Happy Chinese New Year!

This year's Chinese New Year is more festive than the previous years with Valentine's and Chinese New Year falling on the same week. It also meant that the week was a more hectic one. Pastor's 12 met up for a gathering at Mabel's house (it was quite an experience to have 5-6 people preparing for dinner in a small a kitchen! The other 5--6 people were shaking leg, keke...) and had a time of gift exchange. It was fun we had enough spaghetti to feed two football teams (Lijun had 3 servings in valiant attempt to help finish! We managed to only finish half heh...), soup and our homemade fondue which was really really yummy. The food was definitely good, which was not surprising since we had a good cook (our dearest Pastor Yo!). But more than that, it was the fact that we took time out out to spend with each other and to show each other that we were thinking about each other that made the night special. There was of course the fact that we were spending what most people would see as a romantic night with the spiritual family that made it unique too.

Even though Valentine's is originally a festival that celebrates sex and fertility, I think in choosing to celebrate it the way we did was gave the day a new and different meaning and added value to ourselves by celebrating it. We went beyond just gift-giving or romance, but expressed love that was deliberate, committed and sisterly.

Chinese New Year too is rooted in myth and originated because of the need to chase away a fearsome beast called 'Nian'. But even just like we celebrate Valentine's in a positive way, let's do the same for Chinese New Year. This festival has become for us an important day for families and friends to visit and bless each other. May you think of your families, and ask for a blessing for them and commit to be a blessing to them as well.

Happy and Victorious Chinese New Year people!

Sanctification

We had our yearly sanctification in this month. It was different from the previous years in that it was surprisingly simple. There were some big terms we had to grapple with at times, but in the end the call for all three days had been simple: God was and is inviting us back to the altar to meet with His grace, His love and the truth of His word. It sounds so simple eh, well it was. Perhaps it is because God could speak so much in simple words. No difficult words or complex ideas is needed. He is God and because He is God He hated sin, but He loved us and gave us grace so that we can come before Him with no fear. I was so humbled by all that He showed me that day and could not help but receive His words.

We were challenged at the end of the three days to commit to read His word each day before food. It was a challenge and still is. I am an early bird, but I would always need food to get myself awake first before I can do anything else. To do something else before food usually meant that I would be falling asleep as I tried doing any kind of work. I agreed to do it by faith and it has been rather amazing. Every time I read before I ate, I feel so refreshed and energised for the day even though I had to wake up earlier. Of course there were times when I was late and read at the breakfast table, but the deliberate effort to put God first has become a form of worship in itself.

I am thankful that even as we set apart time to honour God during those three days, He aligned my heart to His, and blessed me more than I could ever bless Him.