9May prayer sharing

Hello everyone!

The 6 of us going to Thailand gathered to pray on Saturday, and we recorded down the visions and messages we heard from God. We're gonna keep track of these things on this akuou blog so we can look back and reflect on God's guidance! :)

On the general message of unity:

A picture of a jigsaw puzzle which has gaps and where the pieces never fit together. But in God's love, as we orientate the jigsaw pieces in the correct direction, the jigsaw paints a picture of God's love.

Also, a vision of different fruits and vegetables (e.g. grapes, potatoes, etc) being peeled layer by layer until the interior is the same for all the fruits and vegetables.

1 Corinthian 12, "one body, many parts".

On love:

To bring God's love there... it's like a big, deep chasm, and what we can do is to at least fill up one part of the chasm with God's love.

A man with open arms looking like he's extending an invitation, with little kids happily jumping around.

Other visions:

God's glory? - There was an endless large field, with a bird pecking at the ground close by. The weather then changed, with lightning streaking across the sky, but the bird still continued pecking at the ground, unaffected. Then the skies cleared and there was a kite flying in the purple sky.

Expecting something unexpected.

Reminder of joy. To relax and be yourself.

Prayer Meeting - 3 April 2009

Abby
- pls pray for her as she is going to apply for MMS position for Admin manager cum Personal Assistant (hasn't written resumes before)

Chris
- pls pray for sanity, rest & wisdom as her current project is taking a toll on her

Denise
- pls pray for her as she studies as she is quite stressed at times by the competition around her, recently completed her 1st moots last Saturday

Haoguang
- his grandpa passed away due to old age in Canada
- pls pray for his grieving grandma and family back in Canada

Jason
- finding it hard to teach his Express class as they are not used to failure & very grade-conscious (not resilient)
- pls pray that he will continue to pray & read the Word consistently as he has recently become more disciplined as he exercises regularly

Jean
- pls pray that she can find God in a multiple of issues

Joel Lam
- pls pray that he will be able to understand one of his modules (Feedback Control) as he still has trouble understanding it

Jolyn
- frustrations in designing for her Campus Crusade comm camp due to numerous changes from comm members
- taught for the whole of last week & observed little details from the primary school teachers with whom she worked with last week
- her brother quit church recently
- burden for her Sec 2 sg and family
- pls pray that she will be disciplined to pray for them

Lance
- pls pray that he can manage his time well and be ready for Good Friday & Easter

Tengyu
- very busy and tiring in full-time min as a SYFC grad servant
- one of the girls attending a evangelistic BS led by a fellow grad servant is interested to know God
- pls pray for strength and providence from God as he leads

Viona
- quite drained from the long work hrs
- pls pray that she will guard her time with God & how she & Edwin can reach out to their family & friends during their wedding in Nov/Dec (sermon & speaker)

Wanlin
- thanksgiving to God for bringing her thru the week smoothly as she really thought she wouldn't get thru (never been so busy before), she participated in the recent SAJC praise & worship nite
- pls pray for her studies as exams are less than 1 month, for gd time mgt & revision & that she'll stick close to God

Venting - Lysa TerKeurst

I am recently reminded again by this article... To remain calm in all situations & to remember that I need to hold back all my feelings..

"A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back." Proverbs 29:11 (NKJV)

Devotion:
Yesterday, I was just mindlessly looking out the window of an airport watching a few seagulls dart about overhead while airline workers were busy loading bags. Nothing about the scene outside the airport window spoke of danger. But then suddenly I remembered the flight from New York just a few weeks ago that was brought down by a few geese. That seagull that faded into the background just moments before became a point of extreme interest to me. What if?

It's amazing if you stop to think about it that a huge airplane could be brought down by just a few birds. Birds. Who would have thought? It makes me think about other seemingly small things that can cause great destruction as well ... especially when it comes to my marriage.

Words vented in frustration can seem so small.

Slightly disrespectful attitudes can seem so small.

Complaining about lack of finances can seem so small.

Brushing off his desires can seem so small.

Making mental lists of things you wish were different about him can seem so small.

But each one of these seemingly small things can so easily and tragically wedge itself into the core of a marriage and send it screaming toward destruction. Entire families have been ripped apart by things that once seemed so small.

Listen to the heartbreak in this note that was anonymously posted on my blog the other day:

"Girls...I know this seems small...but, it's really not. Take it from someone who has blown it more times in marriage than not. Now I have blown it enough to make myself a single mom. It's too late for me. But, it's not for you. Please be aware of the little things. I wouldn't have you join me for anything in the world. Be on your guard and protect your marriage." - Anonymous

I am challenged by this. I can't just mindlessly assume that my marriage is coasting along okay and that little problems can't topple even the most seemingly stable of legacies. I can't get complacent. I can't get prideful. I can't get lazy. I can't take the gift of my marriage for granted.

I have a great marriage but sometimes I slip into automatic and stop getting as intentional as I should about investing richly and deeply into our relationship. So, I've decided to declare this my get intentional week. Today I'll focus on my words. I'm praying for God to interrupt my mouth at every turn today. I am going to hold my tongue against saying anything careless. I am going to intentionally use my words as gifts to my husband today and nothing else.

Not that one day of doing this can protect my marriage forever - but it sure is a good start. Care to join me? Oh you know there will be challenges ahead sweet sister, but I'm up for it. What about you?

Dear Lord, help me to realize that with each word I speak, I am making the choice to bless or to curse. Please help me to speak words that are pleasing to You - even when my emotions run high and my feelings beg me to betray this commitment. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Identify the areas of your marriage you may be struggling with -- complacency, pride, laziness. Look up verses in God's Word that address each.

Spend intentional time in prayer this week for your marriage and your husband.

Reflections:
What have I said recently to my spouse that seemed so small initially?

What have I done recently to my spouse that seemed so small initially?

What have I thought recently about my spouse that seemed so small initially?

Power Verses:
Proverbs 15:1, A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." (NIV)

Psalm 19:14, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." (NIV)

Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (NIV)

Prayer List - March

Abby:
- happy not doing too much work, able to take a break
- pray for God's providence as she has financial commitments despite a big pay cut

Gladwin:
- in transition phase for sg, work -> study
- pray for patience in marriage prep & honoring God through it
- pray that Rachel may be able to settle well in his family home and in marriage
- working on finding a christian community where he feels deeply plugged in

Haoguang:
- building sandcastles part-time job Jason:
- classroom mgt (in area of discipline)

Joel Lau:
- he is applying for architecture studies at NUS this weekend

Joel Lam:
- likes to ponder deeply about things alone
- often struggles in relating to the group
- due to past hurtful incidents with others, has become more guarded (how to be more assertive)
- thank God for getting through his papers
- pray for better communication between him & project mates (who are indirect and have different working styles from him)
- pray that he will meditate on God's word

Jolyn:
- relief teaching at Ahmad Ibrahim
- Campus Crusade commitment
- need for God's direction

Lance & Elaine:
- pray for good health for Elaine as she is sick
- pray that he may be able to complete tasks at school within given time esp setting of maths paper
- thank God that his students are good so far and he enjoys teaching them, has lots of admin in school which leaves him with little time for rest

Rachel:- pray that Gladwin's dad will come for the church wedding and smooth wedding prep- considering a career change from counselling e..g. museum work

Shashi & Jean:
- pray for intimate relationship with God and each other- pray for a less busy schedule
- pray for good weather and God's blessing during Gladwin & Rachel's wedding

Tengyu:
- thanksgiving to God for getting his mum's approval in working at YFC (at least 4 mths) through her unhappiness about this was very mild
- pray for good time mgt at YFC as he is very busy
- wants to find out as he works in YFC where he is heading in terms of ministry work

Viona:
- been feeling very exhausted from much work
- pray that we will persevere in praying for the salvation of our family and friends

Wanlin:
- thank God for getting through mid-terms
- praying for right time to join home ministry with Navigators
- considering whether to major in sociology or psychology
- pray that she won't be distracted by the things of the world

Who Cares? by Hal Runkel, LMFT

You do.

People tend to fall into two camps when it comes to relationships. Those who care too much about what others think and those who say they don't ... but still do.

The truth is, we all care deeply about people's responses to us. And we should. If a person truly didn't care what type of response their actions created, then they wouldn't be a cool cat worth admiring, they'd be a socio path worth fearing. The trick is to find some sort of balance. It's not easy, but it is possible ... sometimes. Let me give you an example.

A few years ago, I broke down and bought a basketball goal for our driveway. After five years of promises, and one year of my son's begging, I finally bit the bullet. I had no idea how much construction time this purchase would involve; but looking back, I'm glad that I got to spend nine wonderful building hours with my then 6-year-old son,Brandon. We examined the directions together, wrenched the bolts together, and even called each other "sir" the whole time. It was very cool.

We finished as dusk approached on Sunday night, so our playing daylight was limited. But, we did play. We celebrated accomplishing achieving our "goal" with several neighborhood kids, all shooting -- and mostly missing -- with exuberance. As I watched my son's pure joy, I reflected on our weekend together -- man, I loved just spending time with that kid. As I then stopped playing and began picking up all our tools, I realized that the least of what we had built that weekend was this basketball goal. I felt like I had given him a great gift.

That was when I felt the thud -- my adorable, maturing son had jus trifled his basketball at my head. "YOU SAID WE WOULD PLAY FOR A LONGTIME!!!" he whined through ungrateful tears.

How quickly the cherished moments can pass. I was, needless to say, angry. And hurt. Literally. This was not the response I wanted or the success story I envisioned. Even though I had done everything "right,"my son was not responding the way that I wanted him to. It's paradoxical. Whenever we need a particular reaction from our kids, it actually decreases the chances of getting it. The truth is, whenever we're more concerned about their response than our own, we come across as manipulative, controlling, and needy. And this actually serves as an invitation for them to defy us, just so they can retain their own individuality.

So here's the challenge!

It took everything in me to breathe deeply and pause before reacting. In that moment, I had to remind myself that Scream Free Parenting doesnot guarantee anything about our kids' responses. After all, it is not really about your kids' responses. It's about your own. So, I had to focus more on my behavior rather than my kid's to give myself the best chance to be the type of parent he really needed: A parent who can handle any outburst without taking it personally. One who can address misbehavior, not in an effort to control, but in an effort to influence.

It was really hard not to focus on his reaction and take it personally.To be honest, I was tempted to launch the ball right back at him and sentence him to a lifetime in his room ... without food or water!! Then I remembered that it was my job to keep my cool and teach him how tohandle his anger appropriately. Mirroring his immaturity back to him probably wouldn't do the trick.

Thankfully, I was able to calmly inform my son of the consequences, enforce them, and move on. My memory of the day is not about how he may have misbehaved, or how he didn't respond entirely as I may have wanted him to -- no, my fond, cherished memory was about our wonderful Sunday afternoon that we spent building something together.
And, as for my son, he got to taste the price of a lack of integrity. In caring more about getting the response he wanted -- me to play longer with him -- than about how he behaved, he experienced the consequence of losing his basketball for a week and watching his new goal go unused. Hopefully, I ended the day giving my son an even better gift than I intended. I gave him a dad who he could count on to keep his cool and stay in charge no matter what he throws my way.

So here's the challenge for all of us: to care deeply about people's responses to us, and yet to care more about our own responses to those responses. That's what it means to act with integrity. And I believe that's what creates great relationships.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord -- Ephesians 6:4