Miracles are not in my department.

When Ruth Graham's sons rebelled against God, she wrote that "mothers must take care of the possible and trust God for the impossible. ...Love, affirm, encourage, teach, listen, and care for...the family. We cannot convict of sin, create thirst...after God, or convert... Miracles are not in our department."

(excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional magazine. http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/ministry_articles/1221518.html)

found. the Master Plan.

The Master Plan of Evangelism is a terribly good book to read or re-read at the end of the year.

It helps to set or re-set the focuses and priorities of ministry right, and right in this case refers to being aligned to Christ's. This is especially important for me now as i have been seeking (sometimes lamenting to (oops)) the Lord about my ministry and group for next year. Especially with new babies to take care of, i'm deeply grateful for the teachings this book offers about what it exactly means by loving and building people, and of course establishing my Twelve. i must admit that there were many times when i felt incompetent, but Jesus' power thru' His humility always strengthens me! And i pray, always!

i pray for the Master to be my greatest teacher and guide. :) Indeed it's going to be a year of Growth and Celebration in all sense!

How great?

Yesterday during service when we were singing How Great is our God, my spirit was as usual exuberant, my soul risen high in the presence of God, and my hands lifted towards my maginificent God in heavens.

As my hands stretched to my fingertips, i saw that no matter at what angle i tilted my arms, the space they beheld was.....so small. i had to put down my arms. In stillness and quietness at those moments, my heart was completely awed, overwhelmed. God is so great that we can never contain Him. He is so great, that no matter how we sing praises and worship unto Him, we can never offer to Him the same intensity of love and adoration He holds for each of us. Nothing we do can ever be as great as Him.

i was reaching for an invisible God, of the impossible. :)











(Photo courtesy of Travis's friend *wink*)

Thank you. :)

Wondering who my thank you is for? :)

Well it's for you. :)

For the reason that you bothered to take a glipmse or peep into my blog entry here. And also that i choose to believe that you care. : ) Many of you have touched my heart in magnificent ways, yesh even your smallest gestures.

Some of you would have received my personalised sms of thanksgiving over these weeks. Each of them represents my heartfelt wish to extend our love and friendship over to the new year....and years ahead. :) If you have not received it, they would be coming very soon in the form of Christmas cards, gifts..in all forms of communication, even in hugs! Wooooo...i love huggies (not the pampers)! :) If i make you wait too long, hereby i grant you permission to bong me in the head -physically or virtually. Ask and you shall be given. (my own heartfelt words. hee)

Jokes aside, i am really grateful for many people in my life - precious persons whom God has bestowed upon me. They keep me going, many of which, not by what they have given to me, but mostly through the ways they themselves are. My journey has been spiced with much encouragement and support (yesh, mirabel you are a blessed lady), and even trust and belief in me as a person. That is definitely cos' they trusted the God behind mirabel. ;)

Some precious statements that would always be embedded in my heart: (The authors may not even remember saying these!)

my dad: "You are my daughter, and of course you are the best."

Ps Yeang Cherng ahpa: "You stepped out in faith into the vision......"

Ps Yueh Ping ahmi: "Proud of you daugher!"

Ps Kelly: "Mirabel...she puts in her best in all that she does."

(to be continued. Gotta run!)

eternal family!

my family has got 12 brothers and 11 sisters, and i'm one of the youngest! Please do not be jealous at my big family! :P Guess which are our ahpa and ahmi??

The worth and excellency of a soul

is measured by the object and the intensity of its love.

~Henry Scougal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i've only been a four-year old Christian, and a two-year-plus leader, and i definitely have not seen enough of the Lord. My plead to Him as a fallen, fall-able and sinful being, is for Him to keep and sustain me. One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple. (Psalm 27:4)

But who am I, and who are my people,

that we should be able to offer so willingly as this?

For all things come from You,

And of Your own we have given You. (1 Chronicles 29:14)

This verse blessed me tremendously as i was reading 'The Pleasures of God' by John Piper. Indeed nothing we can ever offer to God did not come from Him in the very first place. As we willingly offer our services, praises and lives to the Lord, let us remember that He delightfully takes them all, not because He needs them, but because He takes pleasure in us from the very beginning. May this give you greater strength and yet freedom to serve and love Him, a God who is 'overflowing, all-sufficient, and ever-happy'. :)

grace(full)

i realised this: despite that it has been several years since i stopped dancing, this is still the thing that best zests bubbly energy into my frame, lights up my face, and injects happy leaps in my heart.

since the end of my jc years, my dancing stint was stumped as well, cos' i decided to hop on the adventurous wagon that sought out waterfalls, greens and starry nights. within a few months, i expanded my personal space from a rectangular box studio or stage to 'the real world out there'.

call it a little gal's wanderlust.

but every now and then, i discovered i looked really alive after each time i did a dance in my private space. and it was really delightful, cos' i knew i danced for the Lord, whom my leaps, swirls and poses - both the graceful and clumsy ones - were for. :)

waaalaaaaaaa!

i discovered that
a designer as i want to be,
i desire to be a wordsmith more than any image director.
my heart leaps in vibrancy at words beautifully strung,
at proses that struck chords in my heartstrings.

words can speak louder- in colours, feels, and soul injections - than actions too!


~~~~~

On my way late late last night in a state of partial zonk, i heard God say,
'2006's gonna be a year of Growth. in ALL sense!'

Waaalaaaaaaaaa!

In His grace, He moves. us.

~First Saturday evening. 10 dec 05. not spent in church~

Judge me not that i skipped church on purpose last Saturday. Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) has moved to its new promised land - Max Pavilion @Expo!No more Saturday services thus. :)

It was an...interesting feeling walking around the community on Saturday evening. I thought to myself 'Woh, so this is how the community behaves and what it does on a Saturday evening!' Hee.

~5.53am. 11 dec 05. Early dark morning at Esplanade~

My tribe's 26 representatives were all geared up for the Expo Faith Run! We were to run from Marina Promenade to Touch Community Centre in Marine Parade Centre, a journey of 7.8km. Gosh what fresh air we had, through the first 5km of almost non-stop jogging.

The sight that really beheld us most was no hovering skyscape or blazing sunrise (which we were eagerly anticipating to no avail), but the view of the rest of my YCYP tribe welcoming us at the junction of Fort Road at ECP! We could have been mistaken to be preparing a strike! :P

What a victory of Faith, Perseverance and Unity our tribe has won for the morning! :)

Indeed the Lord is moving. us!

~First Youth Service @Max Pavilion, Expo~

It was a service which i teared through from beginning to end. The presence of the Lord was so great. Tears of joy as we began to worship in the new land. Tears in exaltation of Jesus as we sang with lifted hands Let Your glory fall in this room, let it go forth from here to the nations! Tears of unmeasurable gratitude and thanksgiving as the Lord reaffirmed His promise to me in Haggai 2:19 From this day on, I will bless you, through bro cheechiong's new song. Tears of love for my Beloved in response to His for me....

Even though yesterday's new beginning left me with much heaviness over a certain issue which someone very dear shared with me about - tears of heartache, i will still cling unto my Lord's every promise and joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength! :)

i have moved. Have you? *wink*

(photos courtesy of bro benruth :) )

this is what my peek-a-boos got me!

Do not be mistaken that i won the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon last Sun. Everyone who finished the race got one! *wink* And you get the key here - finishing the race. Indeed it was the most important goal i and my YP-tribe had in our minds. Pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. A trophy of eternal value. :)

Praise the Lord for us all finishing the race strong!

Very proud of my gals. Those who ran had moved several mountains with their faith in this experience. *pat pat*

Personally i learnt to push myself more, through the runs. Many times when i felt like taking fast breaks or giving up, i knew God was pushing me on, and i had to push on for Him and every of my gals. I want them all to see the GOD behind mirabel, how great He truly is, how He sustains me, and know that He can and WILL do the same for each of them! (So dears, stop thinking that i'm a fast runner. Haa..)

mirabel can't run excellently, but her God is strong! "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. His Grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in (my) weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9. :)

you better watch out

you better watch out
you better not cry
you better not pout
and i'm telling you why
CHRISTmas Day is on its way here!

NOTE: DON'T celebrate CHRISTmas without knowing CHRIST. :)