Speak, Lord, I am Listening

I have to learn how to listen to God's voice.

I came across the following prayer in the church bulletin on Sunday (which happened to be Hymn Sunday & Worship & Ministry Dedication).

Gracious Lord, You speak to me at many times and in various ways through Your Word, through people, through circumstances - but often my mind is miles away and I am not really listening. I nod assent. I file away an idea, a possibility, something i need to correct. But like the hundred and one things that clutter my desk, it is lost to me. I do not take hold of it and act on it.

Lord, when You speak to me, it must seem to You as if we have a party line. There are all sorts of people interrupting the conversation, noisy bursts of static, and constant technical difficulties. You must wonder if I'm getting anything at all from what You're saying. You speak, and I'm on guard. I want to be on intimate terms with You when such intimacy is to my advantage. But if I come close,if I really take in what You have to say, it could change my life and I'm afraid of that. Lord, if I keep resisting You, Your voice may be reduced to a whisper. SometimesI'm afraid it may disappear all together. Why should You keep calling me if I refuse to respond?

But that's not how things have to be.

Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.

God is speaking and yet I'm not listening. :(

And how to listen? I want to know...

And guess what? This morning, I happened to pick up this bookmark in Chinese that had all along been staring at me when I use the PC. (Usually I ignore looking at Chinese text.)And I was amazed at the prompt response to my question.

It reads (as I translate it):

God loves you and He awaits an intimate relationship with you. He would like to communicate with you daily. You may use the following steps to listen and respond to God's voice.

1. Ready your heart to listen to God
Invite God's presence and ask Him to reveal Himself and His Truth.

2. Read the Bible and meditate
Read the Bible passage slowly and aks God at the same time: " Lord, what do you want to tell me today? This passage tells me something about

- God: who is He? what kinds of attributes does He have? What has He done?
- myself: Who am I? How does God view me?
- a believer's life:
Sin - repent and avoid sins
Promise - accept and claim God's promises
Attitude - have godly attitudes
Command - obey God's commands
Example - learn from examples given
--> what pointers does the acronym SPACE have on my life?

3. Respond to God
Earlier you have listened to God's voice, now, use a prayer to respond to Him:
- apologise: confess your sins, repent and accept God's forgiveness
- give thanks: thank God for His abundant blessings and promises
- make a request: pray for yourself or intercede for others
- express love to God: sing praise to workship God

4. Record your conversation with God
- Read: write down the Bible verses
- Meditate: what did God tell you?
- Respond: what must you do?

John 14:15 (New International Version)
If you love me, you will obey what I command.

James 1:22 (New King James Version)
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

I will learn to obey! I must act on it!
Help me Lord!!!

Which Peanuts Character Am I?

You are part Charlie Brown. You are always optimistic and persistent, and everyone appreciates your simple sweetness. Sometimes, however, your anxieties get the best of you, and life's mysteries can confuse you. You are part Schroeder. You are brilliant, ambitious, and brooding; you tackle tasks with extreme focus. People don't always interest you as much as other pursuits, though, so you can come off as aloof.

What do you think? Am I part Charlie Brown and part Schroeder?
I think I'm just ME! :)

WindWorkz at it again!

WindWorks performed on 2 consecutive days - 19 & 20 Oct 2007...

19 Oct 2007 (Fri)

Our 8th performance was at the Conrad - at the Rotary Club's Corporate Management Bowling League. We played a fanfare at the beginning for the processional and continued performing to an appreciative audience while they had their dinner.

Thereafter, we had our dinner - look at what we had... the yummy grilled chicken with vegetable ratatouille and the yummy chocolate gateau for dessert! :D

While waiting to play our final piece to end the evening, we had our fair share of fun, participating in the lucky draw... (guess what? Sam and Tim actually won something!) and going to the dance floor! It was pretty fun having almost 20 of us standing in a circle grooving to the beat together... singing and shouting and doing actions to the likes of "Gimme Hope, Joanna!" and "Y.M.C.A."... :)


20 Oct 2007 (Sat)

Our 9th outing of the year was at the Botanic Gardens and we performed at the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage for the YMCA – Central Singapore Proms @ the Park event.

YMCA of Singapore celebrated 105 years of serving the community with a picnic and concert at the park and had adult corporate volunteers coming to serve the less fortunate in a tangible meaningful way. It was a Guiness record breaking event as more than 30 VWOs with more than a thousand beneficiaries and more than a thousand volunteers gathered together, sprawled all over the open space.

WindWorkz was the final item for the concert (and also the final item for the 2007 season of YProms) and we got people singing, dancing and clapping. They wanted more... but it was getting dark, so we ended the evening with two encores...

And while waiting for our turn after the sound-check... we kept ourselves amused with food, ice-cream and a game of "monkey"! :)

These two performances clearly show us truly living up to our motto of good causes and good fellowship - good food and good fun! :P

To the Unknown Teacher

I came across the following poem in the Oct 2007 issue of the Methodist Message and I reflect on my role as an educator.

And I think of the candles I've lit and how they are shining now and bringing cheer to me. They are now older and are my friends. How often does one have the privilege of accompanying an ex-student/friend to buy a proposal ring? What about having an ex-student/friend teach you the finer points of saxophone playing? Or what about being chauffeured around in a Merz by an ex-student/friend who also loves your niece?

I truly thank God for blessing me...

The Unknown Teacher -Henry Van Dyke (1852 - 1933)-

I sing the praise of the Unknown Teacher.
Great generals wins campaigns, but it is the unknown soldier who wins the war.

Famous educators plans new system of pedagogues, but it is the
Unknown Teacher who delivers and guides the young.

He lives in obscurity and contents with hardship. For him no
trumpets blare, no chariots wait, no golden decorations are decreed.

He keeps the watch along the border of darkness
and leads the attack on the trenches of ignorance and folly.
Patient in his duty. He strives to conquer the evil powers
which are the enemies of youth. He awakes sleeping spirits.
He quicken the indolent, encourages the eager and steadies the
unstable.

He communicates his own joy in learning and shares
with boys and girls the best treasures of his mind.
He lights many candles which in later years will shines back to
cheer him. This is his reward.

Knowledge may be gained from books, but the love of knowledge
is transmitted only by personal contact.
No one has deserved better of Republic than the Unknown
Teacher, No one is more worthy to be enrolled in a democratic
aristocracy, ” King of himself and servant of mankind ”

WindWorkz plays for the President again!

What an exciting night! WindWorkz plays for the president again!

Windworkz had "unfinished business" with the President of Singapore when we played for him at the BB's Sharity Gift Box 20th Anniversary dinner at the Fullerton on 3 Sept 2007. He requested for his favourite song "Anak" but we didn't have it on our repertoire then.

Tonight, we played for this piece specially for him again at the President's Challenge at Laguna National. This event was to raise funds for St Luke's Eldercare at Bukit Timah and they raised more than $720k.

Anyway, the President was so pleased with us that he came up to the stage and shook our hands. And he specifically requested for us to have our picture taken with him... cool or what!



PS1. Note the size of the group today - only 10 of us as it's mainly the combo...

PS2.
Brief write-up of Windworkz:
WindWorkz was formed in January 2007. Led by Samantha Chong, the principal trombonist of the Singapore Festival Orchestra and music director of several school bands, the band plays popular big band standards and classics from the jazz and swing era, styled after the big bands of Benny Goodman and Glen Miller.

Coming from a variety of music and band backgrounds, the members are exploring and experiencing a genre of music older than some of their parents, bonded by their love for music and their fellowship with one another. They enjoy playing together and making music so much that they are happy to share their music, especially for good causes.

PS3. We played for a YMCA CLAP programme on 1 Sept at Toa Payoh Amphitheatre and will be playing for another YMCA event on 20 Oct at the Botanic Gardens.

What city should I live in?

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What City Should You Live In?

You should live in Paris. The city of lights will appeal to your appreciation of beauty and romance. You are a lover and a poet by nature, and Paris' sensitive charms will be a perfect match for yours.

Trust His Heart - Rom 8:28

Today's the first time I heard this song - "Trust His Heart" in church today.

I'm reminded of Rom 8:28:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

And I'm reminded to Trust His Heart regardless of what I feel or what I can't see...for He loves me....

The lyrics goes like this:

G Am
All things work for our good
D7 G
Though sometimes we can't see how they could
B7 Em
Struggles that break our heart in two
Am D7
Sometimes blind us to the truth

Our Father knows what is best for us
His ways are not our own
So when the pathway grows dim
And you just can't see Him
Remember He's still on the throne

G Am
God is too wise to be mistaken
D7 C--G
God is to good to be unkind
D G G7
So when you don't understand
C Am
When you don't see His plan
C D7
When you can't trace His hand
G D7
Trust his heart

He sees the masterplan
He holds the future in His hand
So don't be like those who have no hope
All our hope is found in Him
We walk in present knowledge
but He sees the first and the last
And like a tapestry He's weaving you and me
To someday be just like Him...
C D7 Bm(E)
He alone is faithful on truth
C D7 E
He alone knows what's best for you...