I read this and found it very relevant to me! I hardly have enough sleep most days and I eat so much unhealthy food during mamak. Just something interesting to read and think about. Enjoy!
Your Love Prescription: Take Care of Your Body!
by Rick Warren
In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages that inspire him the most. Today's Devotional is based on this passage:
"You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands" (Psalm 119:73 NLT).
Many of us are just too tired to love. We want to build deep relationships with those we care about, like family and friends. We want to love people in our community who are hurting. But we're just too tired. You can't love when you're tired.
What happens to your relationships when you're out of energy? Little issues become big problems and love withers. It takes physical energy to listen to people and put their needs first. I'm convinced that many married couples could avoid spending time with a divorce lawyer if they spent a little more time with a mattress salesman or a personal trainer.
The Bible mentions three habits that will refresh you physically and give you the strength to love others.
1. Get regular rest. "It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest" (Psalm 127:2 LB). Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap. Too tired to love your spouse and kids? Your problem isn't spiritual, it's physical. Get some sleep!
2. Eat a balanced diet. "You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed your laws" (Psalm 119:73 LB). God made your body to use a certain combination of foods as its energy source. Eating right will help give you the energy you need to love more faithfully.
3. Exercise regularly. "...Honor the Lord with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:20 NIV). Our bodies were made for activity. In biblical times they didn't have to exercise. People walked everywhere. They did physical work. But we have a sedentary life and drive everywhere we go. We need to exercise regularly.
Guess what?
We have our very own GT Easter Drama production coming up on 10th and 11th April!!! It's called Beyond Tears and we have people from our cell and our 'extended' cell involved in it so let's show all the support that we can. =)
"When 21 year old Kevin’s life comes to an abrupt halt, his parents are faced with many unexpected decisions. As their only child’s life unfolds before them, they realize that the decisions they make now will not only affect them. Will they be able to find strength amidst their pain and grief? What will they find when they look beyond their tears?"
These are graphic files of the brochures if you want to e-mail out to any of your friends or family! I have higher quality pictures if you need them - just tell me and I'll send them across.
Venue: Glad Tidings PJ, No 6 Jalan 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya
Friday 10 April 09, 8.30pm
Saturday 11 April 09, 5.00pm
Additional links for information:
Beyond Tears on GTPJ.com
Beyond Tears on Facebook
Beyond Tears Video Teaser on Youtube
I was just remembering the roots of our cell group today. From Section 19, to SS2, to Seapark, to Ara Jaya and now to Taman Tun. Over 10 years, three multiplications and two restructurings later, we have progressed to the place that we are today.
God's grace and faithfulness have continued to be so evident in and through all the lives of the cell members, and it's so encouraging for me to look back and see His mighty right hand at work the whole time.
After so many years of being involved, I don't feel burnt out or tired in cell (although there are seasons that I have before); I'm as excited or even more excited of what the future holds than when I started out.
I have a feeling that this is going to be a great year with God!
(This is our 'manual' superman pose =P)
by Os Hillman
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-24
"I didn't know you were in full-time Christian work," said my close friend as we were driving. "I didn't realize that," she went on. I responded, "Every person who has followed the will of God in their life is in full-time Christian work." God calls some to the mission field, others to be accountants, and others to be advertising executives, and still others to be construction workers. God never made a distinction between sacred and secular. In fact, the Hebrew word avodah is the root word having the same meaning of "work" and "worship." God sees our work as worship.
We have incorrectly elevated the role of the Christian worker to be more holy and committed than the person who is serving in a more secular environment. Yet the call to the secular workplace is as important as any other calling. God has to have His people in every sphere of life. Otherwise, many would never come to know Him because they would be separated from society.
I learned this lesson personally when I sought to go into "full-time" service as a pastor in my late twenties, only to have God thrust me back into the business world unwillingly. This turned out to be the best thing He could have done for me, because it was never His will for me to be a pastor. He knew I was more suited for the workplace.
We are all in missions. Some are called to foreign lands. Some are called to the jungles of the workplace. Wherever you are called, serve the Lord in that place. Let Him demonstrate His power through your life so that others might experience Him through you today and see your vocation as worship to His glory.
(I found this article simple and yet very relevant to each of us. Hope you enjoyed the read! =)
Su Wong marries Lee Wong. The next year, the Wongs have a new baby.
The nurse brings out a lovely, healthy, bouncy, but definitely a Caucasian, WHITE baby boy.
"Congratulations!" says the nurse to the new parents.
"Well Mr. Wong, what will you and Mrs. Wong name the baby?"
The puzzled father looks at his new baby boy and says,
"Well, two Wong's don't make a white, so I think we will name him..."
Sum Ting Wong
(Some more nostalgic cell pics...we really have to take more new pictures!)
This thought came to mind this afternoon: Today is the first day for the rest of your life. I just felt that something new is happening in our cell, in the members' lives, and that this year is going to be quite an amazing one with God. Challenging, yes. But filled with purpose and progress. =)
I've been checking the blog stats and noticed that for the last two days, hardly anyone came to visit. That's probably the result of me blogging on the cell blog so irregularly nowadays. I'm committing to changing that and I will provide updates, thoughts, testimonies and anything else appropriate at least once a week. Anyone who wants to write here, please do inform me and I will put you on the author's list (but you will need a google or blogger account set up I think, if you don't have one already).
How has your prayer and fasting gone this week? I have a confession to make. I've never kept to my fasting commitments for an extended period of time until this week. Since Sunday, I had fasted lunch and after almost a week, I am seeing changes happen in my spiritual walk...things that I did not anticipate and even things that I did not really want to happen.
I just want to share a bit. Every night, when I try to sleep, I've been feeling such a burden to pray and I've been praying for all of you by name and for your situations, many times crying (So manly, right?). But I'm sensing a change in the spiritul atmosphere and in my faith level, and I strongly feel that there will be a breakthrough in many of our lives as a result of this month's focus. Please join me even as we fast and pray for God's hand, breakthrough and presence to pour out on our lives and those around us in March.
Tonight, we're officially moving our cell venue to Sarah's house. I keep saying this but we're really so blessed to have her mom open up the house to us. It is such a great place to have cell and to achieve our cell's purpose. I'm believing God for spiritual growth and maturity this year. I'm believing God that our cell will grow and reach out to more people. And I'm believing God for multiplication this year for our cell. Time to rise up and take our position in the kingdom of God.
Finally, the emphasis this month is on being positioned for service. The verse given is from Ephesians 4:11-12: "It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be build up." To each person, God has provided giftings, and I challenge each of us to try to find those giftings and begin activating them to bless and honour Him.
See you all tonight! I'm excited about cell because we're having some of the transitioning college cell members joining us from today. I hope Aunty cooks...Hahaha! So very hungry already...
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