Vacation ends in Ecuador

With the school vacation ending, my students from different companies are starting their English classes again. School is starting on 6 Sep which means many families are coming back from their vacations this week. It also means that our English classes will start again very soon. :)

Listen to your prayers, because they locate your level of spiritual maturity.

What are you praying for? Are you asking God to give you more stuff--a bigger house, a new car, a bigger salary? What you pray for indicates what is important to you.

It is a great lesson to examine what the people in the Bible prayed for.

King David, in Psalm 27:4, prayed, 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. He asked God for just one thing: that he would dwell in God's presence. David clearly knew that in God's presence he would receive everything he needed (see Matthew 6:33).

Paul also didn't pray for worldly things. Instead, in Philippians 1:9, Paul prayed that the church would walk in love: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more. Paul knew the importance of love, and so he made it a point to pray that the church would grow more and more in love.

Furthermore, he prayed that believers would be strengthened spiritually: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being (Ephesians 3:16).

In short, your prayers can tell what you consider to be important. If you are only praying for worldly stuff, then you are neglecting what is of lasting value: knowing God, dwelling in His presence, walking in His love, and being strong spiritually.

Therefore, decide to adjust what you're praying for. Learn to listen to your prayers, because they locate your level of spiritual maturity.

Powerful prayer

Commissioning service on 14 Sep 2008

Stressful life

Initially we thought that the life in Ecuador will be much slower. In the end, with all the translation, teaching and church ministry, it turns out much busier and more stressful than Singapore. Thankfully the last day of our translation work is 15 Sep. Less than 1 more month to go! :)

Interesting read about confidence

"Several years ago, our family would pile up on the sofa after dinner to watch one of our favorite television programs, Fear Factor. We enjoyed watching the contestants attempt outrageous and daring stunts. We'd sit and watch in anticipation, wondering what the contestants would have to do next. Each stunt would test the contestant's ability to confront and overcome fear. If the contestant allowed fear to stop them or even slow them down, they would be off the show and the camera would follow them down the dreaded "walk of shame." One person would be eliminated after each stunt until only one contestant remained—the winner who would receive the prize money.

I noticed that most of the time, the contestant who won not only overcame their fear, but they usually approached each task differently from the other contestant—with confidence. Confidence empowered them to perform the tasks faster, more skillfully, and with whatever proficiency was required. There were many times when we could tell who was going to win within the first few minutes of the show just by that confidence factor. You could see it in the winner's eyes.

That was only a television show, but how often do we see this same scenario play out in our own lives? We set out to complete a mission and have our goal in mind only to run straight into a wall of fear. It doesn't take a television show to know how fear can block us from pursuing our dreams. Fear is the enemy of confidence, and it can keep you from your God-given destiny. The only way to break the power of fear and build confidence is to move forward. Confidence isn't built by playing it safe. It's not built when you simply stand still. It's built when you press past your fear.

Throughout life, we all have opportunities to either shrink back and settle where it's familiar, or we can take a step of faith and embrace the new things God has in store. Remember, you were never created to be stagnant. You were never created to take that "walk of shame;" you were created to win. Don't allow fear to hold you back. Keep stretching, keep growing, keep learning and tap into the confidence God has placed on the inside of you!"

My thoughts:

1) Am I showing confidence or fear in my life?

2) If -5 is fearful, 0 is neutral and 5 is very confident, on a scale of -5 to 5, where am I standing?

3) How am I growing in confidence in God each day? Can people tell that I have more confidence in God each day?

My devotion today

"So many people today are living far below the level that God intends simply because they allow negative thoughts to inhabit their minds. When negative thoughts take root in your thinking, they grow like weeds and ultimately direct your life. That's why the Bible tells us to take captive every thought and make it obedient to the Word of God.

Think about it this way; if you went home today and noticed a rattlesnake in the corner of your living room, what would you do? You probably wouldn't just think, "Well, I'll get to that a little bit later. Let me watch the rest of the ballgame. Let me get a bite to eat, then I'll deal with that." No, you'd have a fit! You'd call 911or Billy the Exterminator. You'd get a neighbor to help you. You'd do anything you could to get that thing out. Why? Because it's something harmful, something destructive in your house. Well, those negative thoughts that the enemy feeds our minds can be just as harmful and destructive if we don't immediately get rid of them. Those negative thoughts can cause all kinds of problems and even steal our destiny. We need to have that same aggression, that same sense of urgency in dealing with negative thinking as we would if we were dealing with a harmful snake.

The scripture says in Proverbs, "As a person thinks in his heart, so he will become." Let me ask you today, what's going on in your mind? Are you thinking good thoughts about yourself? Are you thinking positive thoughts about your future? Are there any negative thoughts that you need to get rid of? Start by speaking the Word of God over your life and declaring His victory. Every time a negative thought comes, chase it away with the Word of God. When you take captive every thought, you are reprogramming your mind and setting your life on the course of victory God has in store for you!"

This devotion reminds me of killing the moth in our house recently. I really need to get rid of the negative thoughts like how I got rid of the moth in my house. "Jesus, help me to get rid of the negative thoughts in my mind and fill it with your promises. Thank you so much for the hope you have given to me."

Discover that I can maintain a blog

After maintaining the 'Chronicles of Ecuador' blog for about 2 years, I discover that I can actually keep up with updating a blog regularly. Hence, I have decided to keep on blogging on my personal blog which I have not been using for more than 2 years. :)