As the year comes closing

Again, I have neglected this site for a long while. Partly cuz there's no internet connection at home, and also because I've been so busy at work. I guess life changes totally once you graduate from the academic realm into the working society. A total change in lifestyle!

Lately God has been challenging me once again to write for him. Got reminded countless times about the parable of the talents. So here I am again, hopefully with more motivated to write...

It's closing to the end of the year where we look back and assess our new year resolutions. I thank God, because I've completed one of them, and that was to complete the Bible within this year. Praise God, I've achieved that. Now I'm back to connect journal... hoho, raw reading of the Bible is really challenging! But God has His plans... and I guess a lot of time, it's perseverance.

At the end of last year and beginning of this year, I set my resolutions together with the Lord. Before the year even began, the Lord had placed upon my heart that this year would be 'A Year of Perseverance'.

The verses He spoke to me were:

"perseverance, character; and character, hope."
- Romans 5:4

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
- James 1:4

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
- James 1:12

And the goals for this year:
1. Persevere in praying for family's salvation
2. Persevere in loving people of different characters
3. Persevere in trusting God
4. Complete the Bible in this year

Review of Goal 1 - Persevere in praying for family's salvation

It's a really hard thing to do, but I believe it is always the desire of many to see our family members saved and come to know Christ. It's hard, but God works wonderfully and miraculously. And this year in July, my mum came to know God. It's was such a wonderful day of my life to see my mum come to know God, and to even be able to walk the beginning of her journey in Christ with her!

Thank God for my mother's salvation, and I'll continue to pray for my dad and sister's salvation, and even my extended familys' salvation!

Review of Goal 2 - Persevere in loving people of different character

I remember last year, I had little trust in people. I always thought that I could do many things and people around me couldn't live up to my standards. When I came to know Christ, His word told me that judging people was wrong.

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
- Matthew 7:2-5

That totally crushed me. To realise that the world is a place where people judges others knowingly and unknowingly. It has been incorporated as a culture in our lives. It was a tough start, and a lot of angry times at myself for each time I judge others. But God has brought me through a journey, and at times it's not the anger I should feel about myself, but rejoicing in this journey that God is taking me through.

Knowing God doesn't mean He'll take away your problems. God helps you overcome your problems, not alone but with Him. I think God also helped me make more friends and understand friendships more! Haha... at least nowadays you don't see me always with the guys anymore..

I remember I used to have difficulty hanging out with girls because their discussion topics are always so different from mine. Even to this day, I still have some of these interest differences, but at least I have more girl friends now!

Goal 3 Review - Persevere in trusting God

Being Christian does not mean life becomes easier. It means it gets tougher. Once you are a Christian, the world hates you. So it's a time where you got to stand out there, despite attacks and persecution, to love the world who hates you. It's hard but always look back to the Lord, who came into the world to die for a people who persecuted and hated Him.

I remember it wasn't very long ago where I was on the verge of breaking down and giving up. There the Lord brought me back and set me free from oppression of the enemy. It was not an easy journey for me over the past 3 months because of the very many changes in my life, and of people who left. It was good to see how the Lord moulded me over the last 3 months into coming to Him, setting me through those times to reflect and consider my life before Him.

This day I stand strong in the Lord because of what He has done, not once blaming Him for taking me through a period of rough times. But to also know that no matter what happens, God is in control, He is sovereign!

When God ordains, He sustains!

Revived and stronger than before, the Lord may continue to take me through another test, but I know that no matter what happens, God has ordained me to go through it, and He will sustain me!

And lastly, my fourth goal has been mentioned early in the entry.

I'm so tired now! Haha.. 1 hour more to CDS, but I'm gonna take a nap!

Alright.. ciao people!