| | Thanks for all of you who have said happy birthday to me! It means a lot even if you tell me late -- it just shows you care :) I know it's not always the best thing to do to post names, but I decided to this time to just give that extra oomph of thanks to you (in chronological order of me receiving a "happy birthday" message :p):
Kitty Lee, Rachel Wong, Ken Leung, Andrew Chow, Theresa Wong, Kimberley Lau, Shelby Chung, Adrienne Wong, Cora Cheung/Doreen Hsu/Jeff Cheung/Shirley Yip/Susan Park, Dayna/Jin, Hiram/Simon/Yvonne, Jeana Poon, Jon Cheung, Vanessa Ho, Sabrina Chan, Abraham Hum, Andrew Lam, Kay Lam, Sonja Ip, Brian Kung, Jonathan Tong, my family, Karina Lam/Sam Chiu/Yun-Ping Lee, and the many numerous others who said 'happy birthday' to me late and/or still got me presents (ie. Anita/Nishani/Sam)! :D
Thanks so much to everyone for going all-out and making my 20th day of birth something so special. You never really know how much two words, a smile, and a hug can do. Presents and cards are nice because you have them as tangible objects to keep and to hold, but a smile and a hug does amazing wonders.
HUGE massive insanely gigantic props go out to Kimberley Lau and Andrew Chow (and whoever else was in on the deal!) for organizing everything together to get Kitty to take the 2 hour bus ride here to London. If you were also in on the deal, let me know so I can thank you personally. That was one heck of a surprise. I was really, really, really surprised, you have no idea. I was speechless, wasn't I?! :p
Thanks especially to Kim for spending triple-digits on me, showing how much she cares for me (with using her time and a lot of money!), and for baby-sitting Kitty for a few days. It really means a lot to me that even words can't describe.
Thanks Andrew for sneakily giving hints throughout the day, especially, "are you suuuuure you want to go to men's cell?" haha .. You're making Delissio rising crust pizza right now as I type :p
Thanks Kitty for making the time in your busy schedule to come see me and chillax in London. You never cease to surprise me. Thanks for the apple pie and the ice cream -- there is still a LOT of it left! I hope you enjoyed carving your first jack-o-lantern pumpkin while being distracted with Smallville and Grey's Anatomy (two horrible shows that you shouldn't watch, by the way :p).
Thanks so much to the ACF crew that stealthily (haha) got inside London Hall to surprise me! The apple pie was really sweet (taste-wise and gift-wise) along with the ice cream! It's not that I don't like cake, it's just that it's not easy to find a cake that I like -- just ask Theresa! She's just as picky as I am about cakes! :p Thanks Adrienne for the book! I've started to read it and hopefully I'll be able to use more hymns that have such great Truth and combine those with music :) Thanks to everyone else for the pumpkin, carving utensil, and tea lights! It was really thoughtful :D It's amazing the things that people remember about you :p Thanks also to the morning prayer meeting crew for the song singing and just another great chance to pray and fellowship together :)
ACF Exec:
Wow. We've come a long way since the beginning of 2006. I love these guys and girls :) Hot pot day was defintiely a kick-off to something amazing :) It's been great to finally have a chance to share and pray with each other. It's been so heart-wrenching (in a good way) to hear what they have to share about and the struggles that they're going through and it makes me open my eyes and realize that I'm struggling with the same thing too. Thanks to Yun-Ping for his constant prayers, care, and for helping to open my eyes to my own downfalls. Thanks Jon for taking off my blinders again and for seeing how great God's love for us is, how we all struggle to love others with the kind of love Christ has for us. Thanks to everyone else, I definitely saw a bit of myself in everyone and it was absolutely eye-opening.
This fellowship means so much to me and I'm so blessed that God has put me in the paths of all these people. Talking to some of the grads, it makes me sad already that next year will possibly be my last year being able to enjoy the presence of so many solid believers and followers of Christ who are actively following Him and know what it means to be free from sin, have victory over death, pray with authority, and know Him in an intimate way. God has done amazing things in and through ACF and He will continue to do so when we keep Him as the centre. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
Refinement
Titus 2:11-14 NASB
Pam and Roger's (P&R's) is tonight! I'm excited. Part 2 of what it means to be a man/woman of God. AND, P&R's at ACF this upcoming Friday (October 27th)! Even more exciting!
God's blow-my-mind message to me today:
Romans 12 NASB (emphasis added):
1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9Let love be without hypocrisy Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17Never pay back evil for evil to anyone Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. 20"BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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I love rest. Love is rest. I love love. God is love. I love God.
"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs." -- Proverbs 10:12 NIV
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None But Jesus
In the quiet,
In the stillness,
I know that You are God.
In the secret of Your presence
I know there I am restored.
When You call I won't refuse;
Each new day again I'll choose:
There is no One else for me,
None but Jesus,
Crucified to set me free,
Now I live to bring
Him praise.
In the chaos, in confusion,
I know You’re sovereign still.
In the moment of my weakness,
You give me Grace to do Your will.
When You call I won’t delay,
This my song through all my days:
All my delight is in You LORD,
All my hope,
All of my strength,
All my delight is in You LORD,
Forevermore.
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