Women Of Destiny

Was reading something by Gordon MacDonald in "When Men Think Private Thoughts" & this portion I read was very meaningful & doesn't seem like something exclusive to guys so I'm going to share a little here. Hope it benefits you as it did me!

What Storm Signals Means (Alarm bells within self that signals trouble is brewing - do a check for yourself here)
1) Moods
- Watch out for bursts of anger, prolonged bouts of sadness & continuing feelings of irritation that goes beyond the normal.
- Are you overcome with intense sadness? Are you able to celebrate with someone in his success? Why do you see gloom & bleakness in every possibility?
- It would be good to reflect upon your changing moods & what they really mean. And it would have been the right moment for a courageous fren to step in & question you & your abnormal moods & behaviour.


2) Predominant thoughts
- Thoughts that are almost always out of control. Thoughts that emerge without warning.
- Why are these uninvited thoughts growing in frequency & variety? What is the underlying message?

3) A change in key relationships
- If I find myself jealous of other peoples whose fortunes have advanced beyond my own, if I begin to think of people competitively as better than or not as good as I am, etc etc, I am getting some fairly strong signals that something in my soul has gone sour...

4) Defensiveness
-We're dealing with storm signals when we react to difficult moments with defensiveness, complaining, or whining.
- I'm defensive when I resist any attempts to evaluate my work or my life - performance. I refuse to listen, to consider that anyone might offer a different outlook on what I'm doing or becoming. Thus, I become angry or make excuses or try to deflect the blame to someone else.
- Difficulty in listening to difficult news about self. You want to give one excuse after another. You spend more time trying to explain yourself than you do listening & asking where the point of truth might be. 5) Sleeplessness

Taking the time, the effort, the opening of the ear & eye to hear & watch the stomr signals that send their messages to us that something is wrong, that something needs correction, that something needs assistance. In so doing the hurricanes are tamed, & life goes on in greater fullness & maturity. ~ Gordon MacDonald

Luv Cynthia

Sharing with everyone this special post written by a dear friend of mine.

Disclaimer: Please read with discretion! =) Stay tuned to my blog for the true blue Singapore version of the story.

So sit tight and enjoy this story.....

So yes, this is the story of a "couple" of my friends. And how the met. And how friendship blossomed into a tree bearing much fruit. Before I go on, I must admit, I have to preconceived idea that Singaporean girls generally are more aggressive compared to Malaysian girls. And I still do think so.

On one of the days during the trip, I asked my new found friend called C, how her relationship with my other new found friend called E happened. She proceeded to produce a a little story slightly south of the truth. When I asked E, a differing story came up. And when I asked the rest of my newly found friends, even more disparities were produced. So I guess I shall hope off the bandwagon and merge my little puzzle here.

I managed to find some cute and archived pictures from this blogger, very creative I must say. Anyways, I'll be using some of her material as part of this story. So all credit goes to her for pictures. =)

Anyways, the story goes like this...

For a long, long, long, while, our friend C has been waiting for a burning ember to spark up her life. But like the saying goes... it's hard to hit a moving target.

Yet somehow, it never happened. What to do? Wait summore lorrrr.

And then suddenly... E appears out of nowhere. Why? Because when we keep our eyes so peeled for something ahead, we never learn to appreciate what has always been around... Hehe. So the moral of this story is... don't tunnel vision. Later low SA (Situational Awareness), then GG.

So they became friends on a mission trip. Wahseh, holy fate + destiny + galaxy colliding + etc etc + please_insert_own_ideas_here. But this is where it gets interesting. C says, that she thinks E is too friendly.

There's such a thing? O.o

And before E can do anything, he's already pwned by the force of a woman's mind. Because in a woman's head... friendly = player.

Everyone say: First Blood!

But yes, E is friendly and warm. So when C sees this, she panics and puts out the fire before there is even a hint of smoke. Yet, she cannot help but already be captured by his presence and charm...

So as the usual corny story goes, time flies by, they become good friends and then they begin to notice each other and then and then and and then. And before we know it, voila.

Being the wonderful rolemodels that they are, they return to their mentors and pastors and "tribes" and begin to consult wisdom from age and experience. Soon they gather up their thoughts and said to themselves... "Why not?".

And from there, C begins to allow E to win her heart. Awwww.

But for that to happen. One of the following must arise...

I'll let you decide for now which one arose. Hahaha.

Nevertheless, as E arised to win C's heart, he embarks on a quest so fearless that it requires him to have faith and the heart of a lion. After all, to win a girls' heart is no easy feat. It requires someone like the above four pictures to rise up deep within. Haha. But the truth is, Someone even better must arise first.

And so E prepares himself. And when the opportunity arose, mathematical formula proved true.

Opportunity + Preparation = Destiny ready to be taken hold of!

A girl will never give in that easily. Obviously because they are complicated creatures which complicate the mind of men. But in the end, with faith and courage, and perhaps a little encouragement from the brothers above...

E wins C's heart. And now they have embarked on a journey ever so beautiful. Even though I do not know the entire story to the point. And neither do I know both of them ever so well, but this I do know...

"And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Ecclesiastes 4:12

So, to E and C. May you both be blessed on this journey. And may I be invited to your wedding day. Hopefully not to present this blogpost. Hahaha.

You're both wonderful rolemodels and mentors to a generation in desperate need of guides in faith, hope and love. And as you both look to our King, may you both radiate with his presence and grace. And above all, may you both radiate with, and in, His love. As we fight for the future, I continue to hope in standing by your sides, fighting for the Cause and for life. With God, less is indeed more.

"What the world needs now, more than ever before, are every day heroes who are ready, willing and able to make a difference." -
Greg Hickman

PS: Why do I say Singaporean girls are more aggressive? Because they tend to make the first move more often than not. After all, a girl must give clear signals. Guys are dumb when it comes to picking up hints. But we were still made first. So there. =P

Okay, I know I have never posted here despite the long long time that this blog has been up. But I've been regularly reading the cell blog So, I guess it was after reading all your posts for so long that has finally got me round to be a more active participator here, :}

Anyway, this past few weeks has been extremely hectic and stressful for me, with the performances spanned over consecutive days over the next few weeks, Dance trainings is in full force and had started as early as the holidays, 9-5 everyday for two weeks, on top of that there was deadlines to meet homework to finish and school was starting, as much as I hoped that I would for once have a more peaceful holiday, that time never came around.

And among all this hustle of life, yet there are times where emptiness seem to have just washed over me. Some of you may have felt this way ? But, its during those moments that it feels like nothing is really worth it anymore, even God doesnt seem to be there. And then, just yesterday a certain incident got me thinking, what's with all the things that we busy ourselves with ? What's with all the excuses that we give to God for not making enough time for him ?

Yesterday, I was feeling particularly tired and unmotivated. The first week of school was hardly even over, and dance practices plus desperately trying to start the first week of school off right was starting to take its toll on me, and I could already feel myself wearing out. Whatever it was, I went for dance trainings later that day. Feeling exceptionally moody already, Training was no help at all. Our Choreo was not completed and our shows were on next week already, that aside, Right from the start the juniors had really bad attitudes, no sense of urgency, and they had hardly even know their steps. Still, they refused to put in any effort to practice, and any free time they get they sit down and chat. Even our trainer was starting to feel very annoyed, yet the unsensitive juniors were totally oblivious to this. What made it worse, was that seniors + trainers + Teachers have sat them down and talk to them nicely about this matter, how it concerns the reputation of our group etc. Three times already, and still the second last practice and they were still having the same bad attitude and laziness.
Seniors then felt very pressurised and stressed, because whatever that they were lacking in, we had to compensate for it in the way we dance. In other words, we had to put in thrice the efforts.

I told myself, that whatever it was, it didnt matter if they didnt give a two cents worth about anything, it didnt matter if they refused to put in effort, it didnt matter at all, because those who were willing to work hard would make up for it. Every practice, I told myself that over and over, everytime I felt frustrated I told myself that. But yesterday, as much as I tried to beleive in that, It seemed almost absurd. As I danced through that same dance countless times, as I tried so hard to get everything right, As I tried so hard to tell myself that everything would be okay, I felt horrible, because Something kept telling me that it wont. That day, I dance to a point where I dissolved into tears, That day, I danced on emotion and rhythm and not on the restrictions on proper techniques. Because, I felt that everything had come to a point where I just felt as if it was all out of control, emotions piled high, I never realised that there was a limit to how much one could actually feel.

As friends crowded around me, taken aback by the sudden breakdown, questions were strewn at me. But their words flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup, they slither while they pass, I took notice of none. A sinking feeling in my heart, that I really could not fanthom. I didnt know what to say, or even how to translate the emotions that I was feeling all at once. It was after that, as I talked about things with a friend of mine, that she said something that struck me. " Dont worry, God will take care of this. "

And then I went home, I thought about it. God will take care of this ? I have hardly ever made time for God, I have gave God countless excuses why I forget to talk to him, I have used God at times only when I feel that I really need him. And, Umpteen times I have placed God not as my number one priority, and here I am to beleive that God will take care of all this. it was then, that I remembered what I had once heard, God is always there, its your choice on whether you would like to come to him or not. It suddenly dawn upon me that, all the excuses that I gave, that I was busy with school, dance and whatnot, they were all just nothing but mere untrue things that I tell God, in order to make me feel less guilty. Because, If I was busy then I would have no time to talk to him and spend time with him. It plagues me somewhere in my heart, never ending and it never ceases.Something would always question me over and over, like a broken old tape recorder, " why am I unable to trust in him as readily that I would like to? "

And then, as I try to answer my own questions, I realise something. It is not that we are busy, we say that we are busy in order to have something so that we'll feel less guilty, Its not that God takes note of every wrong thing we do and slowly distant himself away from us becuase with every sin that he takes note of, he finds out the more sinful we all are. It is more of the fact that, we think we are unworthy, and we think that we have done so much wrong, that even we are disgusted at ourselves, so how can God actually be able to love sinners like us ? But we often forget that, he is always here for us no matter how horrible we are feeling, when we hurt, he's feeling even more hurt. If not, why would he even have died for us in the first place ? [: I dont know about any of you, But I have found myself asking myself this many times, And I would always remember one incident where a friend told me that no matter what we do, even if we turn away from him, God will always be there ready for us to go back to him. So, whoever's feeling discouraged / sad / unmotivated etc. wouldn't it be nice to take comfort in the fact that God would always be there ? 8)

Love,
Cherish

P/s: Sorry, I know my thoughts and everything are very messy, I scored badly in writing !

as much as i am hyped up for sunday, i don't feel all godly today. sadly. i'm feeling really mixed now.

i mean, all the tests are raining down, and competition's nearing. we're so not prepared. i mean, if we don't get gold, they'll say the exco of 08 to 09 is useless, and we can't do anything about it. i'm just so scared. but as comfort, i'll recall what fear had done to me.

my cousin jasper(his other name, for privacy purposes if he happens to stumble here)and i were quite alright as childhood friends. in the past, i always considered him inferior to me because he would kick and scream when asked to bathe and somehow nearly be strangled while playing with the curtain strings. well i am defintely more sensible than that, i reasoned.
things got different when my aunt got breast cancer. i don't recall much during this period, but it got difficult to talk to him. my first sentence couldn't be "how is the hospital treating her?" or something. she eventually got better, but then a bombshell hit.

she died. the cancer cells had somehow spread and she had passed away. this turned everyone's world upside down. in two years his maturity shot though twenty mental years or so. other guys would be dunking each other's heads in the water, but jasper would have been playing with the younger, lonely kids. i became the unwise, the small and irresponsible.it was horrible during chinese new years, having to face the awkward situation. something unusual happened when i went for my niece's one month instead.
we were in a room with all the other cousins, when in an attempt to break the ice, he sheepishly asked me if i was still a workaholic.

"what workaholic? i've never been one!" i scoffed, bemused.

"no, last year you brought your textbook to study during po po's birthday dinner remember?" he frowned. he was talking about when i was about to have my big exam and i hadn't studied enough. i laughed at the stupid thought and denied it. before it could quickly returned to that weird silence again, i began to clean up all the dirty plates.
"what are you doing? oh no no, i'll do that for you!" he rushed over.
"it's ok, i can..."
"no no, you're a guest here, you shouldn't do anything." with a smile, he turned and left. as much as it was ordinary, it made me think.

we were family, and this action was a huge contrast to the 'get the coke yourself, make yourself at home' rule. it made me almost feel as if we were strangers to each other. and he might have even thought i was the more hardworking and better cousin. then it hit me. my fear and itimidation had created a barrier for donkey years, and prevented our family ties from growing stronger. wasn't that stupid of us? it was terribly ironic. after that i made an effort to know all my cousins, and we had a great time during new year.

but my point to myself and everyone is, fear can create barriers. not for safety, but of blessings. in my case, it'll prevent myself from doing my best. has fear been holding you back from your dream to be a singer, a desginer, a teacher or even a preacher? so we should all pray about it. (:

till sunday,
brenda

Priscilla here, is sick. Thus, I have the time to blog :D Janelle and I just finished camp yesterday. Camp was funfunfun :D I got another tan line. OMG FAINTTTTTT. WHY! I hate having tan lines everywhere! I've food poisoning! SO I POOP A LOT NOW D:
Thinking back to about, 2 weeks ago, I believe that now we have formed friendships (note how I didn't use relationships) with guys. This is a grudging comment, but I must say, that guys are not as bad as I thought. I always thought guys were some sick creatures, thinking about farting all the time and such, but well, I was proved wrong. Which is good (: Haha, but guys are seriously competitive. Unlike girls, who just scream and have a good time! (:
Basically, I just came to the blog to talk about how everything seems rather hectic now, I guess. With so many commitments, band practice, homework waiting to be done, violin waiting to be practised, piano waiting to be practised, and even saxophone waiting to be practised, there's hardly even room to breathe, much less go to God and sit down for a really good talk, telling him about everything that has happened in the day.
When I was at camp, before I went to sleep every night, or rather, when I was tossing and turning, swatting buzzing mosquitoes, I was just using that time to talk to God, and tell him about what happened. No idea why, but suddenly I just got the feeling that I didn't want to sit down and talk to God because I was forced to, but because I wanted to. (OMG SEE I'VE BEEN DOING MY APPLICATION)
A sudden jolt, and awakening. (Wanted to add the word 'amazing', but decided it may be a little cliche, heh.) With all the recent problems, activites, stress and whatsoever from school, church, or home, I believe God is the solution to all the problems, and even if nothing happens, it's nice to let go on someone else and just let Him carry your "weight of the world" on His shoulders for a short nice while (:
YAYYYYYYY :D
Now I've come to the end of my long naggy post, and I need to go shit. Blame the food poisoning D:<
I am going to tell God how it feels to shit so much, and have my stomach hurting like crazy. Anyone up to hearing the shit review? (:

Till Sunday,
Pris

hey ppl!! i m back..

this is another one of the devotions in the morning. that week, the theme was on courage. another one of our vice principal went up to share with us. he told us this story.

there was a teacher who wanted to test her students to see if they had courage, she placed 3 strands of string in front of the students n asked them to line up in a semi circle round it. she whispered into all the students to raise their hands when she pointed to the the longest string. she stold all of them except one student who she told to raise up his hand when she pointed to the 2nd longest string. the students did as they were told. when the teacher pointed to the 2nd longest string, only one student raised up his hand but when he saw no one else raising up their hands, he quickly withdrew, n put his hand down.

Do we have the courage?? do we have the courage to be different from the rest? do we have the courage to stand up for what is right? if we have some problems in our relationship with our parents or even other ppl, do we have the courage to go make up? when we see ppl cheating in a test do we cheat wif them or do we tell on them?
my vice principal oso gave us a verse.. Proverbs 10:9 The man of integrity walks securely but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

I hope this would start u all of thinking..
belbel

hey ppl!! i shall post sth more serious n not abt my life this time..

these few weeks for devotion evey morning, I learnt many interesting things... let me share wif u ppl.. one of the mornings, my school's vice principal did devotion. she asked us this question, are we a thermostat or a themometer? a thermostat is something that sets and maintains the temperature in the room while a themometer is something that takes the temperature. people who change themselves to be in the 'cool' group are ppl or to be accepted are examples of a themometer which follow the temperature in the room. while the people who influences ppl are thermostats which controls the the temperature in the room. the question to us was do we want to be a thermostat or a thermometer? do we want to be someone who influences the crowd or someone who changes themselves just to be accepted in the 'cool' crowd? she also cquoted this verse from the bible, in 1 Samuel 16:7. The Lord does not look at things Man looks at, Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the Heart.

I hope this would encourage you ppl to be the influences and not the followers! i continue 2moro. muz sleep liao sorry!

belbel