made.good.again

I LOVE PEOPLE! An old wise lady who used to be in OCF once told me: "ministry is all about people"… and it sure took me a few years to figure that out. But it becomes clearer - I take joy in being around people, I feel alive! Times when the admin work piles up, where there are programs to be planned, structures to be built… It’s so easy to forget what it’s all about - people, people, people!

No wonder God loves people, no wonder Jesus didn’t mind being surrounded by people all the time. It’s especially exhilarating when you feel you’ve worked with God, when you’ve allowed some of the blessings and love and care He’s showered upon you to overflow onto others. Or when you allow someone else to just help carry that burden that’s been weighing you down.

Then there’s also the annoying type of people… whom I used to just ignore for fear that they’d bring out the worst in me =P Feeling a little more confident these days, I spend some time trying to get to know them better or understanding where they’re coming from… And actually they’re not that annoying afterall… or at least there’s been a reason for their being annoying. Plus we’re great friends now!! Woooo.. birds of the same feathers flock together!! One day we’ll have enough people to start L.O.A.F = Lack of Attention Fellowship!! Or A.P.U = Annoying People Unite!! Woohoo…

It’s obviously late… Zzzzz…

Let’s face it. This journey called life is not without its many battles and challenges. I’ve trained well at ocf, learning together, fighting together. We’re an army afterall - strong and tough!

As would normally happen in a battle, there are times of hurts and injuries. I’ve learnt that I do not keep quiet nor suffer in silence - I call for help. Yet sometimes the enemy has been cunning to trick us into thinking that injuries should remain hidden - that they are marks of weakness. So we lay on the ground, thinking… Have I not been alert enough, have I not trained hard enough, have I let the team down… and feeling like you’ve failed the mission. But what do you know… you call for help and your friends rush over to carry you to safety. They lend strength. We fight this winning battle together. We journey this life together - be it laughter or tears.

The biggest mistake to make is to be a Samurai - who takes all failures upon himself and takes his own life when he feels he’s lost. Pride hinders.

Be courageous enough to be vulnerable - a new lesson in life.

Oh and ocf.. they’re simply loving… =) Thanks friends. We march on, hand in hand… we’ll see Jericho fall.

Love is often gentle, desire always a rage. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic’s Notebook, 1966

If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins. ~Benjamin Franklin

It is with our passions as it is with fire and water; they are good servants, but bad masters. ~Roger L’Estrange, Aesop’s Fables, 1692

Passion and prejudice govern the world, only under the name of reason. ~John Wesley

I miss the ice-cream from passion flower. ~Anti-Climax Penny

Passion makes the world go round. Love just makes it a safer place. ~Ice T, The Ice Opinion, quoted in Reader’s Digest, "Quotable Quotes," February 2002

Let men tremble to win the hand of woman, unless they win along with it the utmost passion of her heart! Else it may be their miserable fortune, when some mightier touch than their own may have awakened all her sensibilities, to be reproached even for the calm content, the marble image of happiness, which they will have imposed upon her as the warm reality. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

The most beautiful make-up of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy. ~Yves Saint Laurent

Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark. ~Amiel, Journal, 17 December 1856

Passion is universal humanity. Without it religion, history, romance and art would be useless. ~Honoré de Balzac

You taught me to be nice, so nice that now I am so full of niceness, I have no sense of right and wrong, no outrage, no passion. ~Garrison Keillor

I’m bored of being ‘nice’, of being curled up within safe boundaries, of being ‘understanding’ and ‘accepting’, and afraid to offend. Tired of drifting along in the flow of life, wary that a little movement might send off ripples. Needing the spark of passion, to turn my "okayyyy.." into "LET’S DO IT!", my sighs into "LET’S DO IT AGAIN!", my thoughts into action, my belief into deeds. Less calculation of risks, more steps of faith. What if I stumble, or fall, or become unpopular? He is BIG enough, His grace sufficient for me.

C’mon, time for the foolish to shame the wise. There’s a great reason to.

Costello’s Hillsong

By Jason Koutsoukis
Canberra
July 6, 2005

Enthralled by the sight of more than 20,000 singing Christians, Treasurer Peter Costello was only too happy to mix his brand of politics with religion.

Mr Costello was not alone on Monday night in trying to curry favour with Australia’s thriving Pentecostal Assemblies of God movement at the annual conference of Hillsong, Australia’s largest congregation. Cabinet colleagues Alexander Downer, Helen Coonan and Kevin Andrews were in the audience at Sydney’s SuperDome; on stage were Costello - who also attended last year - and, earlier, NSW Labor Premier Bob Carr.

But Hillsong’s brand of prosperous Christianity and the evangelical style of its pastor, Brian Houston, have invited suggestions that Hillsong has more than a little in common with the powerful religious right that dominates US politics. Is this fair?

No, according to Mr Costello’s brother Tim, an ordained minister in the Baptist Church.

Critical of Hillsong in the past for its emphasis on linking a belief in Jesus to financial prosperity, Tim Costello now defends the role Hillsong plays in helping young people.

"I’m actually very positive about their music, their attraction of young people, and I pay Pastor Brian Houston credit for recognising that to link a belief in Jesus to financial gain was a distortion of the gospel," Tim Costello said.

He rejects any link to the US religious right movement. "If you look at Hillsong and the Pentecostal movement here, then I would say it is more Democrat than Republican, more left than right.

"In contrast to the US religious right, they are very much in favour of gun control. Nor are Australian evangelical Christians as militantly anti-abortion as their US counterparts. Another touchstone issue for evangelical Christians in the US is their opposition to socialised medicine. That just would never happen here."

As for the mixture of religion and politics, constitutional law professor George Williams of the University of NSW says there is nothing in the constitution that prevents political leaders from involving themselves in religion.

"Governments are not allowed to establish a national religion, or use religion as a test for employment, but the Commonwealth is able to provide funding for religious schools, which is not allowed in the United States," he said.

Peter Costello’s appearance at Hillsong has by no means offended his traditional political opponents. Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley sent a message of support to the conference, Victorian Premier Steve Bracks had no problem with any of it, and Victorian Labor MP Michael Danby said the ALP might learn something from Hillsong.

HILLSONG: THE FACTS

■ Founded 1983 in Baulkham Hills, north-west Sydney, with a congregation of 70. Now averages 18,000 a weekend in several services

■ International profile through highly successful music ministry, including several top-selling CDs

■ Member church of Assemblies of God. Pastor Brian Houston is AoG national president

■ Ultra-conservative evangelical theology – Bible as literal word of God, including creation account in Genesis, salvation in Christ alone, church’s task to make converts

■ Teaches prosperity gospel, that God wants Christians to prosper. Houston, author of You Need More Money, says this is not about greed but personal effectiveness. Church sponsors 2600 children in Uganda, and has variety of welfare programs.

■ Runs annual interdenominational convention, with more than 28,000 attending this year from 80 countries

■ About 20 federal MPs came to 2005 opening session on Monday, including Peter Costello, Alexander Downer, Kevin Andrews, Peter Dutton, Ron Boswell, Helen Coonan, Bruce Baird and two who are members of Hillsong, Louise Markus and Alan Cadman. NSW Premier Bob Carr came to first session

so exams are over. amazing how ironically appropriate it was that they played "Finding Nemo" in the quarantine room and it ended with the scene where the fish in the aquarium finally made (bounced) their ways to the open waters, still contained in their plastic bags. then they looked at each other and went: "NOW WHAT"?

feels a bit like that after exams - out in the wide oceans (FREEDOM!!) but in some ways still floating inside the plastic bag.

many have gone away for holidays and vacations. holidays probably means touring, seeing things, adventure, going places. vacation: slower-paced, more relaxing, stretched out on the beach type of picture. (however, don’t ask me why SWOT Vac is considered a vacation. what a misnomer).

all in all, people just need a "break", getaway, escapade to hidden tranquilities of life. only to find at the end of it that we’re still in that plastic bag!

R E S T is different. it’s the peculiar peace that exists despite the calamities of life, a constant assurance that comes from knowing the Author of life who is in control and holding our future in His hands.

it is a freedom that is true. it is a real swim in the waters of the oceans. you recognize it when you’re immersed in it.

know His Power in quietness and trust.

when it comes to examtime, we say we’d do our best.

what does doing our best mean…does it mean:

i) study really  hard all the way through until the next morning wake up and study more and then walk into the exam hall..

ii) study what you can and that’s enough when you "feel" you’ve studied hard enough..

iii) study until you know that you know more stuff than your coursemates..

iv) study enough to get on to next semester..

v) study for next semester before it begins..

vi) attend all lectures, tutorials, read all materials, try all past year questions, attend study groups, ..

vii) not have a life..

viii) study until your friends say you’re kiasu.. your parents say "keep studying more it’s for your own good"..

Maybe it’s just a knowing that you’ve purposefully devoted a significantly proportionate quality and amount of time understanding and going through the study materials, yet have had space in your thoughts for family and friends around you - their needs for your prayer and care and thoughts…

And knowing that you’ve done all things as you’d do unto Him, a sacrifice of worship for His Glory.

she just was. a daughter, wife, mother, aunt, friend. didn’t have to strive hard. and she is cherished, remembered, loved the same way. didn’t have to strive hard.

she’s been a hero and her legend lives on. i want like to be like you, aunty. i want to live today what i want to be remembered for.

Today I am stepping across the line. I’m tired of
waffling, and I’m finished with wavering. I’ve made my
choice; the verdict is in; and my decision is
irrevocable. I’m going God’s way. There’s no turning
back now!

I will live the rest of my life serving God’s purposes
with God’s people on God’s planet for God’s glory. I
will use my life to celebrate his presence, cultivate
his character, participate in his family, demonstrate
his love, and communicate his Word.

Since my past has been forgiven, and I have a purpose
for living and a home awaiting in heaven, I refuse to
waste any more time or energy on shallow living, petty
thinking, trivial talking, thoughtless doing, useless
regretting, hurtful resenting, or faithless worrying.
Instead I will magnify God, grow to maturity, serve in
ministry, and fulfill my mission in the membership of
his family.

Because this life is preparation for the next, I will
value worship over wealth, "we" over "me," character
over comfort, service over status, and people over
possessions, position, and pleasures. I know what
matters most, and I’ll give it all I’ve got. I’ll do
the best I can with what I have for Jesus Christ
today.

I won’t be captivated by culture, manipulated by
critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems,
debilitated by temptation, or intimidated by the
devil. I’ll keep running my race with my eyes on the
goal, not the sidelines or those running by me. When
times get tough, and I get tired, I won’t back up,
back off, back down, back out, or backslide. I’ll just
keep moving forward by God’s grace. I’m Spirit-led,
purpose-driven and mission-focused, so I cannot be
bought, I will not be compromised, and I shall not
quit until I finish the race.

I’m a trophy of God’s amazing grace, so I will be
gracious to everyone, grateful for everyday, and
generous with everything that God entrusts to me.

To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say: However,
whenever, wherever, and whatever you ask me to do, my
answer in advance is yes! Wherever you lead and
whatever the cost, I’m ready. Anytime. Anywhere.
Anyway. Whatever it takes Lord; whatever it takes! I
want to be used by you in such a way, that on that
final day I’ll hear you say, "Well done, thou good and
faithful one. Come on in, and let the eternal party begin!"

-Rick Warren, Author: Purpose Driven Life-