on Young Preachers' Contest...

Thanks, especially those of you who emailed/msn-ed/sms-ed/called me to encourage me on my Young Preachers' Contest last Sunday, and of cos those of you who came to support me physically! =)

The results for my first round......*drums roll*.........
i DIDN'T get into the next round!

I am not exactly sad cos' i knew i didn't prepare well at all. But i am a lil' regretful cos' i had not been focused enough on this preparation, letting myself be distracted by many little disturbances that hit my previous week. Especially the emotional ones, which are usually a woman's Archille's heel. Did i hear an Amen? =p

I recalled my previous attempts of speaking/singing to a crowd when i could at least appear confident... i knew i did it cos' i stood in the presence of One - the one God who delights in me, the one heavenly Father who loves to hear me talk or sing to Him, no matter how good or bad i do. Hee. The result: i always did better than i expected.

This time, even seconds before the contest, i let my mind and emotions run wild in the whole Expo Hall 9 (very big hor). I forgot to focus about my Father. That is sooo important.

And yesh i thought i mumbled r.u.b.b.i.s.h for five complete minutes - i couldn't even remember my points and scripture references! I really appreciated my three pastor-judges who nonetheless encouraged and smiled at me as i preached, or rather rubbish-ed. =p

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BUT just in case you are thinking that i am discouraged, push that thought of concern away. =) God was the one who called me to join the contest; He wanted me to learn from this experience and re-learn to lean on Him in ALL situations. And i believe that from here, He has many more and greater things in store for me to learn, to overcome, and to conquer.

i am still believing in God in the dream that He has deposited in my heart (see below). As i repented over this incident, a new strength is birthed in my heart to follow God's will with even greater tenacity and boldness. *Would you continue to believe with me?*

in God's mighty love,
mirabel =)

P.S. i just got news that every contestant's 5-min session is going to be broadcast on Youtube soon! Aha...

(Why i made myself go thru' this TRAUMA) (click on)

A week before the contest...
I was both excited and anxious about it, because i have always been rather frightful to stand before a crowd. (You didnt think so, right? :P)

SO, why did i make myself go thru' this 'trauma' ???

1. My church family actually encouraged me to go before i even thought about it! i was pleasantly surprised b'cos i am definitely not the most eloquent person around.

2. When i asked God about this, He reminded me that i have a dream to preach to multitudes like my spiritual great great grandmother, Pastor Claudia Castellanos.
So if i don't even want to try on this comparatively mini platform, how would i ever dare to go up to the BIG one?

3. God also brought fondly to my mind how people around me encouraged me when they heard that i want to be a pastor in the future. Like what one good bro said 'You want to be a pastor? i will definitely be down there to support you when you preach on stage!'

Acutally even after these 3 reasons, i was still not feeling confident enough. I told God, "if you let me hear or see the word P R E A C H one more time tonight, then i will go". (i could hear God fall off his chair when i said this)

And goodness me, when i was checking up a totally unrelated word in the dictionary that night, my eyes suddenly roved to the entry:

pulpit (n) : platform for P R E A C H -ing on.

This time I fell off the chair.

I told God "Ok ok, i will go!" and smiled. (Though my heart was still thumping with worry! :P )

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