s ruling over all
In all my Life
In every situation I know
My God is greater
My God is over all

By faith I have believed
And on this truth I stand
No power in life or death
Can take me from His hand

Above all sickness, above all fear
Above every heartache here
In earth and heav’n – My God reigns!
Above all power, above all thrones
The greatest love I’ve ever known
Today, forever, my God reigns!

MY NSF JOURNEY

Below is a sharing of a bit of the experience of my NS Journey thus far after my S1 ask a few of us from our company to write up our experience on our journey as an NSF for some army internet portal. As i wrote this write up, I actually thought back what an enjoyable, memorable NSF journey thus far, which is making me consider even more if i should extend a short term contract in the SAF before I continue my Full time calling into seminary in the future...

I still remember the day where I was just a fresh graduated from Temasek Design School, who aspire to serve full time in a church after he finish his 1 Year 10 months of national Service and was full of zeal to experience the whole army life.

I was enlisted in the national service on 13 July 2009, where I was posted to BMTC School 2, Leopard Company Platoon 2. And that was where my whole journey started.

Looking back in my Basic Military Training (BMT), it sure was one of the key moments where I grew a lot from a fresh recruit to become a private after 9 weeks. I met great friends which I still keep in contact today. We all came from different backgrounds; with different values and experiences in life, but one thing that unite us was the common purpose of serving the nation in this period of our life.

After BMT, I was posted to the Officer’s Cadet School (OCS), as the 77/09 batch where I was posted to Tango Wing. The environment and regimentation here was of a much higher standard, where there were a lot of moments in my first 3 weeks confinement which I just felt like giving up.

My OCS buddies in my first term.

Service term past after 3 mths and soon I was in my Professional Term where I was posted in the Signal Officer Cadet Course (SOCC) where we were trained to be Signals officers. We went through all kinds of mental and physical challenges over our journey, even having the chance to go for 2 overseas trip. In the end, I ended my course well and was given the Sword of Merit, which was something I never ever expected to get initially when I first step into OCS. Everyone here was great leaders in their various ways, but I personally believed the value of The Spirit of Excellence which I kept to since I step into BMT was where it got me today.

After 9 month, on 19 June 2010, we were commissioned by the President and became Officers of the SAF. Going through the grueling 9 months in OCS certainly has taught me a lot and molded my leadership and character as a person.

Commissioning Parade!

Right now as a junior officer, I’m currently posted as a platoon commander of signal specialist and men. Unit life sure is very different compared to the training school environment which I was use to in my first year as an NSF. As an officer one really has a lot more responsibility. One needs to take more initiative giving instructions, overseeing the operations, and looking after the welfare of your men. And like what it’s said in our Officer’s Creed, we are answerable to our men training, moral and discipline. At the end of the day, it is so different compared to a trainee life where most of the time we are just taking orders, right now its real people and operations that we are dealing with.

I cannot mention much about the operations that we do as a lot of it is classified, but I can say I’m really the fortunate few who get to experience real urban operations and go to places where one would never ever imagine being involved in as ac civilian. Aside from operations, as an officer you really get to work with all kind of people too from your various bosses, fellow platoon commanders, the specialist under you and the men which you train during their Unit Induction Programme (UIP).

Besides all the tough trainings and administrative things one need to do, there’s always the fun times as well when we are on standby during weekends in camp. We get to play games with our men, cooked food or just watch movies.

At the end of the day, the journey has certainly been fulfilling as a platoon commander. Besides operations and trainings, I believe the influence one has to his men as a platoon commander is so much more intrinsic than getting awards or bonuses. And the experience you get here in this time serving the nation full time is what I believe we will remember for life, so do treasure your time if your still serving the nation in this period of your life. What ever vocation or appointment we hold, I believe we will look back and still remember the experiences that we get in our 2 years in national service.

The divine opportunity which God provided me to seize!

I didn't really plan this but this 3rd entry seems like a continuation of my previous 2 posts

My initial post was as Sharing about "Seizing your divine moment"... followed by "Don't miss that opportunity" from a devotional that i read...And now recently i feel inspired to share something which happened to me last weekend...

¹⁵But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,1 Peter 3:15

The day started in my bunk on a saturday morning in camp, when i got a call that i needed to stand in as a duty officer for the camp as the previous CDO did not turn up and i was the last resort replacement...at the start i was thinking whats the odds of this happening as i was supposedly already manning in camp... but i just decided to continue and do it...and as the day past... i started to recall that maybe God has a purpose and plan for me being on duty that very day...I was praying in the office, for an opportunity that i can just seize...

...and slowly the afternooon past... and by night a second duty clerk came to change shift... when he came into the office we just started some small chat and i somehow that small chat started to become a pretty deep discussion abt the Faith that i believed in and even had some new insights of certain End times topics which i wld share later through our discussion.

It all started with the usual questions of what i plan to do after I ORD?...and it was where it led me to share my testimony of how i became so devoted to Christ which led me one day choosing to go to a bible college after i ORD...he then started asking a lot of questions ...which led to me to share a whole bunch of topics...like abt spiritual gifts,why there is a Creator,questions abt a Greater Being that sets the laws and morals of the world and also abt Faith...

I can tell this guy that i just met was an intellectual guy who wld probably succeed in the world we live in. Someone who have a drive to succeed in this secular world, who aims to earn a lot of money in the future. I guess there was a curiosity in him which led him to ask a lot of questions pertaining to Christianity... one of it was abt what he heard abt the End times...

So I just shared some of my 2 cents thoughts to it, one of it was relating to a speculation of barcodes and 666 which i once heard abt of...where it states that the mark of the beast wld have the number 666, and that in all barcodes they have that number too. And that was predicted in Revelations too, that one day people would have such mark implanted in their right hands and foreheads, and one need such a mark to buy or sell things.

"16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[e] That number is 666." Revelation 13:16-18

The scary things about this is...such implantation are already happening in the world, and now its almost going into this cashless society where everything is by scanning of cards? Ez-link? Cash cards? and soon everyone in the world wld have such a barcode which will be implanted in one's hand or forehead?

For full reference to the link that both of us found on the inet while having that conversation....(Do read this is quite mind blowing)

http://www.av1611.org/666/barcode.html

Look at any barcode you have....will you think twice wld you think twice that it will be the mark of the beast to come?

Although all this are just speculations... the coincidences of all these seems to fit to well...and i believe somehow just from those conversations abt the End times, led to us referring to the Bible where i believed had led him to be convince that maybe what the bible all says really is the TRUTH. At the end of the day, I cld sense that he was kinda convinced by it,which led him to want to read a bit of the book of revelations from the bible that was in front of me at that point of time.

Well i dunno if this guy i met that day wld stumble across this post... but i do pray that the long conversation I had abt the Faith i believed in wld have watered a seed that was already planted in his heart years ago when he last step into a church. Although he was still very skeptical then, somehow... i'm praying that what was shared to him that night wld have moved in his heart and soon one day acknowledge that there really is a Greater Being out there who cares and LOVE us and all he needs is to received and accept the GRACE that is given freely to him.

Don't miss that Opportunity

Was reading the below devotion this morning, and it sure reminded me how important it is to take every opportunity we got to share and talk abt Christ to the people we meet each day, if not one day we might regret it if we miss that divine chance to prepare one for eternity...

EVERYDAY WITH JESUS- SELWYN HUGHES

Ready and Alert

¹³Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear^b]">[b]; do not be frightened."^c]">[c] ¹⁵But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. ¹⁷It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:15-17

George Barna, a Christian researcher, says that seven out of ten Christians who share their faith with others come away feeling they have failed. Fear of failure is one of the chief reasons why people fail to share their faith. When we fear something we avoid it. Unless we have a disciplined approach to sharing our faith with others it simply will not get done.

In my youth I was encouraged to share Christ with someone every day, and to be alert to every opportunity. At the age of eighteen I was drafted into the mines to do a two-year period of national service. The mining industry was more in need of help than the Armed forces so I found myself, much against my will, working in a coal mine, One morning, deep underground, I turned to the young man next to me and though I did not feel in an evangelistic mood asked him if he had ever thought seriously about where he would spend eternity. He said he hadn’t, and that led to an interesting few minutes at the end of which he accepted Christ. This conversation took place during an official break, of course; it would be wrong to evangelize when paid to do something else. An hour later this young man lay dead- killed by a large stone that fell from the roof and literally flattened him. Were it not for disciplined sharing I might have missed the opportunity to prepare him for eternity. Honesty compels me to admit, however, that over the years I have missed more opportunities than I have taken.

Below is the script of my sharing at the recent TP Campus Crusade for Christ Life Meeting on 27 October 2010...

SEIZING YOUR DIVINE MOMENT

I’m really so blessed to be given this opportunity to share what God has taught me and shown me over the years in my 3 years in TP campus crusade. I still remember it all started when I was surveyed like most of you guys at the bridge at TP by my former TP crusade staff Irene. After that very day, the Lord has molded me so much in my time in TP before I enlisted in the army… The various spiritual leaders that I have encountered has greatly influence how I led my life on campus and how i led my life after my sch days...

Before i start....

I wld like to share this statement below that I have learnt in my times in crusade which has change my perspective of how I view in life...

“ARE YOU A STUDENT SO HAPPENED TO BE A CHRISTIAN? OR ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN CALLED TO BE A STUDENT”

You have ONLY ONE LIFE to LIVE!

You got a choice how you want to live it…

1) Your Own Way (You get tired after a while trying to meet your own standards)

2) God’s Way (Exciting path that unveils each day you step unto campus)

“We are always just one choice from a different life. At our worst, good is only one decision away”

“The good news is that when you choose the good, when you choose to move with God on His adventure, nothing can stop you from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life.”

1) KNOWING your TRUE IDENTITY

The worlds have this idea.. e.g.They like to have motivational talks abt THINKING you are the best in class, THINKING that you are the best in what you do! THINKING you are good…etc… it’s this action of…”Thinking to being it… then you are being it. I’m not saying the former is wrong…

However, I would choose to suggest, the other way round, YOU ARE… than you be it.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world . A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men , that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

This verses alone, says what we are. It starts with “YOU ARE”, so it’s we are a Child of God and thus we are being it first, before it leads to us to do anything. But taking in considering next that being it means that we ought to live out the purpose that we are all called to be.

It’s like in a game of “polar bear”, “Bang”, “Murderer”, we play the roles of our character’s identity. Like if we know our Identity in Christ is…we know how to be it!

“And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” Romans 1:6

“… to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” 1 thessalonians 2:12

2) BEING GOD’S WORKMANSHIP

"8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For WE ARE God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."Ephesians 2:8-10

Couple Sundays ago I was teaching my sec 2 kids on other religions and Christianity. Its not about doing all the good deeds and works we etc, it’s because of God’s Grace given to us, that we are SAVED, that we are Christians! And its out of the Love of Christ that We want to do the good works for him!

“who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” 2 timothy 1:9

God needs to be involved in every aspect of our life we do, e.g. in school, our workplace, if not it’s POINTLESS. He and HE ALONE is the only REALITY. It’s POINTLESS to expend your energy in things that God is not in the picture. Through this act, of just living out of Faith is a form of Worship to God, and this set as APART from this world!

As it says in Psalm 127:1 “Unless the LORD builts the house, the builders labour in vain.”

And because of how we live our life different, it give us a credibility and opportunities to talk abt our Faith… this leads to my final point which I want to share the most upon….

3) SEIZING YOUR DIVINE MOMENT FOR GOD

The Great Commission!

For me I’m commissioned as an officer of the SAF by the president, but in contrast to that, WE are ALL COMMISSIONED by GOD!!! And that’s is a great task that God have commanded us all to do!

18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.Matthew 28:18-20

IT ALL STARTS WITH EACH and everyone one of us right here on campus! How can we stand out! And be that LIGHT! How can we be that contagious Christian! How we take opportunities! To SEIZE the divine moments!

MISSION TRIPS everywhere. It doesn't need to be overseas, it can be right where we are right here on campus! Each day stepping into campus is a mission trip itself!

Just remember this... KNOWING... BEING...& SEIZING!

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU!

PRAY FOR THAT DIVING OPPORTUNITY! SEIZE THAT DIVINE MOMENT FOR GOD!

TP Campus Crusade weekly Weds Life Meeting's at the Amphitheatre...

MOVEMENTS EVERYWAY SO THAT SOMEONE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO TRULY FOLLOWS JESUS! =)

“A LIFE TOUCH BY GOD ALWAYS ENDS IN TOUCHING OTHERS”

The 8 Steps of Starting a Sports Outreach Ministry

Day 3:Sports Symposium

Adapted from Pastor Andy Lim (Convener of Sports Coalition Singapore), resources from Church Sports Outreach, http://www.csosports.org

Step 1: Get the Proper Perspective

Sports Ministry should be relational

Step 2: Identify Your MVPS

Mission, Vision, Philosophy, Strategy

Step 3: Select a Team Captain

A leader who understands the MVPS and can drive each sport team

Step 4: Establish a Leadership Team

A team who of Team Captains who catch the common vision to support one another

Step 5: Assess the Opportunities

Know your community (the target grp), resources (equipments, venue, etc)

Step 6: Train Your Team

Train the team well both in Spiritual and the physical aspect. The Christian athletes should catch the vision

Step 7: Integrate the Three Essentials

Pray Continually, Act Wisely, Speak Graciously (Play, Pray, Say)

Step 8: Guard This Treasure

Statistics has shown that sports ministry is a great tool for evangelism. Guard the fruits of it. Youth More Than Goal (YMTG) in the recent SYOG movement, 320 people accepted Christ.

Sports Ministry is a process...which will lead to the OUTREACH OF PRE-BELIEVERS through the RELATIONAL interaction of the Church players and Friends!

(Refer to the ENGEL Scale... bringing a believer or pre-believer to a step closer to God each day)

Inreach vs. Outreach

Inreach vs. Outreach (Full-Version) from Tim Briggs on Vimeo.

Description: Bob Dyar and Bob Schindler discuss the tension between inreach and outreach for local church sports ministries.

FEELING REALLY INSPIRED!!!

Just came back from Day 2 of the Sports Symposium and is really inspired right now to be part of this sports ministry movement for Christ!!!
I really want to thanks Rev John Boyers, Jeff Martin and the many other likeminded christian friends who really just made me so encouraged at how sports ministry is growing in Singapore and the World today!!!! =)

"Bridges to reach the World Through Sports"- Jeff Martin (FCA Vice President of Camps & Campus Ministry)

SPORTS SYMPOSIUM

Day 1

Today was the first session of the SPORTS SYMPOSIUM at The Emmanuel house! And i wld say i'm certainly glad i sign up for this course! With key speakers such as Rev John Boyer better known as the Chaplain to Manchester United Football Club. Jeff Martin is the vice president of Camps & Campus Ministry of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). And Jon Hamilton who has a vast coaching CV and last year Jon became one of the youngest people ever to receive the top coaching license in Europe, the UEFA ‘A’ badge from the English FA.

I'm sure i can learn a lot abt sports ministry from this various people the next few days! Besides them, i sure enjoyed the company there too, meeting a lot of people who made an impact in my life like my secondary sch soccer coach and other sports ministry people whom I met in someway or another in the last few years! And the amazing thing abt such an event was they were all gathered in one same place.

The afternoon with God's Clay!

After thinking for the longestttttttttt time how much we miss those bible study sessions we use to had last time. I believe today I saw a glimpse of a start of a revival in our grp again after coming together to share and really just pray!

During the sharing we realized is more than just meeting up like any other social grp for lunch, gatherings and talking abt surface things to one another... I mean all this are the good, but are the basic things our grp can do first, but after much thought to it, its so much moreee than that! As a small grp we are set apart from a normal social grp! We are a grp of Christians who professed the same Faith! And as a small grp we come together for the intention of encouraging each other with God's word, fellowship(over meals =D) and especially praying together as well! And all this is what God actually said and shown to the early Christian grps coming together in the below text.

GOD’S CLAY 09 OCTOBER 2010

The Believers Form a Community

“ ^41-42That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.

^43-45Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.

^46-47They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.” Acts 2:42-46 (The Message)

From Verse 41-42...

1) Teaching of the Apostles (Hearing the teaching of God's word thru the Pastors in Church)

2) The Life Together (The Fellowship and sharing of lives!)

3) The Common Meal (meals together!)

4) The Prayers (We are Professing our Faith when we come together to pray as a grp!)

At the end of the really lovely discussion and sharing ... we read this text about prayer and we just PRAYED. Trusting that God can keep our grp going strong again...

Instruction about Prayer

¹It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."

²And He said to them, "^(A)When you pray, say:
'^[a]Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
³'Give us ^(B)each day our daily bread.
⁴'And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who ^(C)is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.'"

⁵Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; ⁷and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' ⁸"I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet ^(D)because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. ⁹"So I say to you, ^(E)ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰"For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

¹¹"Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? ¹²"Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? ¹³"^(F)If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:1-13 (New American Standard Bible)

AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY

Day 1 of my OFF day!
Had a good day today shopping with ethel & jem as i got pretty good fashion tips from them before I actually invested in 2 pretty good pair of jeans! Besides that really enjoyed the christian coaches session sharing at night which i attended after the shopping spree. Decided to bring ethel & wenhao along too since i planned to go for this session before hand. And i would say i really enjoyed my short time there when it came to the sharing part...

It was really interesting how although we were randomly split-ed into 3 different grps. And not everyone in the grp know each other really well, somehow the sharing abt authentic community really brought us to really be AUTHENTIC with each other and the Holy spirit certainly did move in our sharing, as it prompted us to openly share abt our opinions and led to a friend of mine in that grp sharing his personal testimony which encourage me so much to see how God was working in his life. I really didnt know much abt this friend life till todays session actually. And now i can certainly see that God sure is moving thru peoples life out there! =)

After that session, i had a really good time talking to my good friends wenhao and ethel over supper, this was when i guess was another good time of what i wld say are an authentic friendship where we can be just so open and honest when talking to each other. This are friendship which i wld treasure for life. =)

"⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:9-13