Women Of Destiny

Psalm 45:11

The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor
him, for He is your Lord. (NIV)


...the King is wild for you (The Message)


For your royal husband delights in your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord (NLT)


So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him (NKJV)


Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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God is crazy for us. He enjoys our presence, He is excited & happy about YOU. About me! Gosh!!!! This is unthinkable. How can it be real???? You must be kidding me!


Maybe we see too little of ourself (low self esteem?) that we doubt that He really love us let even crazy about us. But hey you believe the Bible or you believe the seed of doubt that the devil had planted in your mind. Of course is God is crazy for us la! Hard to comprehend maybe but nevertheless it's the truth.


Maybe after this 40 days of fasting & prayer & no distracting TV & no computer games we can really appreciate how God truly feels for us?


Having the end in mind. What do you hope to see at the end of the 40 days of fasting & prayer? Think about it, I will ask you when we meet for cell *winks*

Eyes fixed on the teacher, appearing to be extremely attentive with the ocassional nods and responses. While both my hands were under the table hitting the buttons on my phone. Then, i would look down,sometimes for a bit too long, engrossed in my game. As if suddenly being reminded of something, my head bolted up...to see the look of disapproval on the teacher's face. Oops. Think she realised i'm not listening.

As soon as GP lesson ends, i tried to get out of the class as soon as possible. Somehow i have this gut feeling that she would call me. But it was impossible to be fast as my notes and worksheets were too untidyly spread across the table. Just as I was just about to zip up my bag and run out the already near-empty classroom, i heard her say, "Joanne, come over here." I stopped short and, walked to her desk, automatically. Is she going to take my phone?

"Joanne ah, what's happening?" was her first question.

I'm like, how do i answer her question, so i kept quiet.

"Your AQ is not very well done." AQ over here means application question, it is1 of the questions from the comprehension exercise, and usually carries a heavy weightage of marks. I only passed once during last year's promos. Just ONCE.

But still, my phone is safe.

"The starting paragraph is good but slowly there are gaps in between the points and..." As she go on, i realised it was nothing about me being inattentive at all. It turns out that she just wanted to, erm, compliment my effort in doing that piece of work. I was very surprised. And of course, happy la. Ever since i failed my GP tests last year, i have lost confident in ever doing well or even improving. See, the problem is i always run out of things to write and then i start throwing in crap and stuff. Its just so hard for me to do well in the subject.

"...and i think you've improved. I was thinking who is this person writing quite well then surprised that it was you, and If reading benefits you, continue to read." Her compliment that day greatly boosted my confidence level. Though, i really dislike this teacher and i know that she dont expect much out of me, her encouragement really helps.

Throughout the whole day, i was over the moon. Very happy with MYSELF, with MY OWN performance, MY OWN efforts, me me me. This kind of thing doesnt happen to me all the time you know =)

But, where is God in the context?

Everytime i study and met with extreme difficulties in trying to understand and apply new theories in exercises, i would pray or maybe read some verses of the Bible. And it helps. I mean, suddenly i would be "enlightened" and understand alot of stuff, as if, God's intelligence is flowing into me.

I know what i have today is given by God, so i should give him the glory! He played such an important role in my life, giving thanks is the least i can do. And i definitely wouldnt have made it through my past year without Him helping me! =)

Signing off,
Jo

Dear daughters!

Yea I'm not late this week! Thanks Bel Bel for compiling! This week's sermon does require a little more time to ponder & digest. How is it for you gals?? I definitely will want to discuss more about this with each of you soon.
A brief summary here for you.

How Can We Enjoy God's Abundance (Overflowing Blessings) in Our Life?
1. Trust in the Lord & do Good -> Blessings of Safety (生活平安)
2. Delight Yourself in the Lord -> Blessings of Satisfaction (万事如意)
3. Commit Your Ways to the Lord -> Blessings of Success (前程似锦)

Point 1
In the midst of stormy surroundings in your life (depression, family quarrels, sibling quarrels, stressed up in school/work etc etc) don't fret (心怀不平).The greater injustice & unhappiness you harbour in your heart, the more the devil convinces you that God is unfair, or God dun care about you anymore. RUBBISH! You're definitely tricked!!
What to do then?
REST in the Lord!!! Be still & wait on God patiently. That's how we can be at peace even if bad pplz surrounds us. To rest in God = To keep on trusting Him & do good

Point 2
Delight yourself in the Lord = "God, the greatest delight in my life is to see You delighted!"
Delighting ourself in God = Denying ourself
Remember that Jesus denied Himself (on the Cross) so that we can be here today enjoying the blessings of God!

Point 3
Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The worst is to live as a half-hearted Christian. You're going to fall & you won't even know what has hit you......*SO SCARY*

[Applications]
JOANNE: commit everyting to GOD including gambling
PRIS: pray twice a day that the LORD will give her the right attitude for church
CHERISH: dun be self-conscious, care more for others
MIRIAM: pray and ask GOD her not to be self-conscious, EVERYDAY
JANELLE: pray everyday that she would not be self-conscious
CHLOE: pray everyday that she would not be self-conscious in CCA
ELLYN: before making important decisions, pray
BEL: pray that she would be able to surrender everything to GOD
BREN BREN: Not to fret by sharing all my worries to God & trusting He can help me
CYNTHIA: An important sermon, to discuss on "denying ourself" with all of us soon

Reference from http://www.fcbc.org.sg/service_news.asp?newsID=382

FCBC is proud to celebrate our beloved Senior Pastor Lawrence Khong's winning moments at the SEA Games 2007, where he represented the Republic of Singapore in the game of polo with his other comrades.

Visit these moments now as you browse through the picture gallery and sense the tremendous honour that the Singapore polo team had brought to the Republic with their fellow athletes at this most prestigious sporting event in the region.

2007 had, indeed, been an unforgettable year of victory after victory for SP, FCBC and TOUCH as a whole. Relive these victorious moments that we all share and celebrate as a family of God that were featured in the news below.

SP, FCBC & TOUCH IN THE NEWS:
1) FCBC, one of the churches housed in EXPO: 'EXPO, THE WAY TO GO' (TODAY)
2) SG Polo Team Clinch Silver Medal: 'POLO TEAM EARN SILVER TO END SEA GAMES ON NICE NOTE FOR TEAM SINGAPORE' (Team Singapore Website)
3) Finalist in the Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year: 'BUSINESS WITH HEART: HE'S WELL-SCHOOLED' (The Straits Times)
4) Polo Player Who Wears Many Other Hats: 'MIDDLE-AGED, BUT AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME' (The New Paper)
5) TOUCH Wins NVPC Award: 'SMRT HAS SOFT SPOT FOR CHARITY' (The Straits Times)
6) The Polo-Playing Pastor: 'BEING A SPORT' (TODAY)

Cynthia is so so so proud of Senior Pastor!!!!! Click on link to read article.

Luv Cynthia

Dear daughters,

Sorry am late this week in bringing this to you! Thanks Bel Bel for compiling! You dun know how grateful I'm for the help! :)

How's the sermon for you gals??? Hey Ps Eugene wasn't just talking to the guys kz!!! It's a sermon meant for everyone of us in the church!!!! Some interesting points for me so I'll share here with you!

Point 1:
Psalms 34:5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;no shadow of shame will darken their faces.*This radiance is a reflection of a SOURCE that is beyond us.
*The radiance is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to the distance from the SOURCE
* Law of Perspective: If God is close to you, He is very BIG. If God is far from you, He is very small.
God is actually the same size, what truly matters is your distance away from Him. Are you near Him daughters?

Point 2:
2 Samuel 7:3 (NIV) Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you."
*The focus is not on doing anything we want. Rather because we know that God is FOR us & WITH us
every step that we take (in the unknown future, in challenges) we can be confident.... bcuz GOD IS GOOD & He is always with us! (sobs I want to cry liao)

[Real Man Go to Church]
JOANNE:Trust and obey God
ABIGAIL: Have better body language in school (CK: wat's tis suppose to be?)
MIRIAM: Do not fight with brother
BRENDA: Apply what she reads in the Psalm daily
ANNABEL: Have better body language in school (CK: wat's tis suppose to be?)
ELLYN: Obey God's word
CHERISH: Fight against deception that having many problems mean i am far away from GOD (CK: Congrats DEAR GAL!)
ZM: apply v13-14
PRISCILLA: bring one friend to church next week
CHLOE: Wake up to go for sol (CK: Kz I'll give u wake up call at 9am!!!)
ANNDREA: Wake up to go for sol (CK: Kz I'll give u wake up call at 9am!!!)
CYNTHIA: Dun b to afraid of the unknown future. Many new challenges for me tis yr!

Luv Cynthia

OH! I'm so glad to see BRENDA's post. Its so nice! Especially the poem at the end. Definitely adding some colours to my so far lousy day. And Brenda, we do have some similarities there. I'm forever looking forward to recesses and the bell that indicates the end of the day, and needless to say, holidays (CNY!!). It is not freaky at all la. I love having something to be excited about. =)

Guys, i had a bad day today!! Totally sian about it. Nevermind. Promised i would elaborate more on my previous post. Again, they are from my school's vice principal.

Which way do you prefer to study? Try to figure out your learning style.

1) Silence VS music?
Do you prefer to study in a quiet place or cant do without music?
Its hard to find somewhere really quiet to study, especially in Singapore. Sometimes, even libraries can be irritatingly annoying, like those soft buzzing from constants vibrations of phones, or the music leaking out of someone's ear piece. Trust me, even that can be disturbing to some people.
However, silence helps people to concentrate and focus better. No distractions! Also, will be able to be more efficient and productive.

I cant believe why some people cant do without music when they study. Really, i cannot stand it. Its ok to listen to some songs, but definitely, not radio stations. My VP said, unknowingly, you will pay attention to what the DJ is saying instead of the work in front of you, and resume study when the songs are on, only, to listen to the DJ when he talks again. This is very distracting, and does no good especially when you are trying to drill some theories into your head.

2) Group or alone?
For me, i will just catch up on the latest gossip or news if i am studying in a group. VERY UNDESIRABLE. However, as my VP mentioned, for subjects like literature or Math, it is better to study in a group. Lit may requires you to read alot of books, and you may not have the time. It helps if one of them are assigned a book each and read up on it, then share about it. like summarised up the book, to the group on the following meeting, but that doesnt mean you dont have to read it yourself. VP did that in his university days during which he is required to read at least 40 books each term. Meeting in a group will help. For Math, yes, you might get the right answer, but the intermediate steps may be wrong or too long. People in the group can help to correct it or/and teach you faster methods to obtain the answers.

In a group, other than the occasional distractions, more work can be done, greater coverage and faster pace of understanding. Think, between having someone explaining to you and there to clarify your doubts with, and figuring it out on your own which takes ages sometimes and still not able to grasp the concept, which is faster?

Studying alone, better concentration, longer attention span, increased efficiency and productivity with the minimal distractions.

3) Morning lark or Night Owl?
Some people function better at night or in the morning. Early birds might have an advantage as they work better in the daytime, and it is the time when they are in school! Nocturnal creatures, can stay up till 4 or 5 am in the morning without feeling tired. Only when they go about their daytime activity do their tiredness sink in........... Zombies, my VP would say. (haha) This affects their sleep cycle. When people are sleeping, they work. They sleep when people are working.

It really depends on whether you are more "alive" at night or in the morning. But, for students, the suggested one would be to work in the morning since it wont make any sense to study into the wee hours and wake up 2 hours later to go to school. I did that once, during the End of year exams, Physics paper. I slept at 5 am and wake up at 6 am. HORRIBLE. Cant even think properly. Luckily, it was the last paper.

4) Short sprint VS long marathons?
Sprinters are people who take breaks every 45min to 1 hour of studying. This could work better as time is needed for the brain to consolidate and digest the information. Suddenly loading the brain with information may not be helpful. During the process when it is trying to sort out the information, it cant really register new ones. By stuffing yourself with information, you will tend to forget them faster. Though you may still remember the details, it would only be temporary.
Studying with breaks do looks good BUT, exams usually last for a few hours and there is no way you can rest in between.

People who go for long study marathons like 5-6 hours straight may find it harder to focus. Their mind would stray away, and it might get boring. Learning have to be fun in order to make an impression on you!
Try answering this question: Can you remember ONE particular lesson in Secondary school or Primary school? Just ONE.
Was it with someone you like? Was the lesson conducted outdoor? Was there any set-up or demonstrations? OR just a simple joke or something witty from the teacher?

See? If its just boring and mundane readings, your brain might not be triggered to stay attentive.

Still, marathons might prove to be effective and cover greater chapters. For e.g, i studied all the way till 5pm once i get home so that i can watch Yu Le Bai Fen Bai. That tv time can be a longer rest time compared to short breaks.

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Sometimes spending 4-5 days on a topic for a test may not bring you the results you expect to achieve. The amount of time spend on it is NOT equals to the results you get. Sounds unfair, but thats the truth. Aiya, speaking from experience one ok. From myself and from the people around me. Maybe something somewhere along the way has gone wrong. Could be that you memorise instead of understanding it etc.

Well, whatever the case, it is always good to find out what your learning style is. Not cramp all the information at the last minute. Never a solution for major exams. Thus, its better to "experiment" now, than later.

Going to watch Coach Carter now =) BYE!

Signing off,
Jo

yes, it's me. fianlly. i just read most of joanne's posts just now, and i just wanted to say that they are REALLY inspiring. thanks joanne (:

i was having a rather harsh day with two tests breathing and slobbering down my necks while i haven't got any preperation for it. well done me. i was actually lashing out my anger on people and i fell asleep when the pastor was praying. SORRY CYNTHIA. but yeah.

recently i feel that god has been missing from my life. when i go to school, it's just like this.

i look forward to recess. then the end of school and cca. then to every friday. then to the nearest holidays. then to the end of the nearest exam. followed by the end of the year. does anyone have any idea how freaky that is?

life is in your hands but it's just passing by your hands without you having any meaning in it. before i know it i'll be killed by some maniac( i'm praying i'll have a peaceful death instead) and stand before the judgement throne.

god: what have you done as to be a good steward of my name?
me: nothing. i lied, gossiped, lazed around, watched disney until my eyes popped out.

what happens to me for the rest of eternity, i don't wish to know. i just really want to start all over again, and by grace i want some sanctuary. my life has been anything but. everyday is a new day, so chicken little would say. i'm going to believe and try.

time
a child asked me
what's the time
'time for school my dear'
was the reply
two minutes later
'time for work dear'
another two minutes
'the groom is waiting'
when dawn awakens
she holds another child in her arms
all that's inbetween, i cannot recall
but suddenly this child
isn't a child at all

brenda.

Finally found time to blog. Finally, all my tests for this week are over!!! It has been a very busy and hectic week for me. =)

On Tuesday's assembly, our vice principal, again, never never fail to surprise us. He's really a weird, but a humourous guy. His talks are almost always motivational talks. Want to share with your what he shared with us on Tuesday.

He told us that we can actually learn quite alot from sports and apply it on our studies. Like the 2006 World Cup.
1. David Beckham cant score when he dehydrates and vomited. *ugh*

How can you perform well in your studies without good health?



2. What matters is a goal, reach for it. Can you imagine football without a goal?

Same goes for results, setting targets can motivate you to do better. REALISTIC targets, please.

3. Nothing comes without sacrifice.
Blood, injuries, dislocation, sprained ankle etc.

My VP once said the difference between students from prestigious institutes and neighbourhood schools is that they are willing to sacrifice to get what they want.

5. You are the one playing, not the supporters.