My Third Cell Group Session

Today's session is also about serving God, about our Spiritual gifts and our Hearts. That our service must always be God-centred (Theology) and Christ-centred (Christ-centred). That each and everyone of us has spiritual gifts, given by the Holy Spirit.

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, the word of knowledge through the same spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues."
<1 Corinthians 12:7-11>

(This entry is not really going to be easy to understand, for I only wish to jolt down the important points of the session, so will not really be explaining or linking the different points...)

We must guard our hearts, give glory to God in everything that we do...

What is your passion? What stirs your heart? What keeps you going on and on? What is your dream? What is your ambition?

I find that I could not answer these questions... I have not really been passionate about anything for quite some time... I have not really been pushing myself to go on and on for anything in particular... I am not really sure of what my dreams are or what my ambitions are... I seemed to be just floating around... going where others tell me to go, with no real sense of direction, no real sense of really wanting to be there...

Accepting Christ as my savior seems like the only decision which I have made myself, as something which I really want to do...

Ok, back to some amazing things which happened during the session =)
The cell group gave me a Bible! Wow... My third Bible in this week... It's a complete Bible, called "Life Application Study Bible", New International Version. It even has a map of Jerusalem and Palestine in New testament Times... I think the map will help me greatly as I traced the path Jesus and his disciples took.

Wow... I am really touched beyond words... Ever since I have accepted Christ, I have been received so much from everyone... I can only say thank you and accept all their kindness and generosity... Everyone is trying to help me as much as they could in my remaining two weeks here, so that I can have a strong foundation, paving the way for me, so that I can continue to seek God and to grow in Him, even when I am away from them. I don't think I could ever thank them enough...

I am really glad that I return to Singapore in the midst of the holidays, so that I am not overwhelmed by work, so that I may have time to settle down in a Church and cell group...

Have not been updating my blog recently... Had a paper each on Tuesday and Wednesday, so had been studying... Then, on Wednesday evening, How Hwa and Ekio invited the whole cell group to their place for dinner... It's a farewell dinner for Calvin, one of the cell group members... He is graduating this year. Ekio is really a great cook! She even made rum and raisin ice-cream for us! It's really good!

At the end of the dinner, Calvin actually gave me a New King James version of the new testament, bounded with a cross necklace... It's so unexpected... Hmm... seems like everyone is spoiling me... =P Ruth has given me a New Living translation of the New Testament, a bookmark with the Prayer of Francis of Assisi and a little pocket size card, which is very sweet... and a card from Hallmark... I think Calvin and Ruth have been really sweet to me... The rest of the cell group as well... Wah... I feel so loved... Ya... my friends in Singapore are also very nice to me, like saying I could go to their church till I have decided on which church to attend...

Today is Thursday and Ruth and I went to see Calvin off... I think it's really quite sad... Though we could all meet up in Singapore, I guess it will never be the same again... I will miss the idyllic settings of Leeds, the different seasons, the ice-cream van which plays a Moo song, the blackboard teaching, the English setting...

I have really gotten quite close with my housemates and cell group people... Feel sad that we have to part our ways soon... Tony is leaving tomorrow... I am leaving in two weeks time... Ruth is leaving 10 days after me, and Audrey, 11 days...

Anyway, went to town with Ruth today... Felt tempted to buy a top... but the two available ones in my size have some defects... so didn't buy in the end... But shared this pack of 9 ear-rings with Ruth... decided we could give one pair each to the girls in cell group. Florence came over to pass us a Spanish omelette and broccoli quiche... She made a spanish omelette for quite a lot of people... People here really take the time to do things for others... So amazing... Yesterday night, Ruth was making almond jelly for her housemates and brought some over to my house and to Calvin as well...

Gosh... I'm mentioning Calvin quite a lot of times in this entry... I must state that there is nothing between the two of us, so please don't misunderstand... It's just that he has left and everyone has been talking about him recently...

So, anyway, back to Florence, cos the last time Florence and Ruth came, we three tip-toed up to Andrew's room, I opened the door and they screamed very loudly, so as to give Andrew a scare... So today, we decided to do something like that as well... We decided not to scream, initially, thought we wanted to sing, but the three of us don't really know any songs in common, so Ruth suggest that we do a cheer... We called it the "Andrew Cheer". It starts like this:

Leader: Give me an A!
Chorus: A!
Leader: Give me a N!
Chorus: N!
...

And so on, until we have shouted ANDREW, then:

Leader: What is that?
Chorus: Andrew!
Leader: Can't hear you!
Chorus: Andrew!
Leader: One more time!
Chorus: Andrew!

Ruth was the leader, Florence and I were the chorus... we even rehearsed the cheer in the kitchen before going up to his room man... Hahaha... it's really very funny, and we couldn't stop laughing... I was laughing so hard that I could hardly stand straight at the end of the rehearsal... So, after rehearsing, we tip-toed our way up to his room and did the "Andrew Cheer"! I just find it so funny that I was laughing the moment we started... so Florence ended up being the only one repeating the chorus... It's really a FUN experience... Hmm... so nice that I can find friends to do silly things with... hahahaha... Also very nice that I have friends whom I can do silly things to! Wow... I will never forget all the times we have had together... *waves of sadness sweeping over me again*... Wish I could have gotten to know them earlier... xiang1 fong2 heng4 wan3... Well at least, I do get to know them... Feeling very blessed...

I've accept Christ!

0130h. Ruth called and asked if she could come over to pass a CD to me. It's a CD she burned just for me, 2 days before her first paper. Having discovered that I was awake (or rather, not asleep... hehe...), she showed me some verses from the Bible, which might be helpful to me (as I was worried that I might not be able to commit so much of my time to God). She said a prayer for me and I asked her to leave the Bible behind, so that I can read it more carefully tomorrow morning.

0200h. Ruth went back home to study and I went back to sleep (Irony intended). I am really touched by her act of kindness, that she could take the time to burn a CD for me and to pray for me and to help me learn more about Jesus, 2 days before her exams... At that point of time, I felt that I could see God's glory in Ruth.

After the last cell-group meeting, I thought that I will wait till the exams are finished before avvepting Christ. I've always felt that I am the most vulnerable during exam-period and I do not want to make such a decision during this critical period of time. Yet, I know that this exam period, I do not feel particularly stressed out.

I had wanted to wait till I get back to Singapore before accepting Christ because everything will be different when I get back. Life will not be so relaxed. I was afraid that I can't afford the time to attend service or cell group. I was afraid that I will not have enough time for family, boyfriend and friends...

Then, I asked myself, "If I do not accept Christ now, when will I want to accept him? What if I had to leave this world, before I have even accepted Christ?" I made up my mind to accept Christ after the service in the afternoon. (Felt that this is an urgent and important thing to do.)

1330-1500h. The service given by Wee Leon is really touching! I was trying not to cry and I turned and saw Ruth crying and then I couldn't stop the tears anymore... (aiya... Ruth... all your fault... =P) Then, Wee Leon lead a prayer for the non-christians, so that those who wished to accept God, can say this prayer along with him.

Having heard this prayer so many times (The first time I heard it was probably when I was 7)... This is the first time, I repeated the words... I feel really relieved that I have finally made this decision. It is as if I have finally permitted myself to do something I have always wanted to do... Ruth gave me her Bible and I am really grateful for that!

It is times like these that I feel that my time in Leeds is too short... But I believe, I will continue to grow spiritually when I returned to Singapore...

I thank everyone, whom I have come into contact with during my short stay in Leeds, for being here for me! And I thank everyone back in Singapore, especially my family and Yuming, for waiting for me and for letting me know that I always have you, to come home to! Thank you!