"Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds of the air.
Destruction and Death say
'Only a rumour of it has reached our ears.'
God understands the way to it,
and He alone knows where it dwells,
for He views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
When He established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,
When He made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm,
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it
He confirmed and tested it.
And He said to man,
'The fear of the Lord - that is wisdom
and to shun evil is understanding' "
- Job 28: 20-28

Living in the fear of the Lord and shunning evil. May that be our desire in the coming year.

I'm giving You my heart, and all that is within
I lay it all down, for the sake of You my King.
I'm giving You my dreams, I'm laying down my rights,
I'm giving up my pride, for the promise of new life.

And I surrender, all to You, all to You
And I surrender, all to You, all to You

I'm singing You this song
I'm waiting at the cross
And all the world holds dear
I count it all as loss
For the sake of knowing You
For the glory of Your Name,
To know the lasting joy
Even sharing in Your pain

-Surrender

Matthew 16:24-25

one of my treasured christmas gifts this year. small, yet meaningful. :)

On the discipline of possessions...

"The first lesson is that things are given by God
...Make no mistake, my friends. All good giving, every perfect gift, comes from above, from the Father of the lights of heaven....

The second lesson is that things are given us to be received with thanksgiving.
...We should be thankful. Thanksgiving requires the recognition of the Source. It implies contentment with what is given, not complaint about what is not given. It excludes covetousness....

The third lesson is that things can be material for sacrifice.
...The Father pours out His blessings on us; we, His creatures, receive them with open hands, give thanks, and lift them up as an offering back to Him, thus completing the circle."

-Taken from "Discipline, the glad surrender" by Elisabeth Elliot

Even as we approach the season of giving and receiving, let us not forget the Giver of all good gifts, who gave us the most precious Gift we could ever receive, and in response, offer whatever we have back to Him.

remember this picture? haha.. it came to my mind again as i was just reflecting

was at AH today, observing a pharmacist run the anticoagulation clinic, when she turned to me and said this "you can obtain knowledge anytime, but you need the passion to get and keep you going."

i know what i have the passion for, i wonder whether that is the path God wants me to take. and i wonder if i have the courage to move towards that end.

the week that just passed was simply an amazing week. youth camp 07 was one answered prayer. the way God protected us and provided for us was simply amazing. i cannot even begin to put it in words. as i sit back and reflect, i am always left in awe of how God was working and moving among the youths.

really enjoyed the time spent with the youths. my group, some of the younger girls, and some senior youths too. i realize how much i've missed out over the past few years, when i busied myself with doing other things rather than spending time with people. the time spent playing games, just talking and having fun was priceless. rolling watermelons in front of old chang kee, doing the baywatch run, and dancing around the totem pole at city hall were just crazy, but memorable.

even as the camp has ended, the challenge for all is to stay real, to walk that narrow road, always holding on tightly to the hand of our Lord.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."- Matthew 7: 13-14

"Discipline is the believer's answer to God's call. It is the recognition, not of the solution to his problems or the supply of his needs, but of mastery. God addresses us. We are responsible- that is, we must make a response. We may choose to say yes and thus fulfill the Creator's glorious purpose for us, or we may say no and violate it. This is what is meant by moral responsibility. God calls us to freedom, fulfillment, and joy - but we can refuse them. In a deep mystery, hidden in God's purposes for man before the foundation of the world, lies the truth of man's free will and God's sovereignty. This much we know: a God who is sovereign chose to create a man capable of willing his own freedom and therefore capable of answering the call.

Jesus, in response to the will of the Father, demonstrated what it means to be fully human when He took upon Himself the form of a man and in so doing voluntarily and gladly chose both dependence and obedience. Humanity for us, as for Christ, means both dependence and obedience.......

....... Discipline is the whole-hearted yes to the call of God. When I know myself called, summoned, addressed, taken possession of, known, acted upon, I have heard the Master. I put myself gladly, fully, and forever at His disposal, and to whatever He says my answer is yes."

- Discipline, the glad surrender. By Elisabeth Elliot

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
- Mark 12: 29-30