Once again it is this time of the year…

i was looking through the archives of my blogs, MSN convos, emails, the works i’ve done (BB policy paper, SOP, Bio pracs, commentaries, EE etc etc) and saw God’s hand in it all. Hence i would like to end this year with gratitude and begin 2009 on a note of faith. Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour has been good to me, indeed He is faithful and true, carrying me through all the ups and downs as promised, and most importantly, granting me a deeper revelation of Himself.

The year has been the most turbulent so far, particularly on the spiritual and emotional level (not an intelligent year as i hoped, sadly). It’s difficult to unload thoughts and feelings from my mind all at once.. but i’ll try.

Spirituality
i’ve been exceedingly and immensely blessed in this respect as i made this the top priority of the year. Thanks be to God, and my dear brothers and sisters in Christ who edified me in Spirit and in Truth! These are some amazing people i would especially like to acknowledge and thank:

1. John Tay
i can never thank you enough for taking the risk and became my mentor in FireAC. Thank you for teaching me how to pray & intercede with with every fiber of my being and delight in it (because to be with Christ is most delightful), for inspiring me to be more firmly rooted in the Word, for admonishing me when my judgment is clouded, for reassuring me (of God’s unfailing grace and faithfulness) when i realized the gravity of my sins, for urging me to be zealous & sacrificial in doing God’s work, for the books (The Kneeling Christian. An Acceptable Sacrifice. Back to Jerusalem), and for praying that i’ll love Jesus through and through. You have became a role model of passion, compassion and humility (tho i really disliked your pride when i first got to know you) to me. By refusing to take credit for yourself but giving all glory to God whenever i thank you, you have shown yourself faithful and humble before the Lord, and that is true courage and strength. i will take up the blazing baton and pass it on to my junior in good condition, by the grace and mercy of God as well. May our God Himself continue to preserve you and sanctify you as you delight in Him, so that you may be more and more Christlike!

2. Caleb Lin
Like i said, all the antagonistic “arguments” (as you put it) we exchange helped to put all things into perspective. Thank you for all the challenging questions that pointed me to Christ Himself with His absolute and constant goodness! (: i really do have a lot to learn from you. Thank you for your faithfulness and commitment to God’s work in FireAC and in class, despite all the undesirable happenings throughout the course of the year. Thanks for the yummy food you personally cooked and snacks you bought to share with all (i suppose your locker number is the hottest in ACSi) during gatherings etc. You have been a generous blessing. May God continue to prosper you in all things as your soul prospers with an ever increasing knowledge of Christ Himself!

3. Timothy Lim
(: Your words (spoken and written on blog) and prayer never fail to comfort, encourage and inspire. You have blazed the trail and exhibit the glory of God in so many areas, so remarkably, and yet remain humble and helpful. So thank you for setting a good example (of diligence and perseverance too) in Christ. Thank you for loving and caring for us when we are down, for calling us when we needed someone to talk to and pray with. May God set Himself before you as always, leading you in all wisdom and truth.

4. Kenneth Lim
Thank you for your obedience and faith to establish FireAC and keep it moving. Through serving in this ministry i’ve grown so much in the knowledge of God & people, and forged precious friendship that can last forever (the blood of Christ binds and redeems). Thank you for your brotherly kindness & concern at times, especially when i’m not doing well (such as for mid-years). Some of your words are faith-filled and very inspiring, thank you for speaking life! May God continue to use you mightily and exalt you as you humble yourself before Him, may you abide in Him with joy for He is our portion and hope always. (:

5. Emil Ng
Thank you for encouraging me in the Lord from time to time, for giving me your e-Sword too! xD You have inspired me to worship God in Spirit and in Truth, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for leading worship faithfully in FireAC. i pray that you will have no lack as you abide in Christ and as He mould you in His likeness day by day.

6. Daniel Chng
Thank you for receiving me so warmly into FireAC and BB in the beginning of the year, and for trusting me enough to share the issues of your heart (it’s still safe with me) during that period of time too. Thank you for showing me your spiritual journal, which touched me deeply (the imagery of the silver and the silversmith). You also inspired me to love the Word. May God grant you the courage to glorify Him even in adverse situations and draw you closer to Himself as you seek Him.

7. Mr Charles Ng
Thank you Sir for building us up in God through sharing during FireAC pitstops, Primers Bible Studies and blogging (your blog is one of the most edifying one i know of). Thank you for nurturing so many God-fearing men during your service as the OIC of my seniors. i have learnt a lot from God through you. May God grant you the wisdom and discernment to find yourself a wife of noble character and have children who love God wholeheartedly, as you find sufficiency in Christ and seek to glorify Him in all things. (x

8. Timothy Loh
Hello world, this is me thanking my godbrother here!
Thank you 干弟 for the wonderful time during WoW, where God moved powerfully in our midst. It is really awesome to see God empowering you to lead the devotions that caused many of us to confess our sins & repent, and brought Shiru and Lisa (our new sisters in Christ!) into the bond of Love. i’m very proud of you (=
May you find the Holy Spirit our Comforter, Helper and Counselor as your best friend, and may God grant you knowledge, understanding and wisdom in abundance so that you will be more effective for Him. <3

9. The evergreen sisterhood
My dearest fellow darling (you know who you are) babes of BB. Thank you for the wonderful times we had praying with one another, to seek God Himself, to seek for His counsel to handle all the mess we got ourselves into, and for our friends and families etc, throughout the course of this tumultuous year. The spiritual connection we shared at various points in time were astounding, and heartening as well. Thank you for the times where we opened up ourselves to one another with all honesty and vulnerability, for that speaks of trust and genuine love, the kind of friendship that is so so so so difficult to find nowadays!! How precious it is.
i pray sincerely that each and every one of us will enthrone Jesus as our First Love, because He is the center of all things, and in Him all things hold together (that include our sanity, and the sisterly love that we share). 2009 may be insane to us at times, but with God as our guide, and with each other by our side, we will brave through the storms, sure and stedfast!

BB GIRLS FOR THE WIN!!!!!!! =D

Relationships

1) BGR
Not ready to blog about it yet, but i do have a lot to say about it… till a more appropriate time, i promise.
Just in case anyone gets a wrong idea, i have made a covenant with God since 15, to abstain from BGR till 20 years of age. i have not, and will not break it.

2) Friendship
In an old blog post written on 21/09/2007, i wrote, “Talking about friends, to me, it has always been the quality and never the quantity. i’m contented to have a handful of close friends instead of a bunch of acquaintances. Then again, quantity is potential quality; the acquaintance of today might be your intimate friend tomorrow. Therefore, i will breakthrough my cocoon, be much more outgoing, and make lots of friends in the years ahead. Hahas, sounds like an emergence of a social butterfly!”

Coming to ACS, joining FireAC and BB are the best decisions i’ve ever made after The Best decision to follow Jesus. Actually God made those decisions and presented them to me (so i can still choose to turn them down) and i merely obeyed willingly. Not only did i find God and encountered Him more profoundly, i began to chum around, and gained many genuine and rare friends. These friendships seem too good to be true, but they really do exist, because they are anointed by the Presence of God. In His Presence, miracles are the norm.

Besides those mentioned above, there are people like Nicole Poh and Timothy Liang who are my best female friend in class and best guy friend in BB at this point in time… and many more close friends to name. Thank God for every single one of them <3

Work
1) BB
The late nights of churning out policy paper, standard operating procedures, administrative instructions etc have taught me the art of administration and increased my capacity and tenacity. It’s all worthy it.

2) Academic
The only regret i have this year is not working hard enough on my school work and getting average grades (tho i do give thanks for God’s grace in this). Then again i must thank people who helped me along the way,  Jiayi (a year 7 who is studying in UCL now) for all the textbooks she passed me. John for tirelessly explain concepts, giving me his book, lending & giving me his notes, and for his encouragement. Kenneth, Timlim and Emil for giving me their notes and encourage me from time to time. Daniel and Charles for helping me with Econs. Audrey for all the precious notes and the help she willingly offered etc. Jayne, Sam, Pet for taking notes and sharing them generously with me. Nicole for giving me study tips and inspiring me to study smart. Tina for her company in and out of intensive mugging season, and for her notes. Even Timliang, for indirectly helping me with Bio, and reminding me to work hard.

2009 must be different. Studies will climb up my priority ladder but i do not want to compromise on Spirituality and significant friendships as well. So it will be a year of discipline (it is true that i lack self-restrain this year, wasting time on unproductive things) and faithfulness. And ultimately, that of fruitfulness! =)

To God Be The Glory. The Best Is Yet To Be!

=D Have a blessed and bountiful 2009 ahead!