peace . love . joy

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.

Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.

Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.

Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

I am yours.
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am yours.
I am yours.

sijia introduced this song to me during our GoFish leaders' retreat frm the 20th - 210707.
Casting Crown's "who am i?"

truth be told i know who i am. but i'm still in shock and in awe about my identity.

i cant understand how God, our God, can love us. i cant understand why of all the creatures that may exist in this ever-expanding universe He chose to reveal Himself to us, to love us, to call us His children.

i'm full of imperfections, full of bad points. full of pride, full of anger, full of injustice. how can the Holy One love me?

bible doesnt say why He loves us. it simply states that He loves us.

interesting, huh?

if u can recall, this theme of unworthiness and gratefullness has infested my thoughts thru and thru. since the time i consciously made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses up til now.

i believe God has shown me the why He loves us. but it's still amazing.

last year, during YMLC, (i blogged this before), during worship, God gave me a vision. an image of a man with His daughter. no surroundings. just the 2 figures.

God loves us simply because we are His children. His creation. period.

there is no why or what we've to do to earn it. it just is.

like when i painted my first still life picture (which my mum threw away =( ). i loved it. it wasnt perfect, wasnt the brilliant billion-dollar work of art i'd really like it to be. but i loved it. it didnt do anythg to earn it. it simply came into being. and with that call to existence, so did my love for it. that's all there is to it.

i think it's like that with God.

His love just is that - His love.

no matter how much we struggle, how much we bicker amongst ourselves, how much pain we cause Him, He still loves us. and that's pretty amazing, wouldn't u agree?

i've never forgotten that.

no matter how far i walk along the road with my Saviour, no matter how mature others say i've become, i've never forgotten that undeserved, unearned love God has for me.

this love is the stumbling block to unbelievers - because they cannot accept it.
this love can also be a stumbling block to believers - because they cannot believe it and feelings of unworthiness overcome them like a tsunami, drowning them in its depths and fierceness.

but this love can be a magnet to both groups of people - because we keep seeing that we need it and receive it with tearful thankfulness.

to me, i believe we are unworthy of this precious yet everlasting gift.
but everytime we are tempted to turn away in shame, know this - God is not ashamed of you.

you belong to Him.
the Holy Spirit He has sealed and marked you with is in you and will testify for you.
"The Holy Spirit who lives in us is really, in a sense, an expression of God our Father's smile, His favour, His pleasure. God is proud of you. He loves you. In Fact, when He goes with you" wherever you journey, "He says to others through you life, " Hey, this is My child. He has My name. His name is Christian." ( OJ, 25 July 2007, "we belong to Him", Crawford W. Loritts)

just like my love for my painting, so is God's love for us - it simply came into existence when we were created.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
~ Romans 8:15-17

who am i?

My name is Megan "nique". and i belong to God, saved by the blood of Jesus. receipient of His love, grace, mercy and teachings.

who are you?

i've been struggling a little..okay, fine! coupla inches more than just a little..

i've been sinning, and i KNOW i've been sinning. i know exactly what the sin i commited was.

and even though i keep coming to God again and again, on my knees to say i'm sorry and to ask His forgiveness, i feel bad. get this, He replied me. He said "okay". God said "okay" to forgiving me. and i'm just so stunned. i always knew it'd be that easy for Him, but i never did comprehend just how easy it was for Him to forgive.

"okay."

and everytime i ask for forgiveness, and receive it, i ask for strength to try again. not try again, as in sin again! but try again as in not sin. start all over. well, not ALL over, but frm that instant.

thg is, i just keep sinning. same thg. all over again. and it's so hard! to know ure forgiven is wonderful! but to keep sinning, trying hard to REPENT is difficult =(

and i was reminded time and again about what i've learnt from TTB leaders' retreat\camp, and again, yesterday during quality time with God.

is your theology one that pushes you away from God when u fall, or brings you back?

does what you know about God make you run away and hide when you sin, and i say WHEN you sin because, heh, we all sin.
or does your knowledge and relationship with God draw you closer to Him when that happens?

you might tick the second idea without a second thought, but lemme tell you, so did i.

and here i am, finally understanding what that question is asking. comprehending the weight of the idea those words carry.

the struggle. is it all worth it? what are we struggling for in the first place?

are you sure what you believe in is real?

it all comes back to your faith. faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see. (Heb 11:1)

hold on to your faith. to the good allegiance you have established with the LORD our God. remember His statues, His works, Him.
not just what you read in the Bible, remember what He has done for you. His daily blessing, His words of encouragement, His miracles.

the LORD, our God is real.

i believe.

without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Heb 11:6)

and having faith in God, we can please God who deserves and is worthy and is being praised. the Bible is full of ways in which we can please Him. He also speaks to us, each of us, individually, to tell us how to please Him. for instance, Eric Lyddell, an Olympic class runner, said "God made me fast, and i feel His pleasure when i run."

pleasing God also includes coming to Him to ask His forgiveness for the sins we commit knowingly and unknowingly and the good we did not do. for If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him recieves forgiveness of sins through His (Jesus') name. (Acts 10:47)

yes, we can please Him, but why struggle? if He forgives us if only we ask, why struggle?

my dear children, i write this to you so that you will not sin. but if anyone does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. we know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. the man who says, "i know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. this is how we know we are in Him: whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:1-6)

we struggle because we love Him. we struggle out of love and because of Love. we struggle because we live in a world who does not know Him..yet

when we struggle, and fall, we will rise again, for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity. (Proverbs 24:16)

"when God convicts us of our sin, it's not to drive us to despair, but to send us into the open arms of Jesus.
that's really what the 10 commandments is all about: to show us our need for Jesus."
(OJ, July 17 2007, "the heart of the matter", Greg Laurie)

so though the world is full of temptations, and our own mind has a "dark side", struggle AGAINST them! take no part in their activities! But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Tim 6:11-12)

Finally, brothers (and sisters!), whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pur, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or recieved or heard from me, or seen in me (Paul) -- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Phil 4:8-9)

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. (Phil 4:13) for His power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor 12:9a)

the birthday girl and her bouquet and banana chocolate =]

Uncle Peter's Durian cake

<- A.Mag cutting her cake (nb. she wanted the flowers there beside her, hehe =D)

Uncle Peter attempting to slice his rock hard cake~! ->

US~!!

US again =D (after dinner)

*courtesy of Daena

Have a blessed day, y'all

A Song just to Praise You, O LORD

i stand beneath the sky so vast
and feel the wind blow strong and fast
i close my eyes and see You smiling
O LORD, be glorified

be lifted up on the wings of my praise
be blessed, my King, to me turn Your Face
be glad and be proud of me, Your servant
may You delight in me, God

my feet stand upon the grass so green
and on Your Promises i lean
meditate on Your Statutes, Your Works and on You
O LORD, be magnified

be lifted up on the wings of my praise
be blessed, my King, to me turn Your Face
be glad and be proud of me, Your servant
may You delight in me, God

the flames of the fire dance in my heart
i play a tune for You on my harp
to You i dedicate this song
O LORD, be duly admired

be lifted up on the wings of my praise
be blessed, my King, to me turn Your Face
be glad and be proud of me, Your servant
may You delight in me, God

streams of water meander down
like the water of Life, in heaven it's found
so wonderfully sweet, You give it freely
O LORD, be raised up on high

be lifted up on the wings of my praise
be blessed, my King, to me turn Your Face
be glad and be proud of me, Your servant
may You delight in me, God

well, i just got my first B- in my report card. a B- for Astronomy.

BUT

i'm thankful it's not a C =]

*thank you, Lord~!*

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babes and infants,
you have established stength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

When i look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of you hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

~ Psalm 8